Let’s break down Omega Fats…. We have all heard of Omega 3’s and to get more. These are known as ALA, EPA, DHA. Maybe you have even been told to take an Omega supplement. Where can you get them in food form? Main food sources are SMASH fishes(salmon/mackerel/anchovies/sardines/herring), walnuts, flax seed, and chia seed. This type of Omega is very beneficial to your body. They are anti-inflammatory, improve heart and neurologic health, they can prevent cognitive decline, keep your gut barrier intact, promote liver health, lower cancer risk, and lower overall risk for early death. We just thought they were good for your brain, but they are SO much more!
Another very important point is your source of Omegas. Basically, you can get them from plants or fish. Plant sources are things like walnuts, chia seeds, and flax. The best fish sources are the SMASH fishes noted above. Both contain a good amount of Omega 3’s. Here is the thing no one is talking about. Our body needs the Omega 3 to be in a certain form; EPA & DHA. These forms are exclusively from those fish we talked about. While plant sources have a good amount of Omega 3, they are in a form that needs converted to the usable forms EPA/DHA. It takes about 15 steps to do that and our body is terrible at getting it converted. Usually only about 5% makes it to the usable form. I am not saying don’t eat plant sources of Omegas. We still get some and they are full of other nutrients!
Omega 6 fats are not so friendly. These are linoleic acids. They can cause inflammation, clots in your arteries, and constriction of your blood vessels which raises blood pressure. Where do these come from? The worst source is from oils such as corn and sunflower. These can be found in dressings, packaged foods, and baked goods. Now, in moderation there are some better sources of Omega 6 such as certain nuts and seeds, soy, and corn.
Have heard about your Omega 6:3 ratio? I bet you are already realizing why it is important based on what each Omega does in the body. The typical or Standard American Diet has a ratio of 20:1. To put that in perspective before all our shelf stable foods our ratio was 1:1. That is a DRASTIC move in the wrong direction. When you have more Omega 6 than 3 you are 31% more likely to die of heart disease, 26% more likely to have an early death, and 14% more likely to get cancer. Not cool.
Bottom line folks, is ditch the processed foods and add SMASH fish along with other above sources of Omega 3’s and live longer and healthier 😊