The Importance of Omega-6 and Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Let’s talk about essential fatty acids—specifically omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

Most people are familiar with omega-3s. You know they’re important and that you should be eating fatty fish like salmon. But did you know that omega-3 insufficiency or inadequacy has been shown to be common in people of all ages in the United States?⁽¹⁾

But what’s the deal with omega-6 fats? Do you need them too? What do they do?

Just like the well-known omega-3s, omega-6s are vitamin-like essential fatty acids. That is, your body needs them yet cannot produce them on its own. So, you must get them through your diet — food, supplementation, or a combination of the two.

But, with the way our diets have evolved in the past few decades, we aren’t lacking in omega-6s. In fact, we’re drastically overconsuming them.

This has major impacts on your health so what can be done about it?

Omega-6 and Omega-3 Fatty Acids

While omega-6 fatty acids are indeed important, a deficiency or inadequacy is nearly impossible. If you consume a diet rich in minimally processed, nutrient-dense plant-based foods, particularly nuts and seeds. you’ll get more than enough of these essential fats.

But thanks to those dietary changes I mentioned over the last several decades, most people are drastically overconsuming omega-6 fatty acids. These are typically found in foods as linoleic acid, and this shift has been attributed to many health issues.

Currently, the average ratio for Americans is 25:1 (omega-6 to omega-3), that’s significantly more omega-6 than omega-3. When omega 6 levels are higher than omega 3, it’s a recipe for inflammation.

Why does all this matter?

Researchers associate excessive intake of omega-6 fatty acids to an increase in virtually all inflammation-related conditions including:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Metabolic syndrome
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Rheumatoid arthritia
• Asthma
• Mental illness
• Autoimmune disease
• Accelerated aging, and more ^(2,3,5,6)

Omega 6 fats are commonly found in many processed foods such as crackers, cookies, chips, cereals, fried foods and fast food.

What is causing the omega-6 and omega-3 imbalance?

There are multiple explanations for the heavy imbalance of omega fatty acids. Partly it is due to a decrease in the consumption of freshwater fish and the other is the increase in processed foods in our diets such as crackers, cookies, chips, cereals, fried foods and fast food. ⁽⁷⁾

This has also been another marketing ploy that we have been taken in by. For years now, we have been told to substitute industrial vegetable oils rich in these polyunsaturated fatty acids for animal fats high in saturated fatty acids has been a cornerstone of worldwide dietary guidelines for the past half-century. ⁽⁸⁾ A good example is the recommendation to substitute margarine (laced with omega-6-rich vegetable oils) for butter.

However, in the Sydney Diet Heart Study, a group of researchers from the National Institutes of Health found that this advice is heavily misguided, and they concluded that “substituting dietary linoleic acid in place of saturated fats increased the rates of death from all causes, coronary heart disease, and cardiovascular disease.” ⁽⁹⁾

Another particularly important finding of this study was that substituting omega-6 fats for saturated fats did decrease blood cholesterol levels. However, that decrease in cholesterol resulted in no evidence of cardiovascular benefit; in fact, it led to the opposite effect: an increase in cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease.

Balance Your Omegas

Omega-6 fatty acids are still important and you’ll get plenty if you consume a diet rich in minimally-processed, nutrient-dense whole foods. But it’s not just about reducing your intake of omega-6s. You also need to make a conscious effort to increase your consumption of omega-3s This will support healthy levels of inflammation, cellular health, and overall health.

References: 

1. Kubala, Jillian, Omega-3 Insufficiency in the U.S., 2020 Aug 19. Available from: https://www.healthline.com/health/nutrition/omega-3-insufficiency-in-the-u-s#role-of-omega-3-s

2. Patterson E, Wall R, Fitzgerald GF, Ross RP, Stanton C. Health Implications of High Dietary Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids. J Nutr Metab. 2012;2012:1–16.
3. Simopoulos AP. An Increase in the Omega-6/Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratio Increases the Risk for Obesity. Nutrients [Internet]. 2016 Mar 2 [cited 2018 Nov 27];8(3). Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4808858/
4. Arterburn LM, Hall EB, Oken H. Distribution, interconversion, and dose response of n-3 fatty acids in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Jun;83(6 Suppl):1467S-1476S.
5. Hibbeln JR, Nieminen LRG, Blasbalg TL, Riggs JA, Lands WEM. Healthy intakes of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids: estimations considering worldwide diversity. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Jun;83(6 Suppl):1483S-1493S.
6. Cassidy A, De Vivo I, Liu Y, Han J, Prescott J, Hunter DJ, et al. Associations between diet, lifestyle factors, and telomere length in women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 May 1;91(5):1273–80.
7. Blasbalg TL, Hibbeln JR, Ramsden CE, Majchrzak SF, Rawlings RR. Changes in consumption of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the United States during the 20th century. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 May 1;93(5):950–62.
8. CCMMCPAH. Dietary fat and its relation to heart attacks and strokes. Report by the Central Committee for Medical and Community Program of the American Heart Association. JAMA. 1961 Feb 4;175:389–91.
9. Ramsden CE, Zamora D, Leelarthaepin B, Majchrzak-Hong SF, Faurot KR, Suchindran CM, et al. Use of dietary linoleic acid for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease and death: evaluation of recovered data from the Sydney Diet Heart Study and updated meta-analysis. BMJ. 2013 Feb 4;346(feb04 3):e8707–e8707.