The field of fat, and what is proper to ingest, still has many unanswered questions. What is unequivocal is that trans fatty acids, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils commonly found in processed foods, are harmful and should be avoided at all cost. Food makers popularized trans fats because they have a long shelf life and do not go rancid easily. Rancidity means the fat is oxidized. Oxidized fat is harmful to the body.
The body cannot make some fatty acids because the body lacks certain enzymes. Plants can make them, however, so we eat the plants from which the essential fatty acids (EFAs) are derived. They are the omega-6 fatty acids linoleic acid and GLA, and the omega-3 fatty acids, alpha-linolenic and EPA and DHA. The two parent compounds are linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid.
The major function of both the omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids is their role in the membranes of every cell of our body. Not only are they present outside every cell, but the membranes of all the organelles inside the cell need these fatty acids to permit the fluidity of the membrane to perform its functions. These include the nucleus where the DNA is present, the mitochondria where energy is made, and all other departments needed for the cell to function. The membranes’ fluidity allows three essential functions to take place: it permits the nutrients to enter the cell; it allows waste products to leave the cell; and, it makes it possible for the receptors to respond appropriately to normal stimuli.
If the receptors are not functioning normally, insulin cannot bring glucose into the cells for energy production, thyroid hormones cannot stimulate the cell for proper metabolism and all our hormones become ineffective. Every function of the cell depends on this fluidity, including growth and cell division, mental function, immunity and vitality. These fatty acids also act as oxygen magnets in a process that may be our greatest protection against cancer. Fatty acids are also involved in the production of hemoglobin, the part of the red blood cell that carries oxygen and also carries toxins out of the body. Athletes have found that fatty acids improve recovery from fatigue during and after strenuous events.
The parent compounds can be broken down into precursors of prostaglandins, hormone-like substances that are both anti-inflammatory and inflammatory triggers. They reduce blood pressure, decrease inflammation, stabilize blood sugars and reduce platelet stickiness. Fish oils only have the omega-3 derivative products EPA and DHA, while borage and evening primrose oil have the omega-6 parent compound and the derivative GLA.
Many factors can interfere with the functioning of these important nutrients. A deficiency can affect every cell in the body. If there is an over-abundance of other fats, they can find their way into the cell membrane instead of the omega-6 and omega-3 fats. The worst are the trans-fatty acids and hydrogenated oils. Although saturated fats are an important part of the cell membrane, too much can make the membrane too stiff. Energy production decreases, enzyme production and protein synthesis slows down and the body feels sluggish.
There are 6 specific vitamins and minerals necessary for the parent compound to properly break down into the derivatives and then the prostaglandins: vitamins C, E, B3, B6, magnesium and zinc.
To know what ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 to take, we need to know the ratios in the body. The brain has a 1 to 1 ratio, fat tissue has a 5 to 1 ratio and the overall body has 4 to 1 ration in favor of the omega-6 oil. The ratio in the body is directly related to what is ingested. Between food and supplement intake, we should ideally ingest four times more omega-6 than omega-3 oils.
In the last few decades, there has been an overall increase in omega-6 rich oils such as corn and safflower ingestion and a decrease in omega-3 rich oil, flaxseed and fish. This created a deficiency in omega-3 oils in the general American public. There has been an effective marketing push to change this, and many people take fish oils and flaxseed oil regularly. Many health-conscious people steer away from omega-6 vegetable oils, especially genetically-modified corn oil.
The best way to determine what to ingest as supplements would be by getting laboratory levels of red blood cell essential fatty acid analysis. Such testing is available through the physicians at Preventive Medicine Group. You can then tell if you need more omega-3 or omega-6 oils to approximate the ideal 4 to 1 ratio. In the meantime, get a rough idea of the intake of omega-6 and omega 3 oils based on how much oil you ingest from corn, safflower, sunflower and sesame seed oil as omega-6 oils and fish, flaxseed and walnuts as omega-3 oils. If you are heavy on corn or safflower oil, then take flaxseed oil as it has a ratio of 1 to 3 in favor of the omega-3 oil. After one to two years, you may become omega-3 overloaded and want to add more omega-6 oil. If your diet has not been filled with corn or other vegetable oils, especially if you have been on fish oils or flaxseed oil for some time, Stan Gardner, M.D. of Preventive Medicine Group recommends a 2 to 1 ratio in favor of omega-6 best obtained by taking borage oil or evening primrose oil in addition to flaxseed oil. Hemp oil has an optimal 3 to 1 ratio in favor of omega-6.