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What is the ‘ omega balance’ ?
It' s very important to make sure that your diet contains the right balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. A high intake of omega-6 can interfere with the omega-3s and stop them from doing their good job. A diet that contains too many omega-6s also limits the conversion of ALA into EPA and DHA.
A healthy diet consists of roughly four to six times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids. In other words, for every four grams of omega-6 fatty acids, aim for at least one gram of omega-3 fatty acids. However modern diets have a much larger emphasis on Omega 6’ s – the Australian ratio is now estimated to be out of balance by as much as 1:20, due to the consumption of vegetable oils such as sunflower. Therefore while both Omega 3 and 6 are necessary, it is much more important to increase Omega 3’ s.
The Mediterranean diet consists of a healthier balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and many studies have shown that people who follow this diet are less likely to develop heart disease. The Mediterranean diet does not include much meat (which is high in omega-6 fatty acids) and emphasizes foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids including whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, olive oil, garlic, as well as moderate wine consumption.
To maintain the right balance of omegas we need to eat more fish, especially oily fish including sardines, and salmon at least twice a week and include plant omega-3s such canola oil and walnuts. You can also improve the omega balance by keeping omega-6 fatty acids to a minimum by using only small amounts of polyunsaturated oil and margarine.
For more information on omega-3 visit www.omega-3centre.com |
