Chronic, low level inflammation is like a plague these days.
Nearly everyone has it, nobody wants it, and it is the underlying cause of nearly all of today’s biggest health threats. I’m talking about heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, cancer and more.
But it’s not always unhealthy lifestyle choices that promote this problem. Sometimes my patients make seemingly healthy decisions that lead them astray.
One of these common mistakes may be waging an unhealthy battle inside your body right now.
Are You Eating the Right Omega Fatty Acids?
When people see a food that says it’s high in omega fatty acids, they often think it’s good for them. After all, both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are essential to your health.
But there’s a problem.
Most of us don’t get nearly enough omega-3 fatty acids in our diet. And we get far too many omega-6 fatty acids.
These two forms of fatty acids fight against each other for space in your body. So when you eat too many omega-6s it displaces the healthy omega-3 fats.
Now, there’s a very big difference between these two fatty acids that most people would never suspect. Omega-6s promote inflammation while omega-3s are anti-inflammatory!
In other words, eating too many omega-6s and not enough omega-3s places you in a constant state of low-level inflammation. This, of course, increases your risk of all sorts of chronic disease – from heart disease and cancer to arthritis and osteoporosis.
Back in the days of our ancestors this wasn’t a problem. Those old-timers ate these foods in proportion – approximately one for one. By the 1930’s the ratio was about eight to one.
Today it’s a whole ‘nother story! We’re eating about 20 times more omega-6s than omega-3s.
I’ll be very clear here. This imbalance isn’t your fault. Much of the blame lies on our food sources.
Omega-6 oils account for the majority of polyunsaturated fatty acids in our food supply. They’re found in vegetable oils, salad dressings, fried foods, margarines and many other foods. So we tend to really load up on them without even knowing it.
These inflammatory fatty acids have even invaded our animal proteins. Historically meat, poultry and eggs have been a great source of omega-3s. But today it’s been altered considerably. That’s because of the grain-based diet fed to commercial livestock. This reduces the omega-3 content of the meat and increases the omega-6.
Given our food supply, it probably won’t surprise you to learn some analysts say the average American has an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 20:1. Your ideal ratio should be just 2:1.
With the right ratio, you can gain the upper hand on inflammation. That means you’ll also be protecting your heart, brain, eyes, joints and a whole lot more.
What can you do to get closer to that ratio?
5 Ways to Fight the Inflammatory Battle… And Win!
If you’re eager to begin taking advantage of the benefits of balancing out your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, check out these tips to help get you started…
- Watch out for vegetable oils. Most vegetable oils are full of omega-6 fatty acids. Some of the worst include corn oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil and sesame oil. I personally prefer using virgin olive oil or avocado oil.
- Buy grass-fed meats. Remember. Most of today’s commercial livestock is grain-fed, which means you’re getting more and more omega-6 fatty acids from the meat you’re eating. Meat from grass-fed livestock has a more favorable omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid ratio than grain-fed animals.
- Take a tip from the Mediterranean. When it comes to eating, the Mediterranean’s have the right idea. Their diet emphasizes foods like fish, vegetables and certain meats that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids but low in omega-6s.
- Cut back on processed foods. Foods like cookies, breads, cakes, chips, crackers and pastries are loaded with omega-6 oils. In fact, you’ll find them in almost all snack foods.
- Supplement with omega-3 rich fish oil. There are certain supplements I recommend for everyone, and fish oil is one of them. Look for a supplement made from cold-water fish and take 2,000 mg to 3,000 mg daily.
Armed with these five tips you can fight the inflammatory battle going on inside your body… and win!
SOURCES:
DiNicolantonio JJ, O’Keefe J. The Importance of Maintaining a Low Omega-6/Omega-3 Ratio for Reducing the Risk of Autoimmune Diseases, Asthma, and Allergies. Mo Med. 2021 Sep-Oct;118(5):453-459.
