The Omega Balance

[kenny]

I thought I would share a nice well laid out explanation of fats that I found on the web today. Ever since I read about what exactly Omega 3 and 6 do in my gut I have been interested in trying to manage the Omega balance in my diet. I often wonder why the Omega Balance does not get more discussion especially with Crohn's disease since they both directly influence immune response in the gut.

The omega-6 to omega-3 ratio
Omega-3 and omega-6 fats are both essential fats (meaning the body can’t make them and instead we need to get them from the food we eat). The proper balance of these two fats is extremely important for a number of reasons – one being that omega-6 fats are the precursors for pro-inflammatory molecules (which helps us avoid infections and promotes healing) whereas omega-3 fats are anti-inflammatory and turn off the inflammatory response when it is no longer needed.

In recent decades the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids has become way out of balance in the western diet. Most people consume far too many omega-6 fatty acids and consume far too little omega-3 fatty acids. This ratio is one of the important factors that can help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, inflammatory conditions, and depression.

Tips for helping to balance your intake of the omega fats
Avoid vegetable oils such as corn or safflower oil.
Reduce your consumption of meats and dairy products.
Eliminate highly processed foods.
Increase consumption of omega-3 rich foods such as wild-caught cold-water fish like salmon, flaxseed oil, and walnuts.

http://helpguide.org/life/healthy_diet_fats.htm

 

[vonfunk]

Part of the issue with meat and dairy is how animals are being raised now. I personally think that organic produce is a waste of money, however free range chicken and grass fed beef (although more expensive) tend to have a better balance of Omega 3 to Omega 6. Mass farming has created legions of animals that simply are not eating what they should be. Cows are meant to have a diet of grass, not grain, and chickens are not meant to have a diet based on corn products. Because of this the animals aren't as healthy as they used to be. The closer an animal's diet is to what it was meant to be, the better is for you with a better omega 3 to 6 ratio.

 

[kenny]

I understand what you are saying. Although I tend to accept the line of thinking that the availability of food required by the non-farming population is only met with factory farming. The diet of free range animals does have a better omega balance and for someone like me it is easy enough to obtain. There is heard of free range beef cattle running on the 500 acres directly behind my house. But the million people living in each of the cities to the North and to the South of me would require A LOT of land to supply them with grass fed beef. Especially up here where the growing season is only 7 months long.

If all you guys in TO wanted free range beef there would be nothing but cows from Newmarket to Cornwall just to feed you all

But I just hope people can start to see exactly what these things do as they are KEY to immune system function and directly related to process within out guts. I will be seeing my GI team In Kingston today for the one year post-op assessment and I am going to bring this up with them again to look for their view on it. If I get "diet is not linked to Crohn's disease" again I will write them off as not really getting the big the picture.

 

[vonfunk]

I agree completely. The biggest issues are supply constraints and costs, especially when it comes to beef. Free range chicken is coming down in price and if you've got a good butcher you can get access to the supply beef that's available.
I have UC and while the official line regarding food is "if it reacts bad don't eat" the relationship between food and health isn't really talked about or explored in North America. Personally my beef consumption is next to nil, my partner is allergic to a protein found in cows, she doesn't eat it and considering I do the cooking for us both I tend to steer away from it. My butcher carries free range chicken at a price close what I would pay for a bog standard bird at the grocery store so I happen to be lucky.

Hopefully the resurgence of people seeking out free range and heritage breeds will help bring properly raised animals more into the mainstream and help with supply and the cost of it. But it's hard to change mass eating habits when you can head to a grocery store chain and see a 2 for $10 special on regular chickens.