Anti-Inflammatory Diet: How to Balance Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty AcidsAnti-Inflammatory Diet: How to Balance Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids

Learn to tilt the omega fats balance in your favor and turn your body into a powerful anti-inflammatory machine

In my last article of chronic inflammation, I mentioned that one of the causes of rogue inflammation is the imbalance levels of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in our diet. This may come as a surprise to some people as we have been brought up to believe that vegetable oils, where most of our omega-6 fats come from, are supposed to be good for health.

If we examine this imbalance closer, it’s not hard to see why it’s so prevalent. After all, ‘heart-healthy’ vegetable oils such as soybean, safflower, sunflower, corn and cottonseed oil are found in almost every food that we eat, even those served at high-end restaurants and in our own homes. But unknown to many, the high omega-6 and low omega-3 fats profile in these oils (as much as 200:1!) is setting the stage for chronic inflammation to take place.

Even health-conscious individuals can unwittingly tip the omega fats balance against themselves. You can avoid all convenience foods, or even be a strict vegetarian, and yet still have an overwhelming levels of omega-6 fats intake.

The truth is, many healthful foods found in specialty stores are coated with a layer of cheap vegetable oil to enhance their taste and texture. You can be munching on a bag of roasted nuts, thinking that you’re supplying your body with potent proteins, minerals and vitamins. But unwittingly, along with the nuts, you are also ingesting a high amount of omega-6 fats that are quietly derailing your best efforts to promote health.

If unchecked, the imbalance between the two omega fats can wreak havoc on our health and pave the way for life-destroying illnesses such as Alzheimer’s, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cancer and other inflammatory diseases.

Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fats: A Balancing Act

Why is it so important to strike a balance between the levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fats in our body? Study showed that an out-of-balance diet that’s high in omega-6 fatty acids disrupts the balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory agents in the body, promoting chronic inflammation and elevating the risk of health problem such as asthma, allergies, diabetes and arthritis.

It turned out that omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids both utilize the same enzymes and transport systems to produce biochemicals in our body. When there are more omega-6 fats, greater amounts of inflammatory compounds will be created, and lesser enzymes will be available for omega-3 fats to create chemicals that are anti-inflammatory. What’s even more shocking is that high levels of omega-6 fatty acids can actually replace and reduce omega-3 fats.

In other words, omega-3 and omega-6 fats compete with one another in our body, and the presence of one greatly affects the behavior of the other. Although omega-6 fatty acids are essential for good health, when they cross a certain level, researchers believe that’s when they start to edge out omega-3 fats and diminish their benefits.

What does this mean to you? Picture this: If your diet is low in omega-3 fats to begin with, and most of your foods are predominantly prepared with soybean, sunflower, safflower, corn or cottonseed oil, then you’re essentially fueling an inflammatory factory even though you may be eating the so-called ‘healthy’ foods!

To win this balancing act, let us first understand more about omega-3 and omega-6 fats.

What are Omega-3 & Omega-6 Fats?
and why plants may not be a good source of omega-3

Ask anyone what is omega-3 fatty acid and most likely you will get the answer ‘fish oil’. But omega-3 fats aren’t found only in fishes, and neither do they consist of just one type of fatty acid.

Omega-3 is actually a term referring to a family of polyunsaturated fatty acids. In this family, you will find a number of members, out of which the most nutritionally notable ones are: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

Likewise, omega-6 fatty acids also consist of a group of polyunsaturated fats. The ones of concern are linoleic acid (LA) and arachidonic acid (AA).

Let us take a closer look at the two omega families:

The Omega-3 Fat Family

  • Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). ALA is the parent in the omega-3 family and can be found predominantly in plant sources such as flaxseeds, hemp seeds, walnuts and dark green leafy vegetables. This short-chain fatty acid is considered an essential nutrient because our body cannot produce it on its own. Being the head of the family, ALA can technically be converted into other long-chain omega-3 fats such as EPA and DHA.

    But in real life, studies found that the ALA conversion rate in the body is dismally low. In fact, only about 1% of ALA is converted to EPA and negligible amount is turned into DHA. The conversion of ALA is even lower if your intake of omega-6 fats is high. A more direct and efficient way to boost your levels of long-chain omega-3 fats, as research has found, is by taking EPA and DHA-rich foods or supplements.

  • Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). EPA is a long-chain omega-3 fatty acid that is found in oily fish and certain algae such as spirulina. EPA is converted into hormone-like substances called prostaglandins by the body to regulate cell activity and maintain healthy cardiovascular function. The anti-inflammatory properties of EPA, as well as DHA, have been backed by numerous studies, ranging from keeping blood cholesterol levels and depression in check, to stroke and cancer prevention.

  • Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). DHA is another long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fats found in abundance in fatty fish and some algae. In the body, it is the predominant omega-3 fatty acid in the brain and the retina, so an adequate supply of DHA is essential for proper brain, eyes and nerve functions. Low levels of DHA have been associated with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

The Omega-6 Fat Family

  • Linoleic acid (LA). LA is the parent in the omega-6 family. Like ALA, it’s also considered an essential fatty acid for the body which must be obtained through one’s diet. However, it’s more likely that you’ve an oversupply rather than a lack of linoleic acid due to the high levels of this fatty acid in vegetable oils.

  • Arachidonic acid (AA). Arachidonic acid comes mainly from animal sources such as meat, egg and dairy products. It can also be derived from the linoleic acids in vegetable oils. In the body, this long-chain omega-6 fatty acid is found in abundance in the muscles and brain, with almost similar quantities as DHA in the latter. As arachidonic acid is more readily converted to inflammatory compounds, excess levels of AA has been associated with increased inflammation and reduced anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3 fatty acids.

How Much Omega-3 & Omega-6 Do You Need?

At this point, you’re probably thinking how much omega-3 and omega-6 fats do you really need? Let us hear what the experts have to say:

Omega-3 Fats:

  • For cardiovascular health, the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids and Lipids (ISSFAL) recommends a minimum combined total of 500mg of EPA and DHA a day for healthy adults. This amount is found to be effective in reducing the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease significantly.

  • For alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the recommended healthy intake by ISSFAL is about 0.7 percent of daily total calories (or about 1.5g when based on a 2,000 calorie diet).

  • If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, ISSFAL recommends at least 200mg of DHA per day due to the importance of DHA in fetal and early postnatal brain development. Increased intake of the precursor, alpha-linolenic acid, to elevate DHA levels is far less effective with regard to DHA deposition in fetal brain than the intake of preformed DHA.

  • If you are diagnosed with coronary heart disease, the American Heart Association recommends that you consume approximately 1 g/day of EPA and DHA preferably from oily fish, or to consider EPA + DHA supplements in consultation with your doctor.

Omega-6 Fats:

  • The ISSFAL expert group sees no strong evidence to recommend a minimum intake of omega-6 fatty acids. Instead it states that an adequate linoleic acid intake for healthy development is two percent of daily total calories (or about 4.4g if based on a 2,000 calorie diet).

  • ISSFAL recognizes that there are possible unhealthy effects of excessive intake of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. But it stopped short of putting forward an upper limit for linoleic acid due to insufficient data to determine a precise value.

    However, it is worth noting that other national bodies have recommended a limit on the consumption of linoleic acid to prevent coronary heart disease and other chronic illnesses. For instance, the Japan Society for Lipid Nutrition recommended the intake of linoleic acid to be reduced to 3-4% of energy in the Japanese diet, which already contains higher amounts of beneficial omega-3 fats than typical western diet.

Adequate Intake for Alpha-linolenic & Linoleic Acids:

The US Institute of Medicine went one step ahead to establish an Adequate Intake (AI) for alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3) and linoleic acid (omega-6) for different age groups. However, no AI for EPA and DHA was determined due to lack of evidence.

Adequate Intake for Omega-3 Fatty Acids (Alpha-linolenic Acid)

Life Stage Group
Males (g/day)
Females (g/day)
0 to 6 months
0.5
0.5
7 to 12 months
0.5
0.5
1-3 years old
0.7
0.7
4-8 years old
0.9
0.9
9-13 years old
1.2
1.0
14-70 years old
1.6
1.1
>70 years old
1.6
1.1
≤18-50 years old, pregnant
-
1.4
≤18-50 years old, lactating
-
1.3

Adequate Intake for Omega-6 Fatty Acids (Linoleic Acid)

Life Stage Group
Males (g/day)
Females (g/day)
0 to 6 months
4.4
4.4
7 to 12 months
4.6
4.6
1-3 years old
7
7
4-8 years old
10
10
9-13 years old
12
10
14-18 years old
16
11
19-30 years old
17
12
31-50 years old
17
12
50-70 years old
14
11
>70 years old
14
11
≤18-50 years old, pregnant/lactating
-
13

Note:

  • Adequate Intake (AI): Refers to the average intake level based on observed or experimental approximations. AI is used when Recommended Dietary Allowance cannot be determined.

