mikeyarmo
Co-Founder
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2006
- Messages
- 3,026
There are many things we need to eat to maintain optimal health. We have heard for years the importance of ingesting optimal levels of vitamin and minerals for health, but researchers have started to realize that there are other levels and measures that are just as important for us to monitor in order to be healthy.
One of those is the omega 3 to omega 6 ratio of which a poor one has been implicated in the increased likelihood of the development of Crohn's Disease[goto=3a][3][/goto]. Both of these are Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs) that are essential for health. As the body cannot produce these on their own, it is important that they are ingested regularly in the right balance.
In the same way that one can experience sickness through overdosing on certain vitamin and minerals (such as Vitamin A) not maintaining the proper omega 3 to omega 6 ration can cause health problems also. This is largely due to the fact that any omega 3 and omega 6 fats ingested must go through some steps in the body to be converted into the forms that are best metabolized by the body. The same enzymes are used to break down omega 3 and omega 6. If there is an overconsumption of one of these fats, it will result in less of the other fat being broken down and being able to be metabolized by the body. This will result in our bodily tissues storing more of the fatty acid from the omega fat we ingested more of.
Most modern diets have seen a great increase in the consumption of omega 6 fatty acids compared to omega 3 fatty acids. Where traditional diets have been found to have omega 3 to omega 6 ratios in a range closer to 1:1 to 1:4 modern diets can currently have intakes that are closer to 1:10, 1:20 or even 1:50!
Omega 3 and omega 6 are commonly broken down as being anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory respectively. While people with IBD and the general public will have an anti-inflammatory bias for good reason, it is important to note that inflammation is part of a normal process by the body as part of the harm prevention/healing process from injury.
Benefits from increasing Omega 3 fatty acid intake
Omega 3 has been found to have a protective effect against mood disorders.
Major depression was found to be treatable for those without anxiety disorders using Omega 3 supplementation (fish oil).
The risk of death by Coronary Heart Disease was found to be lower in people who had a larger intake of Omega 3 fatty acids as part of their diet or through supplementation.
Studies have now also shown that the risk of breast and colorectal cancer. may be reduced through greater intake of fish and Omega 3 fatty acids
Risks from ingesting too much Omega 6
Having a poor Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio can come about one of two possible ways:
1) Having an extremely high Omega 6 fatty acid intake (with low to normal Omega 3 intake) or
2) having an extremely low omega 3 fatty acid intake (with a normal to high Omega 6 intake).
In either case, the body will store a greater portion of the Omega 6 fatty acid in body tissue than has typically occurred throughout human history.
Dr. William Lands looked at the % of Omega 6 fatty acids in certain populations of people and looked at those populations mortality by Coronary Heart Disease. What he found was that there was a very clear link between increased Omega 6 fat in body tissue and risk of death from Coronary Heart Disease.
Other researchers have found that a higher intake of Omega 6 in brain tissues was linked to a higher frequency of depression. While this study is based off of studying rats, there are other studies that show this effect in humans also. This study found that a high Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acid ratio may enhance the risk of depression and inflammatory diseases (which would include IBD).
Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio in common foods
See this link for an analysis of the omega 3 to omega 6 ratio for a variety of different foods.
The body makes arachidonic acid from n-6 fatty acids. Arachidonic acid is an inflammatory fatty acid responsible for the something called series 2 prostaglandins which are correlated with all kinds of inflammatory conditions. Many meats contain HIGH amounts of arachidonic acid because the animals are fed corn and soy instead of their natural diets.[goto=2a][2][/goto] For this reason, it is incredibly important to buy meats raised naturally. Buy grass fed beef (check and make sure they didn't feed it grains the last couple months as many do and still call it grass fed!), wild caught fish, chickens that are free ranged on pasture land and NOT fed corn or soy, etc.
