Omega 3 and Omega 6 controversy: which one should you consume more?

In the early 1980s, studies showed that the Inuit had low rates of heart disease despite their high-fat diet rich in fish. It turns out the omega 3 fatty acids in the fish may be what protects their hearts, along with other health benefits.

Omega-3, and Omega-6 fatty acids are known as essential "fatty acids" which means they cannot be synthesised in the body and have to be consumed from the diet. 

Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids which are characterised by the presence of double bonds three atoms away from the terminal methyl group in the chemical structure. Three types of omega-3 fatty acids are alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). 

ALA is mainly found in plant oils, while EPA and DHA are mainly found from marine sources. 

There are two main sources of omega 3 fatty acids. Plant-based and Marine-based. 

Marine sources of omega 3 include fish oil,  such as Salmon, Herring, Mackerel, Anchovies, Sardines, Pilchards, Bluefish, Tuna and Halibut. Naturally these contain EPA and DHA.

Plant sources of omega 3 include plant/nut oils such as English walnuts, hemp seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, vegetable oils ( canola, soybean, flaxseed/linseed and olive oil). Naturally, these contain ALA.

Eggs also contain omega 3 up to a certain extent.

Evidence from several studies has suggested that amounts of DHA and EPA in the form of fish or fish oil supplements lowers triglycerides, slows the buildup of atherosclerotic plaques ("hardening of the arteries"), lowers blood pressure slightly, as well as reduces the risk of death, heart attack, dangerous abnormal heart rhythms, and strokes in people with known heart disease. Both EPA and DHA are involved in hormone synthesis, control of immune functions, blood clotting and for cell membrane integrity.

However, high doses may have harmful effects, such as an increased risk of bleeding. Although similar benefits are proposed for alpha-linolenic acid, scientific evidence is less compelling, and beneficial effects may be less pronounced.

Also, some species of fish carry a higher risk of environmental contamination, such as with methylmercury.

It is a good decision to consume Omega 3 fatty acids as it can:

• reduce inflammation
• reduce blood triglyceride levels (increase HDL - beneficial cholesterol)
• reduces the risk of non-fatal heart attacks
• a good source of nutrition for patients with Crohn's disease or for those who need to be tube fed after abdominal surgeries.
• important for healthy pregnancies
• improvements in morning stiffness and joint tenderness.
• reduce hypertension
• act as anticoagulant (prevent blood clotting).

Omega 6 are essential fatty acids because mammalian cells lack omega-3 desaturase and cannot convert omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids. Omega 6 fatty acids are precursors to lipoxins, eicosanoids, and endocannabinoids. 

The common source of omega-6 fatty acids are vegetable oils such as grape seed oil, evening primrose oil, flax or linseed oil, rapeseed, hemp, cottonseed, soybean, sunflower seed, corn, safflower , sesame, and palm oil. Other sources include whole-wheat bread, nuts and poultry.

The health benefits of Omega 6 include:

• lower risk of cardiovascular disease (coronary heart disease, stroke, heart attacks).
• reducing cholesterol
• reduces cancer risk
• for eye health especially after eye surgery

However, recent insights suggested whether you should consume Omega-3, or Omega-6 more. The ideal Omega 6: Omega 3 ratio for healthy consumption was suggested to be 1:1. The closer the ratio to 1:1 the healthier it is. Modern diet has included more omega 6 than what it used to be thus further increasing the ratio, the average ratio these days in developed countries is 16:1. 

Excessive consumption of omega 6 was linked with increased cardiovascular disease, cancer, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. This is due to the increased inflammatory processes in the body through increased omega 6 consumption. Therefore, it is important to know the sources of dietary fats in our diet and decrease the omega 6 but increase omega 3 fatty acids for a more balanced omega 6: omega 3 ratio.

References:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-fishoil.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega-3_fatty_acid

http://www.healthcastle.com/omega3.shtml

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fish-oil/NS_patient-fishoil

Greene, J., Ashburn, S. M., Razzouk, L., & Smith, D. A. (2013). Fish oils, coronary heart disease, and the environment. American journal of public health, 103(9), 1568–1576. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2012.300959

Simopoulos, A. P. (2002). The importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy, 56(8), 365-379.

