Omega fatty acids

Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are termed “essential fatty acids” because they cannot be synthesized by human cells and must be consumed from dietary sources. Anthropological research suggests that our hunter-gatherer ancestors consumed omega-6 and omega-3 fats in a ratio of roughly 1:1. Throughout 4-5 million years of evolution, diets were abundant in seafood and other sources of omega-3 long chain fatty acids (EPA & DHA), but relatively low in omega-6 seed oils. A significant shift in the ratio of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids was noted at the onset of the industrial revolution. At that time there was not a significant source of vegetable oils in our diet. The diet at that time consisted of a low intake of these oils and high in fish creating a reasonable omega 6 to omega 3 ratio of 3:1. This shift in the ratio is thought to occur as a result of the modern vegetable oil industry (providing techniques to refine vegetable oil) and the increased use of cereal grains as feed for domestic livestock (which in turn altered the fatty acid profile of meat that humans consumed). Our average intake of n-6 fatty acids is between 10 and 25 times higher than evolutionary norms (about 10% of our total calories). A large reason for this increase is the increased use of vegetable oils. canola oil and soybean oil could be substituted for corn oil and cottonseed oil by individuals to decrease the ratio of n−6 to n−3 fatty acids in the diet.

The difficulty in meeting the recommended ratio is that many foods typically consumed in the American diet simply have a ratio of n−6 to n−3 fatty acids far above 2.3:1. Even if fish consumption is increased to achieve the goal of 0.65 g/d of EPA and DHA, the ratio will not be markedly lowered unless n−6 fatty acid consumption is decreased markedly. On the basis of these estimates, to achieve n–3 fatty acid recommendations in terms of grams and the ratio of n–6 to n–3 fatty acids, the emphasis should be on increasing EPA and DHA and decreasing n–6 fatty acids in the diet. Omega-6 is pro-inflammatory, while omega-3 is neutral or anti-inflammatory. Since these compete for the same enzyme, the more omega-3 fat you eat, the less omega-6 will be available to the tissues to produce inflammation. A diet with a lot of omega-6 and not much omega-3 will increase inflammation. A diet of a lot of omega-3 and not much omega-6 will reduce inflammation.

The foods listed on the left side have extremely high levels of omega 6 fatty acids compared to the foods on the right side which have a higher proportion of omega 3 fatty acids. The omega 6 typically cause more inflammation and when the ratio of omega 6 : omega 3 is elevated there is usually an associated increased for a significant amount of health conditions such as arthritis, inflammatory conditions and overall fatigue. The goal is to decrease the ratio to a level of 5 or less however, the typical western diet is greater than 12.

Omega 3 supplementation

There is a dose response curve of reducing the ability of the inflammatory cells (neutrophils and monocytes) to respond. The higher the dose the more reduction in this ability and subsequent less inflammation. Krill are tiny shrimp-like crustaceans rich in an oil that contains the omega-3 fatty acids Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA), and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) as well as antioxidant pigments. A large portion of the EPA and DHA in krill is in the form of a phospholipid which results in higher bioavailability (rate of absorption) compared to the omega 3 fatty acids found in fish oil which are bound to triglycerides. Research has demonstrated that krill oil (omega 3 in phospholipid form) was 33% better absorbed than fish oil (omega 3 in triglyceride form). Krill oil has significant health benefits and has demonstrated an ability to reduce symptoms of arthritis by 50%. This supplement is also critical to minimize aging of cells as well as improve outcome of stem cell treatments by enhancing cell function.

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