Omega 3 and 6
What is omega 3 and 6 and why are they important?
Omega 3 and 6 are types of Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which are essential lipids we must get from diet.
Omega-3 deficiency is associated with lower intelligence, depression, heart disease, arthritis, cancer, and many other health problems. Reference here and here
Omega 6: not bad, but everywhere. Which is bad.
Omega-6 is found basically everywhere, notably in vegetable oil, so we typically end up getting far too much which is bad for us. linolenic acid is the Omega 6 acid that is essential.
Optimal ratios of 3 and 6
While the diets of early humans probably had a n-3 to n-6 ratio of about 1, modern Western diets have a ratio of about 1/15.
Different types of omega-3
Several different omega-3s exist, but the majority of scientific research focuses on three:
- alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)
- eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
- docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
EPA and DHA are primarily found in certain fish, which they get from algae. ALA is found in plant sources such as flaxseed, soybean, and canola oils.
ALA has it's own benefits, but can also be converted into EPA and DHA. However I think EPA and DHA are more beneficial. Also conversion rates of ALA into the other 2 can be as low as 0.5%.
Vegans can also obtain EPA and DHA from algal supplements.
How much omega 3 and 6 do you need?
For most macronutrients, the IOM has established an AMDR that suggests an “acceptable” range of intake. The Institute of medicine (now called the National Academy of Medicine, aka the health arm of the National Academy of Sciences) established an adequate intake for omega-3s[^4] (as ALA) of 1.6g for men and 1.1g for women[^1].