Food Pyramids and Healthy Food Plates

Familiar with this term? 

Yes It's a Food Pyramid...Almost the same as the Egyptian Pyramids except this one is based on food. let's check these images.

http://www.mypyramid.gov/downloads/miniposter.pdf

http://www.pocanticohills.org/nutrition/nutrition.html

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/pyramids.html

Food pyramids can be variable according to countries and food sources. European countries for instance emphasises the usage of wheat while some Asian countries prefer rice, African countries to some extent prefer cassava while some population prefers yams or potatoes. 

Ground Level (Which we should eat the most) - Carbohydrates-which consists of whole grain such as rice, wheat, maize, potatoes and many more. It is preferable that you eat them in its grainy form (whole grain) as this contains the most fibre compared to the processed (so-called) -white grain ones. Furthermore, whole grains contain more minerals and vitamins.

Carbohydrates also provide you with the most energy but it doesn't contain the most energy..so EAT A LOT of carbohydrates to keep you energized throughout the day. There are two types of simple and complex carbohydrates. FAO/WHO recommends that people consume between 45-70% of total energy intake from carbohydrates. But this also depends on the energy requirement and physical activity of the individuals, for instance, an athlete requires more of it than a sedentary individual who works in an office and does minimal exercise. Free sugars (glucose / fructose) also falls under carbohydrates but experts suggests that the intake of free sugars should be under 10% of total energy intake as it increases the risk of getting chronic metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes, and dental caries.

More information about Carbohydrate and its requirement will be discussed further in a different post.

Level 2- Vegetable this contributes to the most vitamin intake for our body, especially dark green leafy vegetables and orange/red vegetables..dark green vegetables contains the most nutrients for your body and orange/red contains beta carotene that is required for making vitamin A.

Furthermore vegetables contain cellulose substances that makes it fibrous and good for your digestion. There is no recommendation of how much vegetables should be taken as a percentage of daily calorie intake but some countries recommend individuals to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

Level 3 - Fruits, there are many to choose from and all are delicious, in case you don't like fruits, try to adjust and experiment yourself with a wide range of fruits. There are a myriad choice to choose from, from citrus to seasonal fruit, and maybe you can explore other fruits from other countries..all depends on your budget and you initiative.

Sometimes Level 3 is combined together with Level 2 (vegetables).

Level 4 - Protein: meat, poultry, fish, beans, nuts, milks, eggs, cheese, yogurt, dairy products should be consumed in moderation. Of course, meat, poultry are a good source of protein but as the saying goes too much of something is bad enough, Fish proteins are healthier to eat though, better still use plant-derived proteins which is found mostly in nuts, beans, grains and legumes such as soybeans, chickpeas and different types of beans. Generally, protein should make up about 12-20 percent of total calorie intake. More explanation proteins will be given in a separate post.  

Top most level -  Fats, oils and sweets. fats and oils because it contains a lot of lipid substances that is easily deposited on your skin, buttocks, belly, neck, blood vessel and the outer layer of your heart aka pericardium. You don't want those to be there anyway, don't you?. Fats contain the most energy per gram but it should be used carefully as it has been shown to cause chronic diseases. Total energy intake from fats should be around 30%, daily.

However, things are about to change in several countries and have changed in some. In Australia and Europe for example, the basic level is replaced by fruits and vegetables - emphasising the importance of limiting calorie intake from Carbohydrates. This may well be a challenge to some but could provide beneficial effects in the long run.

https://www.nutritionaustralia.org/national/resource/healthy-living-pyramid

Also several countries have adopted healthy plate diagrams / pictures instead of a pyramid. The argument is that food proportion by using plates is easier to understand than food pyramids. 

Examples are:, My Healthy plate of Singapore, My Healthy Plate of USA, Heathy Plate in Australia,  Eatwell plate in the UK

So it would be interesting to see if food pyramids eventually will be replaced entirely by food plates. Other countries may choose to use the combination of food plates and food pyramids.