Free range chicken eggs raised on bugs and pastureland have a ratio of about 1 - 1.5 whereas supermarket eggs have a ratio of 1 - 20![goto=1a][1][/goto]. The problem is that supermarket chickens are fed tons of corn and soy. Even most local "organic" farmers feed their chickens tons of corn, it's just organic. Educate a local chicken producer about the health effects of feeding their chickens corn and soy. David here on the forums let's his chickens free range and supplements their diet with flax seed and quinoa.
Supplementing Omega 3
A great way for improving your omega 3 ration is to take a daily supplement that is high in Omega 3. This will help ensure you are getting enough Omega 3 in your diet for optimal health.
While there are many food sources containing Omega 3 fats, here are some of the more popular supplements used to increase Omega 3 intake
Please remember to discuss any supplements you are thinking of taking with your doctor!
Flax seeds or flax oil
While most nuts and seeds have a very poor ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fat, flax boasts an impressive ratio of just under 4 times as much Omega 3 as Omega 6.
Flax seeds can be poured into any meal (salads are a good choice) or eaten straight by the spoonful, however they may cause digestive troubles for people with IBD (like other nuts and seeds commonly do). This makes supplementing with flax oil a good option for IBD sufferers. As flax oil does not have all the protein and fiber that the seeds do, a tablespoon of flax oil has about twice as much Omega 3 as a tablespoon of flax seed.
You can quickly get your flax oil by gulping it down as a table spoon in the morning (or by purchasing flax seed capsules) or incorporating it in your meals (as a salad dressing, pouring it over tuna fish or sardines, etc).
It is very important that you store and use Flaxseed oil properly. As it is predominantly made up of unsaturated fat, it can turn rancid very easily. To protect against this, it is best to keep the flax oil refrigerated always. This includes prior to opening the bottle, which means you should not buy the oil from stores that store the bottles at room temperature. Once open, you should attempt to use the bottle within the manufacturers recommended consumption guidelines. It is thought that you should try to consume the bottle within one month of it being opened. Lastly, flax oil should not be used for cooking (especially when cooking at high temperatures).
Other than having a good Omega 3 to 6 ratio, flax is a good source of other vitamins and minerals including Vitamin B1, Manganese and Magnesium.
Chia seeds or chia oil
Best known from the Chia Pet commercials and famous product, Chia is a seed that was first used by Mexicans and South Americans thousands of years ago. Chia has grown in popularity in recent years for it's great nutritional benefits. The seeds have a very good Omega 3:6 ratio also of about 3:1. Chia is seen as an all around good nutrition source, with 1 tablespoon providing about 8% of your daily requirement for calcium, iron, phosphorus and thiamin.
While based on my personal experience they are easier to digest than many other nuts and seeds, they still should be treated with caution with anyone affected by IBD. The issue with fibre and digestion can be avoided by purchasing Chia oil. While in my experience this is harder to find than flax oil, a local health food store should carry this product.
Fish oil
Many fish species are a good source of Omega 3, either due to the plant life they eat that is high in Omega 3 or due to the fact that they eat other fish that have Omega 3 in them. An easy way to get the benefits of the Omega 3 fat from the fish is through taking a fish oil supplement.
While most plant sources of Omega 3 are higher in a form of Omega 3 fat called Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA) fish (and fish oil) also contain omega 3 fats in the form of Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA). While the body can convert APA to DHA and EPA, it is not a very efficient conversion. Therefore, eating sources of these fats including fish oil is superior to just relying on eating foods with ALA in them.
Each individual fish oil product will range in the amount of Omega 3 to Omega 6 that is contained in each tablespoon or gel capsule, but typically there is a greater ratio of omega 3 per serving than there is of omega 6.
Fish oil does have some safety concerns that must be considered and investigated. First off, not all brands of fish oil are clear about the source of the fish and what fish exactly is used to make the fish oil. Therefore, someone suffering from an allergy to a certain fish could potentially have reactions to some fish oil brands.
Another issue about not knowing the source or type of fish you are eating is the mercury content of the fish oil. Eating too much mercury can be harmful to your health or your child's health if you are pregnant. Each species of fish has a different average level of mercury found in them, so it is best to eat fish and fish oil made from fish with lower amounts of mercury in them.