Tilting the Omega Fats Balance in Your Favor

Okay, since it’s so important to keep the two omega fats in balance, can’t we resolve that by just eating more fish, or pop some fish oil capsules?

That’s a good start but unfortunately, it isn’t the whole answer.

Several studies have found that it’s not helpful to boost your omega-3 fats consumption without lowering high omega-6 fats intake.

To get more bang for your bucks, you need to lower your omega-6 to omega-3 essential fatty acids ratio to about 2:1. If you follow ISSFAL’s recommendations mentioned earlier and keep your linoleic acid intake to about two percent of your total calories each day, you won’t be too far off.

Note: At this point, it’s tempting to think that omega-6 is the ultimate bad guy we should eliminate and omega-3 is the hero we need to have more of. This is a misleading and dangerous viewpoint. Every nutrient has its place, including omega-6 fats, and shouldn’t be eliminated altogether.

The key here is moderation. Anything in excess is bad for us, even if it’s good. For instance, we know that extra virgin olive oil is a potent anti-inflammatory food that confers heart-protecting compounds. But it’s still full of high caloric fats and over-consumption of any fat can lead to unwanted weight gain and obesity, no matter how good it may be.

How to Lower Omega-6 Fats Intake

With the right attitude in mind, let’s look at some practical ways to bring down the amounts of omega-6 fats in our diet:

Cut Your Omega-6

  1. Change your cooking oil. After coming this far, this should be an obvious step to take. Vegetable oils that contain obscene amounts of omega-6 and minuscule levels of omega-3 fatty acids should be avoided. The top offenders are grape seed, cottonseed, safflower, corn and sunflower oils. Alternatives to consider are olive, macadamia, avocado and coconut oils. Check out this cooking oil buying guide to learn how to choose the appropriate cooking oil.

  2. Limit processed foods. This is perhaps one of the best, but admittedly drastic, ways to cut omega-6 fats. But the fact remained that most processed food manufacturers use cheap vegetable oils to mass produce their products. If you choose whole foods over processed ones, you can probably slash a third or more of omega-6 fats from your diet. Take heart, however, if this sounds too ‘revolutionary’. There are other ways to cut down omega-6 fats from your diet.

  3. Scrutinize food labels like a hawk. This is a life-saving habit everyone should cultivate. Not just to check the fats content in the products that you buy, but also for the other vital information like sodium, protein and ingredients used. This will, in some ways, prevent you from being tricked by clever but often misleading marketing campaigns.

    As far as omega-6 fats are concerned, avoid or limit foods that use high amounts of those vegetable oils mentioned in point 1.

    Tip: There’s actually a free computer program called Keep It Managed version 2 for both PC and Mac that gives you the omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acid contents of over 9,000 food types. Download it if you are concerned about your omega fats intake.

  4. Be careful of dressings, margarine, mayonnaise and spreads. Lots of omega-6 fats can be hiding in these soybean or vegetable oil-derived concoctions! Instead, look for healthier alternatives made with olive or macadamia oil.

  5. Opt for fat-free or low-fat foods. If given a choice, choose the lower fat version. This will have to prevent more omega-6 fats from getting into your body. Of course, read the ingredient list to make sure no other harmful additives are added in place of the fats.

  6. Avoid deep fried foods. Not only are they coated with a thick layer of omega-6 fats, the cooking process also introduced compounds that could cause cancer.

How to Increase Omega-3 Fats Intake

After taking care of the omega-6s, it’s time to tackle the omega-3s:

Boost Your Omega-3

  1. Be a discerning cat. Contrary to common beliefs, to increase your omega-3 fats intake, you don’t need to eat fish everyday. Eating two portions of fish per week, including one portion of oily fish, is enough to boost your blood levels of omega-3s. Having said that, if you eat seafood other than fish, you may need more portions per week as the omega-3 levels in them are usually lower.

