Find out where our imbalance between omega-3 and omega-6 comes from, and how it affects our health.
There are two main types of unsaturated fat: monounsaturated (omega-9) and polyunsaturated (including omega-3 and omega-6). Omega-9 fatty acids are supplied by animal fats and vegetable oils. Our bodies are able to produce them from saturated fatty acids, so they are not "essential".
Oleic acid is the most common omega-9 fatty acid in our diet. It is naturally present in olive oil and avocado, for example. Omega-6 fatty acids are found mainly in corn and sunflower oils. Rapeseed and linseed oils, as well as oily fish and fish oils, are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids. These play a key role in cardiovascular function.
The recommended daily fat intake is around 90g, divided between saturated (22.5g / maximum 25%) and unsaturated (67.5g / minimum 75%) fatty acids. Within the unsaturates, the recommended breakdown is 50% omega-9, 40% omega-6 and 10% omega-3.
The omega-6/omega-3 balance should therefore be 4g omega-6 to 1g omega-3 (4/1 ratio), or even 1/1 for certain recommendations1. Unfortunately, themodern Western diet does not respect these recommendations, with a ratio approaching 15/1 or even 30/1.
Omega-3 deficiency is a major public health problem. It is estimated that 99% of the French population is deficient. (SU.VI.MAX, 2001)2. This lack of omega-3 fatty acids relative to omega-6 leads to over-expression of the inflammatory response.
Thus, although inflammation is necessary for the elimination of pathogens (in the event of shock or injury), its resolution by the body's anti-inflammatory mediators is slowed down, and chronic inflammation can set in.
However, our bodies are unable to synthesize these anti-inflammatory mediators without an intake of omega-3s in the diet (EPA or DHA directly; or alpha-linolenic acid ALA, their precursor).
What's more, certain long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (docosahexaenoic acid DHA and eicosapentaenoic acid EPA) are responsible for numerous beneficial effects (as in pregnancy) for the human body, including vision in the case of DHA, and cardiovascular function.
As explained in our article " How to avoid saturated fats theMediterranean-style diet is the recommended one, as it follows the recommendations in almost every respect. Omega-3s are no exception to the rule, since a Mediterranean diet promotes the consumption of oily fish and vegetable oils rich in omega-3s. So remember to pay attention to your diet, and don't forget to treat yourself every day!
1 : « Whether an omega-6/omega-3 ratio of 3:1 to 4:1 could prevent the pathogenesis of many diseases induced by today’s Western diets (AFSSA, 2010), a target of 1:1 to 2:1 appears to be consistent with studies on evolutionary aspects of diet, neurodevelopment, and genetics.<p style= »text-align: justify; »> « Simopoulos A., “The omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid ratio: health implications” (2010).
2: "The 18:2 n-6 / 18:3 n-3 ratio is on average equal to 11 in both sexes, and greater than 5 for more than 95% of the sample studied", "OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS AND THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM: nutritional benefits and claims", p.17.