Omega 3 vs. Omega 6 fatty acids

FerrisBueller86

How much of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids do we really need?

I've heard that the Omega-6-to-3 ratio should be as low as reasonably possible, around 4 or less. I've heard that the typical ratio on the Standard American Diet is more like 20 and promotes inflammation.

According to Cronometer, my daily target for Omega 6 is 17 grams per day, and my daily target for Omega 3 is 1.6 grams per day. That's an Omega-6-to-3 ratio of around 10.6.

While nuts have high Omega-6-to-3 ratios, they're known for being anti-inflammatory. Clearly, they have nutrients that dampen the pro-inflammatory impact of the Omega 3 fats they contain. So I'm not cutting back on my nut consumption.

While canola oil is high in Omega 3s and low in Omega 6s, I quit buying it years ago. Vegetable seed oils are unhealthy in ways that aren't revealed in the nutritional label on the bottle. The polyunsaturated fats (both Omega 6s and 3s) oxidize easily when heated up. Deep-fried foods are especially hazardous because the vegetable seed oil is reused multiple times.

Susan_RD_101

I wrote a blog on this topic a few years ago:

https://cronometer.com/blog/understanding-cronometers-nutrient-ratios/