Some fish oils go through purification steps to remove mercury and other substances not beneficial for human consumption. While the benefit of these processes is the reduced amount of contaminants in the fish oil, there are disadvantages seen by putting the oil through this step. To read about the pros and cons of some of the purification methods, click here.
Since fish oil can suffer from oxidation, it is best to keep your fish oil away from direct sunlight. One study also found that it is best to take fish oil within 36 days of it being opened (assuming storage at 10 degrees celsius/ 50 degrees farenheit).
Krill oil
Krill oil has many of the benefits of fish oil (high omega 3 content, contains ALA, EPA and DHA versions of omega 3) however there are some differences that should be considered. Krill are pretty low on the food chain as they eat Phytoplankton or similar plant life. This results in krill having a fairly low mercury content compared to many other fish, specifically fish higher on the food chain. Additionally, krill contains Asataxanthin, which is known as a strong antioxidant. According to the wikipedia article on the subject:
One of the main disadvantages I have seen from krill oil is typically there is less Omega 3 fat per capsule than most fish oil capsules. This makes it more expensive to get the same level as Omega 3 fat as if you were taking fish oil.
Cod liver oil
This is another type of fish oil that comes from... well I think the name is pretty self explanatory
. Like other fish oils, cod liver oil is a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids (including EPA and DHA). A tablespoon of cod liver oil has about 2.6 grams of Omega 3 fatty acids compared with 0.1 grams of Omega 6 fatty acids. A benefit of cod liver oil over fish oil is that it has a large amount of Vitamin A (per the previous link, a tablespoon contains 270% of your recommended daily intake) and over 1,000 IU of Vitamin D. There is a lot of research on Vitamin D and IBD indicating that taking this as a supplement can help counter the effects of the disease.
Due to the high amount of Vitamin A in Cod Liver oil, it is important that people considering taking this supplement speak to their doctor first (especially if they are pregnant). Some people may also prefer to stick with fish oil as it supposedly contains twice as much EPA and DHA as cod liver oil does. As each brand of each product will have slightly different values, it is important to perform your own comparison of products to help determine which type of oil is best for you.
More about the potential dangers of cod liver oil can be found in another forum thread.
Dangers of consuming too much Omega 3
As is the case with pretty much any food, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. While it is encouraged to get your omega 3 to 6 fat ratio in line with more traditional standards, it is not recommended to attempt to have an Omega 3ratio that absolutely dwarfs your Omega 6 intake.
Eskimos from Greenland suffered from a high rate of hemorrhagic strokes and there is some concern that this was due to their extremely high Omega 3 fat intake. Omega 3 in very large quantities is thought to increase the risk of nose bleeds and blood in your urine. Other possible risks include increases in LDL cholesterol and high intake of toxins depending on the source of your omega 3 (i.e. fish oil that is high in mercury and other toxins).
Some nutrition experts (such as Ray Peat believe that Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs) in general cause health problems. Instead of focusing on improving your Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio, Ray advocates restricting PUFAs in your diet as much as possible.
While it is important to understand the risks involved with extremely excessive Omega 3 consumption, the majority of research seems to suggest that it is important to restore our diets to more traditional levels of Omega 3 intake compared to Omega 6 intake. Over time this should restore Arachidonic acid levels to normal levels and hopefully help to alleviate some of our inflammation and other health problems.
Ways to improve your Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio
There are two ways to improve your Omega 3/Omega 6 ratio. You can either increase your Omega 3 consumption or decrease your Omega 6 consumption. Taking steps to do both of these things will help you get your intake of Omega 3 and Omega 6 to be in a healthy range.
Below are some tips on how you can start working to improve your ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6.
References
[pos]1a[/pos][1] http://www.mercola.com/beef/health_benefits.htm
[pos]2a[/pos][2] http://www.drhoffman.com/page.cfm/892
[pos]3a[/pos][3] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8615358
One of those is the omega 3 to omega 6 ratio of which a poor one has been implicated in the increased likelihood of the development of Crohn's Disease[goto=3a][3][/goto]. Both of these are Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs) that are essential for health. As the body cannot produce these on their own, it is important that they are ingested regularly in the right balance.
