Essential fatty acids (2)

I want to share a story credited to my father. He said there is a rural community in Ondo State where a bunch of leaves is placed between the legs of a woman in labour, just to slow the process down until she is able to reach the town where the health centre is located.
The story got me thinking, and I said to myself that there are still so many surprises in nature that man is not aware of. By the time our eyes are opened to all that nature has to offer, we will be shocked.
Who knows, maybe the most dreaded diseases that have ravaged humanity have cures that are still undiscovered and wasting away in the wild.
We started with omega-3 fatty acids last week. This week, I will talk about its cousin, omega-6 fatty acids, both of which belong to the family of polyunsaturated fatty acids.
The most common omega-6 fat is linoleic acid, which the body can convert to longer omega-6 fats such as arachidonic acid. Like eicosapentaenoic acid, AA produces eicosanoids. However, the eicosanoids that AA produces are more pro-inflammatory.
Omega-6 fats provide energy to the body. They lower harmful LDL cholesterol and boost protective HDL.
They help keep blood sugar in check by improving the body’s sensitivity to insulin. Yet, these fats do not enjoy the same sunny reputation as omega-3 fats.
The main charge against omega-6 fats is that the body can convert the most common one, linoleic acid, into another fatty acid called arachidonic acid, which is a building block for molecules that can promote inflammation, blood clotting, and the constriction of blood vessels.
The average omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid ratio has doubled in people’s diets, and this is raising concerns among some researchers.
A paper from 2002 stated that “human beings evolved on a diet with a ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFA) of approximately 1, whereas in Western diets the ratio is 15/1–16.7/1.”
Given the increased prevalence of chronic conditions and diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and depression, researchers have been curious to assess if increased omega-6 fatty acid consumption is culpable.
According to the first research evaluation by Simopoulos et al. in 2002, the conclusion was that:
Excessive amounts of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and a very high omega-6/omega-3 ratio, as is found in today’s Western diets, promote the pathogenesis of many diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, whereas increased levels of omega-3 PUFA (a low omega-6/omega-3 ratio) exert suppressive effects.
The researchers pointed out that some studies indicated a ratio of 4:1 or lower was associated with a 70 per cent decline in mortality related to cardiovascular disease over a two-year span.
According to other research, a ratio below 5:1 had beneficial effects on symptoms related to colorectal cancer and asthma, and a ratio below 3:1 reduced inflammation in individuals suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.
Conversely, a ratio above 10:1 had negative health consequences.
As a result of these findings, the researchers concluded that “A lower ratio of omega-6/omega-3 fatty acids is more desirable in reducing the risk of many of the chronic diseases of high prevalence in Western societies.”
Researchers of a 2006 meta-analysis focused on unearthing a potential association between omega-6 fatty acid consumption and cardiovascular illness. In it, they examined data from seven randomised trials that included 11,275 subjects.
They discovered that subjects who consumed a diet containing a mixture of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids had a 22 per cent lower risk of death from myocardial infarction (i.e. heart attack) and coronary heart disease.
In contrast, subjects who consumed a diet containing only omega-6 fatty acids had a 13 per cent higher chance of dying from one of these conditions.
The researchers also noted that substituting omega-6 fatty acids for trans fats and saturated fats without increasing omega-3 fatty acid consumption led to an overall increased risk of death.
As a result of their analysis, the researchers stated “…advice to specifically increase n-6 PUFA intake, based on mixed n-3/n-6 RCT data, is unlikely to provide the intended benefits, and may actually increase the risks of CHD and death.”
These findings were supported by a 2005 study in which researchers suggested eating more omega-3s and fewer omega-6 fats. They noted that this leads to “less intense” action of an inflammatory agent called eicosanoids, ultimately decreasing the chances of developing cardiovascular diseases.
Having a significantly higher ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids, as is found in today’s Western diets, can be problematic because it promotes the pathogenesis of many diseases, including cardiovascular disease, arthritis, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, cancer, and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, whereas increased levels of omega-3 fatty acids exert suppressive effects.
Do not get me wrong, omega-6s are not inherently bad for you. In fact, they can improve cardiovascular health when coming from whole foods such as nuts and seeds.
What I am saying is that when their intake from refined vegetable oils is high, they can promote inflammation and oxidative stress, both of which, for example, can lead to poor heart health outcomes if accompanied by low omega-3 consumption.
Omega-6 fats are mainly found in vegetable oils like corn, soybean, safflower, and sunflower oils. To make matters worse, these oils are often refined using high heat or chemicals during the refining process. It would be better if they were cold-pressed or at least expeller-pressed.
Omega-6 fatty acids are also found in nuts and seeds like almonds and sunflower seeds.
Snack foods, baked goods, fast food, and packaged snacks often contribute to a high intake of omega-6. Most salad dressings and mayonnaise are indeed high in omega-6 fatty acids because they are often made with vegetable oils like corn, safflower, and soy, which are naturally rich in omega-6. This is a subtle reminder that you should reduce your processed food intake.
Margarine is generally high in omega-6 fatty acids because it is made with vegetable oils. Butter is better than margarine.
A study titled, ‘The Importance of the Ratio of Omega-6/Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids’ by A. P. Simopoulos concludes that a lower ratio of omega-6/omega-3 fatty acids is more desirable in reducing the risk of many of the chronic diseases of high prevalence in Western societies, as well as in developing countries, which are now exporting these patterns to the rest of the world.
Omega-3 fatty acids have well-documented anti-inflammatory properties, while omega-6 fatty acids can contribute to inflammation, especially when consumed in excess or when the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is imbalanced. Make sure you have a higher intake of omega-3s than omega-6s.
If you need omega-3 fatty acid supplementation due to a deficiency, your doctor is in the best position to prescribe that for you.