Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio

Nwra

Hi, I’ve recently begun using the app and I love it so far! I’ve read that the optimum omega 6:omega 3 ratio is around 4:1 - why does it default to around 10:1 in the app?

Karen_Cronometer

Hello @Nwra

The recommended nutrient intakes for these fatty acids are listed as Adequate Intakes (AI). This means the minimum target is the average amount consumed by healthy populations and is our best estimate for how much we need. When the recommended target is an AI, this indicates that we need more research to determine further recommendations for these nutrients.

So right now, research suggests that an adult female should consume at least 1.1 mg/day Omega-3 fatty acids and 11-12 mg/day of Omega-6 fatty acids. With more research in the future, we may see these values refined to be more in line with the recommended ratio of Omega-6:Omega-3.

Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids compete for the same enzymes and in order to make sure we can use enough of the omega-3 fatty acids, it is recommended that we consume a ratio of Omega-6: Omega-3 between 1:1 and 4:1.

Susan has a great blog post about this, if you would like to learn more: https://cronometer.com/blog/understanding-cronometers-nutrient-ratios/

Best,

Nwra

Many thanks for your reply. This app is proving to be incredibly useful!