In the same way that one can experience sickness through overdosing on certain vitamin and minerals (such as Vitamin A) not maintaining the proper omega 3 to omega 6 ration can cause health problems also. This is largely due to the fact that any omega 3 and omega 6 fats ingested must go through some steps in the body to be converted into the forms that are best metabolized by the body. The same enzymes are used to break down omega 3 and omega 6. If there is an overconsumption of one of these fats, it will result in less of the other fat being broken down and being able to be metabolized by the body. This will result in our bodily tissues storing more of the fatty acid from the omega fat we ingested more of.
Most modern diets have seen a great increase in the consumption of omega 6 fatty acids compared to omega 3 fatty acids. Where traditional diets have been found to have omega 3 to omega 6 ratios in a range closer to 1:1 to 1:4 modern diets can currently have intakes that are closer to 1:10, 1:20 or even 1:50!
Omega 3 and omega 6 are commonly broken down as being anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory respectively. While people with IBD and the general public will have an anti-inflammatory bias for good reason, it is important to note that inflammation is part of a normal process by the body as part of the harm prevention/healing process from injury.
Benefits from increasing Omega 3 fatty acid intake
Omega 3 has been found to have a protective effect against mood disorders.
Major depression was found to be treatable for those without anxiety disorders using Omega 3 supplementation (fish oil).
The risk of death by Coronary Heart Disease was found to be lower in people who had a larger intake of Omega 3 fatty acids as part of their diet or through supplementation.
Studies have now also shown that the risk of breast and colorectal cancer. may be reduced through greater intake of fish and Omega 3 fatty acids
Risks from ingesting too much Omega 6
Having a poor Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio can come about one of two possible ways:
1) Having an extremely high Omega 6 fatty acid intake (with low to normal Omega 3 intake) or
2) having an extremely low omega 3 fatty acid intake (with a normal to high Omega 6 intake).
In either case, the body will store a greater portion of the Omega 6 fatty acid in body tissue than has typically occurred throughout human history.
Dr. William Lands looked at the % of Omega 6 fatty acids in certain populations of people and looked at those populations mortality by Coronary Heart Disease. What he found was that there was a very clear link between increased Omega 6 fat in body tissue and risk of death from Coronary Heart Disease.
Other researchers have found that a higher intake of Omega 6 in brain tissues was linked to a higher frequency of depression. While this study is based off of studying rats, there are other studies that show this effect in humans also. This study found that a high Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acid ratio may enhance the risk of depression and inflammatory diseases (which would include IBD).
Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio in common foods
See this link for an analysis of the omega 3 to omega 6 ratio for a variety of different foods.
The body makes arachidonic acid from n-6 fatty acids. Arachidonic acid is an inflammatory fatty acid responsible for the something called series 2 prostaglandins which are correlated with all kinds of inflammatory conditions. Many meats contain HIGH amounts of arachidonic acid because the animals are fed corn and soy instead of their natural diets.[goto=2a][2][/goto] For this reason, it is incredibly important to buy meats raised naturally. Buy grass fed beef (check and make sure they didn't feed it grains the last couple months as many do and still call it grass fed!), wild caught fish, chickens that are free ranged on pasture land and NOT fed corn or soy, etc.
Free range chicken eggs raised on bugs and pastureland have a ratio of about 1 - 1.5 whereas supermarket eggs have a ratio of 1 - 20![goto=1a][1][/goto]. The problem is that supermarket chickens are fed tons of corn and soy. Even most local "organic" farmers feed their chickens tons of corn, it's just organic. Educate a local chicken producer about the health effects of feeding their chickens corn and soy. David here on the forums let's his chickens free range and supplements their diet with flax seed and quinoa.
Supplementing Omega 3
A great way for improving your omega 3 ration is to take a daily supplement that is high in Omega 3. This will help ensure you are getting enough Omega 3 in your diet for optimal health.
