Om Yoga Magazine — February 2018

om living

O

mega 3 and Omega 6 are essential to health and it is

important that they are consumed in our diets. Here,

we will explain what the difference between Omega 3

and Omega 6 is and explore different food sources to

consider including in your diet. It is quite common to

believe that Omega 3 is only available in oily fish – however, there

are also ways for vegetarians and vegans to get these essential fatty

acids into their diet.

Omega 3 and Omega 6 are essential fatty acids and must be

obtained through food. The reason they are ‘essential’ is due to

them being biologically active, unlike other fats that can be used

for energy they are important for contributing to growth and

development, brain function and inflammation. Inflammation is vital

for us as it helps to fight against infection. However, it can also

cause damage to the body...but there will be more on this later.

Omega 3 and Omega 6 are very different and ideally should be

consumed to a ratio where Omega 3 is dominant.

Omega 3 is found in plant oils and oily fish. Omega 6 is found

in processed oils such as sunflower oil. Due to the western world

increasingly using processed oil (whether that be in the food industry

Understanding the importance of Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids, and how to

strike the right balance. By Sarah Jackson

Get the

right

balance

or in your kitchen) it is causing a large difference in the Omega 3 to

Omega 6 ratio, some believing it is currently more like a 16:1 ratio

(Omega6:Omega3)

What is Omega 3

Omega 3 comes in different forms: ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), EPA

(eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). ALA must

be included in our diet as it has a range of important functions

and is compulsory for making Omega 3 fats, but unfortunately our

bodies cannot make it on its own. You can find ALA in rapeseed oil,

nuts and green leafy vegetables. Once we have ALA in our bodies it

then starts to produce long-chain fats, EPA and DHA. EPA and DHA

are seen to have the most health benefits, however they are only

made in small amounts and it is not the fastest process from ALA.

To ensure you are getting enough of these fats it is important to

consume foods rich in them. Oily fish is a great source of EPA and

DHA (white fish does contain them too but at much lower levels).

Government guidance is to aim to consume fish twice a week with

one being oily fish (preferably MSC certified products). It is important

to note that when consuming a lot of different fish to be aware of

Nutrition Zone: