Need to balance omega fats for better health
IN ORDER to tackle growing obesity rates, diets need to include more omega-3 fatty acids and fewer omega-6s.
The experts believe a better balance of omega-3 and -6 in the diet is a more effective way of improving health than current nutrition policies, which focus on calories and energy expenditure and have “failed miserably over the past 30 years”, say Dr Artemis Simopoulos of the Centre for Genetics, Nutrition, and Health in Washington DC, and Dr James DiNicolantonio of Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas.
But technological advances and modern farming methods have changed the omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio in the typical western diet.
Recent years have seen an increased production of vegetable oils high in omega-6, such as sunflower, safflower and corn oils, and animal feeds changing from omega-3-rich grass to grain, resulting in high levels of omega6 in the meat, eggs and dairy in the food supply for the first time in the history of human beings.
Although we do also need a sufficient amount of omega-6 in the diet, human beings evolved to eat equal amounts of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.
However, the typical western diet now includes an unbalanced dietary ratio of 16:1.
In their report, the researchers now advise: “The time has come to return the omega-3 fatty acids in the food supply and decrease the omega-6 fatty acids by changing the cooking oils and eating less meat and more fish.”
To lower levels of omega-6, reduce the use of vegetable oils such as corn oil, sunflower, safflower, cottonseed and soya bean oil, and increase the use of oils rich in omega-3, including flaxseed oil, canola oil, perilla oil, walnut oil and chia oil.
As well as fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and tuna, seafood is also high in omega-3.
If you do still want to eat meat and dairy, look for grass-fed produce and try switching to organic milk and meat, which according to a pair of large-scale studies published recently, contains about 50% more omega3 fatty acids than conventionallyproduced equivalents.
Nuts like walnuts and seeds are also good sources whereas dark green vegetables such as spinach, kale, Brussels sprouts and watercress also contain some omega-3 as well as many other added health benefits. – AFPRelaxnews