    But since almost every sea on this planet has been tainted, it’s crucial to choose your seafood careful to make sure you’re not ingesting mercury and dioxins along with omega-3s. Some good choices are wild salmon, sardines and anchovies. Check out the Environmental Defense Fund’s website for a useful list of eco-friendly and safe seafood to eat.

  2. Seek out EPA and DHA fortified foods. Increasingly, we are seeing more products that have been enriched with EPA and DHA for all types of consumers, including vegetarians.

    But make sure that the products you choose are also low in omega-6 fats. It won’t do you any good to increase your omega-6 levels further even though you may be getting more long-chain omega-3 fats. And please don’t assume that the omega-3 stamp on the package refers to EPA and DHA. It could well be ALA only. Make sure you see the words EPA and/or DHA clearly printed before buying.

  3. Don’t dismiss ALA food sources. Alpha-linolenic acid is usually found in plants. Although our body isn’t quite efficient in converting ALA to EPA and DHA, that doesn’t mean we should eat less fruits and vegetables. Plants such as flaxseeds and dark leafy green vegetables provide us with more than just ALA. They are also important sources of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants that strengthen and protect our health.

  4. Buy free-range or pasture fed meats. As opposed to animals that are grain fed, free-range or pasture fed meats have comparatively higher amounts of EPA and DHA. But still, they are unlikely to beat fish anytime soon. :)

  5. Pop EPA & DHA supplements. You should try to meet all your omega-3 requirements through your diet. But if you are a vegetarian, don’t like seafood or suffering from a health condition that may benefit from higher dosage of omega-3s, taking supplement is an option to consider (with your physician’s blessings, of course). Young children who are fussy eaters may also benefit from supplementation.

    There are a number of EPA and DHA supplements available. The most popular and most extensively researched is omega-3 fatty acids derived from fish oil. There are also plant-based EPA and DHA supplements that are extracted from algae.

    Note: If you are planning to take EPA/DHA supplement, make sure you are not also taking any medication or supplement that may have their effects intensified by omega-3 fats (such as blood thinner and diabetic drugs). Consult a trained health care practitioner if in doubt.

By being more mindful about the foods you eat each day, it’s not difficult to attain a well-balanced omega fats profile and shift your body to anti-inflammatory mode. What say you?

P.S. Find this article useful? Click on the +1 button below to make it easier to find on Google. The click may take you only seconds, but it'll save someone hours of searching. Thanks!

Have you signed up for our FREE e-zine?

Get Free Soul-Awakening MP3 Subscribe When You Subscribe!

Sign up for The Conscious Life's Free Monthly Digest and get Guy Finley's The Illusion of Limitation MP3 program free!


Add Your Comment

Let us know what you think via Facebook, or with the online form below. Comments are moderated before appearing here. See additional information about comments.

27 Responses

  1. Kris Johnson says:

    Just a comment on EPA & DHA supplements and fortified foods. Be sure they are of the highest quality and from good sources, as they are delicate molecules and are easily damaged by processing. High quality natural cod liver oil is an excellent source of EPA & DHA, along with vitamins A & D, but much CLO in the store is over-processed and damaged, and cannot be recommended.

  2. Kris Johnson says:

    I missed this link above, which was not very obvious
    http://theconsciouslife.com/omega-3-6-9-ratio-cooking-oils.htm
    Lots of good info, but I had to make a comment in defense of natural saturated fats.

  3. Kris Johnson says:

    I know someone who was eating a peanut butter sandwich every day, until he discovered that peanuts are high in omega-6 fats. The pains in his knee went away when he cut back on the peanut butter. So it was easy to eat too much peanut butter. Cutting out omega-6 vegetable oils, margarine, etc. is the main way to cut down, since there are good substitutes. There is a chart of composition of oils here on my website, with links to some interesting details about individual oil, like sesame.
    http://home.roadrunner.com/~krisjohnson/Kris/esstable1.html

    • KatieStar says:

      Is that true of the yummy healthy almond butters and cashew ones too? Hmmmmm, shame!

