The Benefits of Omega 3 6 9 Fatty Acids in Your Diet
Doctors maintain that a healthy diet with good oils is essential for your health. So, what exactly are the benefits of omega 3 6 9 in your food? Do you really need all of them? Which foods to use and which to avoid? Here are the answers to all these and numerous other questions.
1. What Are the Health Benefits of Omega 3 6 9?
All these classes of compounds feature a different chemical structure and, as a result, have a different impact on the body.
While all of them are unsaturated (i.e. featuring double chemical bonds) fatty acids, omega 3 and 6 have several double bonds (and, therefore, called “polyunsaturated”) and omega 9 has only one such bond (this is why it is called “monounsaturated”).
The word “omega” (often replaced with either “ω” or “n”) in their names means that the final double bond is located, respectively, 3, 6, or 9 carbon atoms from the very end of the molecule.
The Benefits of Omega 3
Fish oil is the best source of ω-3 fatty acids, which cannot be synthesized by the body and are therefore called essential. The three most common of them are:
- DHA (short for docosahexaenoic acid): it is an important constituent of the nervous system (including the brain), which is also highly important for eyesight. DHA needs to be consumed for proper brain function and development, and its deficiency can lead to a decline in memory and cognition. What’s more, DHA is used by the body for the metabolism of such important bioactive compounds as glycine, taurine, and choline.
- EPA (short for eicosapentaenoic acid): it reduces inflammation and can be converted by the body into DHA. Several studies show that EPA also has a mild antidepressant effect.
- ALA (short for alpha-linolenic acid) can be used by the body to produce EPA. Unfortunately, in some people (especially those with diabetes, allergies, and genetic anomalies), this conversion is inefficient. There is evidence that ALA is beneficial for immunity and the cardiovascular and nervous systems.
You can buy the best ω-3 supplements on iHerb, the world’s leading Internet store that deals with health products. Here is one of the highest-rated fish oils that comes from a highly reputable brand:
- Serving size: 2 softgels
- 240 softgels: enough for four months of use
- Very high DHA (600 mg) and EPA (800 mg) content per serving
- Low on cholesterol and total fat
- Lemon-flavored softgels to prevent the unpleasant fish burp
- Non-GMO; no artificial colors, flavors and preservatives
To avoid n-3 deficiency, vegetarians and vegans are advised to use flaxseed oil that is rich in ALA. Here is one of the most popular flax seed oils on iHerb:
- 710 ml (24 fl oz)
- Certified organic
- 7.7 grams of ALA per serving (1 tablespoon or 15 ml)
- Cold pressed
The Benefits and Disadvantages of Omega 6
Just like ω-3, ω-6 fatty acids cannot be synthesized by the body. Unlike ω-3 acids, which are used as building materials for the nervous system, the main function of ω-6 fats is to serve as an energy source.
While foods that contain n-3 are relatively rare (fatty fish for DHA and EPA; flaxseeds and chia seeds for ALA), n-6 fatty acids can be found in a great number of foods including eggs, cereals, nuts, poultry, mayonnaise, and numerous vegetable oils (such as corn, sunflower, palm, peanut, grape, and sesame oil). Thus, people who follow a typical Western diet consume a lot of ω-6 every day and don’t need special supplements with these fatty acids.
What’s more, there are scientists who believe that an excess of n-6 combined with a lack of n-3 in a modern diet can be one of the factors in the development of various chronic health issues, including atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. It might also be that a diet that is high in ω-6 fats can speed up the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
Although there are studies that show that omega 6 fatty acids do not affect the risk for cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality, it is recommended that to be on the safe side you maintain the ratio of ω-6 to ω-3 in your diet between 1:1 and 4:1. Unfortunately, in numerous typical Western diets this ratio is higher than 15:1.
The Benefits of Omega 9
As our bodies can synthesize ω-9 fatty acids, they are not essential, and you can, in principle, live your life without ever consuming them. Still, ω-9 acids offer two important benefits:
- There are studies that demonstrate that n-9 in a diet can improve insulin sensitivity and decrease inflammation.
- You can substitute oils that are rich in n-6 for ones that are rich in n-9, such as olive oil. This can help you bring down the n-6 to the n-3 ratio in your diet.
Here is one of the highest-rated olive oil products on iHerb:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil by Gaea
- 500 ml (16.9 fl oz)
- Cold-extracted from fresh olives
- Olive oil contains 83 grams of omega 9 per 100 grams
2. Which Foods Are Rich in Omega 3 and Omega 9 Fatty Acids?
The best way to reduce the n-6 to the n-3 ratio in your diet is to take fish oil supplements and use olive oil as a salad dressing and for sautéing instead of other vegetable oils. What’s more, you can also use olive oil for frying and baking if the temperature does not exceed 180°C (or 420°F) — the smoke point of most extra virgin olive oils.
To reduce your ω-6 daily intake, replace foods that contain a lot of these fatty acids with such ω-3 rich foods as anchovies, mackerel, salmon, sardines, flax, and chia seeds. If you want to use ω-9 rich oils other than olive oil, cashew nut, and sweet almond oils will be a good choice.
Here is one of the most popular chia seed products on iHerb:
Organic Chia Seed by Mamma Chia
- Certified organic
- 340 g (12 oz) or about 28 tablespoons
Here is one of the highest rated products with flax seed:
Organic Flax Seed Meal by NOW Foods
- Milled powder that can be added to bread, muffins, cereals, yogurt, pancakes, and even meatballs
- Certified organic
- 3.2 grams of ALA (omega 3 fatty acid) per serving
And here is excellent-quality sweet almond oil that is rich in ω-9 and can be used for delicious salad dressings:
- 946 ml (32 fl oz)
- Non-GMO
3. What Are the Benefits and Side Effects of Omega 3 6 9 Supplements?
On the market there are combined omega 3 6 9 supplements that usually contain all these fatty acids in a ratio of 2:1:1. Here is one of them:
- 1000 mg of various omega fatty oils per serving
- Contains flax seed and black currant oils
The manufacturers claim that these supplements offer the benefit of helping you enhance your balance of various omega 3 6 9 oils. However, most people receive excessive quantities of n-6 from their diet and need no additional quantities from supplements. What’s more, n-3 in such products are often derived from flaxseed and have a significantly lower bioavailability compared to fish oil. Last but not least, n-9 can be synthesized by the body, and there is no need to buy them in the form of dietary supplements.
All in all, you need to concentrate on replacing n-6 in your diet with n-3 and n-9, and the only supplement you really need is quality fish oil.
4. Benefits of Omega 3 6 9 for Skin & Hair
Sweet almond oil that is rich in ω-9 is very good for your skin and hair: it has anti-inflammatory properties and can be used to improve both skin tone and complexion.
Although there is a popular urban legend that, if applied directly on the scalp, fish oil (the source of ω-3) supports hair growth, this claim has never been medically tested. Fish oil has a strong unpleasant smell, so it cannot really be recommended for your skin or hair.
While flaxseed oil (which contains ω-3) was demonstrated to improve symptoms of dermatitis if used as a dietary supplement, there are no scientific studies concerning its topical use.
Linoleic acid (an ω-6 fatty acid) is widely used in beauty products because of its anti-inflammatory, moisture retentive, and skin-lightening properties. Grape seed oil is very rich in linoleic acid; you can buy it for topical use:
- 473 ml (16 fl oz)
- Suitable for all skin types
Now you know all about the benefits of omega 3 6 9 fatty acids and the importance of a healthy balanced diet. Take care and see you next time!