The Ratio of Omega-3s to Omega-6s
Dietary Omega-6 (n-6) Fatty Acids
It is important to grasp that there are important interactions between the omega-3s and the omega-6s in the human body, and particularly in the brain.
If we look at the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 in in our diet and compare it to our ancestors, we find that we consume a far higher proportion of omega-6 to omega-3 than they did. This has been accompanied by increased rates of many diseases - the so-called diseases of civilisation, which includes heart attacks, age related cognitive decline and dementia, as well as diseases in which internal inflammation afflicts the body's organs and tissues - for example rheumatoid arthritis and dle.
The two key questions then are:
1. What is the desirable ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 in our diet?
2. How do we achieve this in the hubble, bubble, toil and struggle of everyday living?
I have taken the benchmark established by authors such as Yehuda and his colleagues in recommending a ratio of 1: 4 omega-3 to omega-6.
This ratio is now thought to be important. And it all boils down to the fact that there is a serious imbalance in our present diet in the UK and Ireland.
The chart above is a scale drawing that illustrates the principles of the balance. You'll observe that the arms of the scales are unequal, to emphasize that the internal chemistry has a preference for omega-3s, making four to one the correct ratio.
The chart above illustrates the actuality of our diet.
Unfortunately, the typical diet contains a ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 of less than 1: 10 - and sometimes much less.
The question then is how do we put it right?
Realising that it was difficult for busy people to work out the right dietary balances, I devoted the second half of The Brain Food Diet to explaining the fat balances, the best fish to eat, actual recipes not only for including oily fish in the diet but also other recipes aimed at reducing saturated fat and thus reducing the risk of vascular dementia. I even spent time working out a two week day-to-day menu planner to give advice and a basic layout to people who might otherwise find themselves struggling to work the science into practical buying, cooking and eating.