      • WP says:

        Hi Katie, about 50 to 60% of the oil in almond and cashew are monounsaturated fats, but they also contain some amount of omega-6 fatty acids. What may dramatically increase the levels of omega-6 in a nut butter is the vegetable oil that is added to make the butter. If soy, corn or sunflower seed oil is used, then the omega-6 in the oil would likely be more than those in the almonds or cashews. If you take these nut butters occasionally, I don’t think you need to give up your favorite brands of almond and cashew nut butters. It’s all a matter of balance. If your intake of omega-3 is as high as your omega-6, then there’s no need to worry too much about inflammation caused by imbalanced omega-6/omega-3 ratio.

  4. Justine says:

    Hi – I am new to this site and really found the Omega 3/6 article very useful. As someone who is only just starting to think about this issue it really helped me understand the issues better, and how to go about improving my diet. I’m still left puzzling over something though – in all the advice about cutting down Omega 6s I never read anything about limitingconsumption of unprocessed nuts, nut butters and things like tahini (sesame paste). As I love these foods and they seem to be highly nutritious I would be very sad to have to cut down on them but this would seem to be the logical conclusion since they do all contain a lot of Omega 6. Can anyone help, please?

    • WP says:

      Hi Justine, If you’re not taking excessive amounts of nuts and nut butters, and your consumption of omega-3 fatty acids (especially EPA and DHA) are sufficient, there’s perhaps no need to change your diet. Balance is the key word here. Otherwise, you would either have to cut down on your nut intake, or up your omega-3 fat intake drastically to prevent your body from going into chronic inflammatory mode. Seek out new omega-3-rich foods, like red shrimps, anchovies, spirulina and macadamia nut oil (macadamia nut has a more balanced omega-6 to 3 ratio) and include them in your diet. I find this is a good way to increase the variety of healthy fats sources, while reducing the less favorable ones, in addition to the fish oil supplement I’m already taking. Don’t see cutting back on nuts and nut butters as a sacrifice. See it as a step to discovering more excellent food sources available out there. :)

      • Justine says:

        Thanks WP, that helps a lot. Looks like macadamias are the way to go… Incidentally, I just read a debate on this subject here http://www.marksdailyapple.com/nuts-omega-6-fats/. It seems there is evidence that nuts actually reduce inflammation, which leaves me even more confused and wondering if the omega 3/6 story is not more complex than we know.
        Thank you for maintaining this great website. I’m learning all the time…
        Justine

        • WP says:

          I tend to agree with Mark. Eating a handful of nuts is going to have little effect on your body’s omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, as long as you’re not overdoing it. I think 2 to 3 times a week is generally safe for healthy adults. But with nut oil and nut butter, it is easy to go overboard since they are more concentrated. So, we’d have to more cautious in the use of them. Again, it boils down to balance. Unfortunately, where that balance is is not the same for everyone. Your age, genes, health condition and more will determine how much is too much for you. People who are already suffering from severe form of inflammatory disease may need to seriously limit or even avoid nuts, for example. Thank you for sharing, Justine! Like you, I’m also learning each step of the way.

  5. Brett and Laveda Woods RN(s) says:

    Thanks for a good article, you needn’t post this note to you, we just want to point out the dangers of canola oil.

    B & L Woods

    • WP says:

      Hi Brett and Laveda Woods, Thanks for taking the time to pen this note. I’ve heard that canola oil is a highly processed oil, but so far what I’ve seen are anecdotal without any concrete data to back up. If you do come across any studies on canola oil, please do let me know. Thanks!

  6. Ani Mitcalfe says:

    Where does rice bran oil “sit”, on the Omega 3 and Omega 6 comparison?

    • WP says:

      Hi Anni, Thanks for writing. According to USDA database, 1 tablespoon of rice bran oil has 4.542 g of omega-6 and 0.218 g of omega-3 fatty acids. So, it’s not an oil you want to use for regular cooking if you’re watching your omega-3 and omega-6 intake.

  7. Josh Page says:

    I keep reading about an ideal omega-6/omega-3 target ratio of 2:1. As far as I can see this is almost impossible. Following your suggestion of substituting quality olive oil for other vegetable oils is only a marginal improvement. Olive oil’s 6/3 profile is on the order of 16:1

    • WP says:

      Thanks for your comments, Josh. Swapping cheap vegetable oil with extra virgin olive oil is more to cut omega-6 fats intake than to boost the levels of omega-3 fatty acids. I’ve also highlighted other ways to boost one’s omega-3 intake in this article.

  8. Hanan says:

    So where is the answer for why plants may not not a good source for omega-3? I don’t think the article gave a clear answer to that…
    Thank you

    • Kris Johnson says:

      The omega-3 fats in plants (ALA) are the precursors to the essential fats EPA and DHA. The body must make the conversion, but it doesn’t always do it readily. ALA does have some other benefits.

  9. WP says:

    Oleic acid is a different type of fatty acid from omega-3 and omega-6. It’s a monounsaturated (only one double bond in the fatty acid chain) omega-9 fatty acid.

    Oleic acid is found in abundance in olive oil (55 to 80%) but it can also be found in peanut oil (36 to 67%) and grape seed oil (15 to 20%). You’ve probably heard many beneficial effects of olive oil. And oleic acid is believed to play an important role in these benefits. The protective effects of oleic acid include its ability to reduce one’s risk of coronary heart disease and breast cancer. It’s also found to lower blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels.

    But do remember that any oil (in fact pretty much any food), including good ones like olive oil, when taken in amounts that your body doesn’t need or can’t cope with can cause an increase in body fat and lead to overweight and obesity. So, moderation is still the key to good health.

    • Kris Johnson says:

      The cautions about not eating too much fat or it will contribute to obesity reflects a misunderstanding of body metabolism. Actually good traditional fats that are consumed are burned readily for energy. On the other hand if you eat excess carbohydrates your body turns them into fat, and eating more carb limits your body’s ability to burn the fat in storage. If you add processed vegetable oils to the mix that really upsets the applecart, so things don’t work right in your body – more triggering of obesity and other health problems. So don’t be afraid of traditional fats like butter, lard (from pastured animals), and coconut oil, but do be cautious about the carbs. Your meals will be more satisfying, blood sugar levels more even, and you won’t be hungry again so soon. Gary Taubes’ book, Good Calories, Bad Calories, explains all the science behind this.

  10. Doreen says:

    Loved the information in this article but I am wondering about the difference between Omega-6 GLA and LA. Is GLA inflammatory and while we are at it, what about Omega 9 Oleic Acid? Thank you for your help. Where does GLA fall into this picture of dos and dont’s? Pros and cons?

    • WP says:

      So sorry to take so long to respond, Doreen!

      Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) is a type of omega-6 fatty acids that is found in borage oil, blackcurrant seed oil and evening primrose oil (borage contains the highest). Through the help of enzyme, our body can also produce GLA from linoleic acid (LA), but the conversion can be impaired due to a number of reasons, such as the presence of degenerative diseases, trans fats, excess consumption of sugar and alcohol, and the lack of zinc and vitamin Bs.

      Though gamma-linolenic acid is a member of the omega-6 family, it exhibits anti-inflammatory properties. This is because unlike linoleic acid which competes with alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fats, for the same enzyme, GLA doesn’t.

      In addition, gamma-linolenic acid is metabolized into something called dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA) in the body. DGLA is anti-inflammatory as it inhibits the formation of pro-inflammatory compounds from arachidonic acid (AA). DGLA also produces eicosanoids that display anti-inflammatory effects.

      However, despite the anti-inflammatory properties of gamma-linolenic acid, there is a lack of high-quality evidence for its medical use. Some people with eczema reported good results with borage and evening primrose oils, and some studies also suggested the beneficial effects of GLA on rheumatoid arthritis and heart disease. But large scale studies are still needed before you’ll find doctors recommending them to patients. I’ll touch on oleic acid in my next follow-up comment. Thank you.

  11. Xochitl says:

    GREAT article!! I read about the pro-inflammatory effects of Omega 6, but did not know how to manage my diet to balance them out… Thank you!!

    • WP says:

      Hey Xochitl, thanks. I’m glad that you find this article useful. Do note that omega-6 is not all bad. It’s an essential fatty acid that we need for good health. But, modern diets often have too much of omega-6 and too little omega-3, causing a great imbalance. So, the takeaway message here is to ensure a ‘balance’ in the intake of omega-6 and omega-3 fats in our diets. I wish you good health and peaceful mind!

  12. [...] Ho of The Conscious Life presents a through and well written article exploring How to Get the Most Out of Omega-3 Fats. Learn how to tilt the omega fats balance in your favor and turn your body into a powerful [...]