While there are many food sources containing Omega 3 fats, here are some of the more popular supplements used to increase Omega 3 intake
Please remember to discuss any supplements you are thinking of taking with your doctor!
Flax seeds or flax oil
While most nuts and seeds have a very poor ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fat, flax boasts an impressive ratio of just under 4 times as much Omega 3 as Omega 6.
Flax seeds can be poured into any meal (salads are a good choice) or eaten straight by the spoonful, however they may cause digestive troubles for people with IBD (like other nuts and seeds commonly do). This makes supplementing with flax oil a good option for IBD sufferers. As flax oil does not have all the protein and fiber that the seeds do, a tablespoon of flax oil has about twice as much Omega 3 as a tablespoon of flax seed.
You can quickly get your flax oil by gulping it down as a table spoon in the morning (or by purchasing flax seed capsules) or incorporating it in your meals (as a salad dressing, pouring it over tuna fish or sardines, etc).
It is very important that you store and use Flaxseed oil properly. As it is predominantly made up of unsaturated fat, it can turn rancid very easily. To protect against this, it is best to keep the flax oil refrigerated always. This includes prior to opening the bottle, which means you should not buy the oil from stores that store the bottles at room temperature. Once open, you should attempt to use the bottle within the manufacturers recommended consumption guidelines. It is thought that you should try to consume the bottle within one month of it being opened. Lastly, flax oil should not be used for cooking (especially when cooking at high temperatures).
Other than having a good Omega 3 to 6 ratio, flax is a good source of other vitamins and minerals including Vitamin B1, Manganese and Magnesium.
Chia seeds or chia oil
Best known from the Chia Pet commercials and famous product, Chia is a seed that was first used by Mexicans and South Americans thousands of years ago. Chia has grown in popularity in recent years for it's great nutritional benefits. The seeds have a very good Omega 3:6 ratio also of about 3:1. Chia is seen as an all around good nutrition source, with 1 tablespoon providing about 8% of your daily requirement for calcium, iron, phosphorus and thiamin.
While based on my personal experience they are easier to digest than many other nuts and seeds, they still should be treated with caution with anyone affected by IBD. The issue with fibre and digestion can be avoided by purchasing Chia oil. While in my experience this is harder to find than flax oil, a local health food store should carry this product.
Fish oil
Many fish species are a good source of Omega 3, either due to the plant life they eat that is high in Omega 3 or due to the fact that they eat other fish that have Omega 3 in them. An easy way to get the benefits of the Omega 3 fat from the fish is through taking a fish oil supplement.
While most plant sources of Omega 3 are higher in a form of Omega 3 fat called Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA) fish (and fish oil) also contain omega 3 fats in the form of Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA). While the body can convert APA to DHA and EPA, it is not a very efficient conversion. Therefore, eating sources of these fats including fish oil is superior to just relying on eating foods with ALA in them.
Each individual fish oil product will range in the amount of Omega 3 to Omega 6 that is contained in each tablespoon or gel capsule, but typically there is a greater ratio of omega 3 per serving than there is of omega 6.
Fish oil does have some safety concerns that must be considered and investigated. First off, not all brands of fish oil are clear about the source of the fish and what fish exactly is used to make the fish oil. Therefore, someone suffering from an allergy to a certain fish could potentially have reactions to some fish oil brands.
Another issue about not knowing the source or type of fish you are eating is the mercury content of the fish oil. Eating too much mercury can be harmful to your health or your child's health if you are pregnant. Each species of fish has a different average level of mercury found in them, so it is best to eat fish and fish oil made from fish with lower amounts of mercury in them.
Some fish oils go through purification steps to remove mercury and other substances not beneficial for human consumption. While the benefit of these processes is the reduced amount of contaminants in the fish oil, there are disadvantages seen by putting the oil through this step. To read about the pros and cons of some of the purification methods, click here.
Since fish oil can suffer from oxidation, it is best to keep your fish oil away from direct sunlight. One study also found that it is best to take fish oil within 36 days of it being opened (assuming storage at 10 degrees celsius/ 50 degrees farenheit).
Krill oil
Krill oil has many of the benefits of fish oil (high omega 3 content, contains ALA, EPA and DHA versions of omega 3) however there are some differences that should be considered. Krill are pretty low on the food chain as they eat Phytoplankton or similar plant life. This results in krill having a fairly low mercury content compared to many other fish, specifically fish higher on the food chain. Additionally, krill contains Asataxanthin, which is known as a strong antioxidant. According to the wikipedia article on the subject:
One of the main disadvantages I have seen from krill oil is typically there is less Omega 3 fat per capsule than most fish oil capsules. This makes it more expensive to get the same level as Omega 3 fat as if you were taking fish oil.
Cod liver oil
This is another type of fish oil that comes from... well I think the name is pretty self explanatory
. Like other fish oils, cod liver oil is a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids (including EPA and DHA). A tablespoon of cod liver oil has about 2.6 grams of Omega 3 fatty acids compared with 0.1 grams of Omega 6 fatty acids. A benefit of cod liver oil over fish oil is that it has a large amount of Vitamin A (per the previous link, a tablespoon contains 270% of your recommended daily intake) and over 1,000 IU of Vitamin D. There is a lot of research on Vitamin D and IBD indicating that taking this as a supplement can help counter the effects of the disease.Due to the high amount of Vitamin A in Cod Liver oil, it is important that people considering taking this supplement speak to their doctor first (especially if they are pregnant). Some people may also prefer to stick with fish oil as it supposedly contains twice as much EPA and DHA as cod liver oil does. As each brand of each product will have slightly different values, it is important to perform your own comparison of products to help determine which type of oil is best for you.
More about the potential dangers of cod liver oil can be found in another forum thread.
Dangers of consuming too much Omega 3
As is the case with pretty much any food, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. While it is encouraged to get your omega 3 to 6 fat ratio in line with more traditional standards, it is not recommended to attempt to have an Omega 3ratio that absolutely dwarfs your Omega 6 intake.
Eskimos from Greenland suffered from a high rate of hemorrhagic strokes and there is some concern that this was due to their extremely high Omega 3 fat intake. Omega 3 in very large quantities is thought to increase the risk of nose bleeds and blood in your urine. Other possible risks include increases in LDL cholesterol and high intake of toxins depending on the source of your omega 3 (i.e. fish oil that is high in mercury and other toxins).
Some nutrition experts (such as Ray Peat believe that Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs) in general cause health problems. Instead of focusing on improving your Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio, Ray advocates restricting PUFAs in your diet as much as possible.
While it is important to understand the risks involved with extremely excessive Omega 3 consumption, the majority of research seems to suggest that it is important to restore our diets to more traditional levels of Omega 3 intake compared to Omega 6 intake. Over time this should restore Arachidonic acid levels to normal levels and hopefully help to alleviate some of our inflammation and other health problems.
Ways to improve your Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratio
There are two ways to improve your Omega 3/Omega 6 ratio. You can either increase your Omega 3 consumption or decrease your Omega 6 consumption. Taking steps to do both of these things will help you get your intake of Omega 3 and Omega 6 to be in a healthy range.
Below are some tips on how you can start working to improve your ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6.
- Take an Omega 3 supplement daily.
- Avoid cooking with fats high in Omega 6 (corn oil, vegetable oil, peanut oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil and sunflower oil). Better sources of fat for cooking are butter (from grass-fed cows), ghee, coconut oil (as it is mostly saturated fat) and beef tallow (ideally from grass fed cows). Flax oil is not recommended for cooking.
- Consider using more simple salad dressings (i.e. flax oil and balsamic vinegar) or homemade salad dressings as opposed to store bought dressings that use oils very high in Omega 6. Othewise, be a smart shopper and read the ingredients carefully.
References
[pos]1a[/pos][1] http://www.mercola.com/beef/health_benefits.htm
[pos]2a[/pos][2] http://www.drhoffman.com/page.cfm/892
[pos]3a[/pos][3] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8615358
