The problem with modern diets

The increase in Omega-6 consumption correlates with the rise of the vegetable oil industry, which boomed at the beginning of the 20^thcentury.

 

This shift saw an increase in the use of vegetable oils in the home, such as corn, sunflower, safflower and soybean, which are all high in Omega-6. Around the same time, we were warned that high intakes of saturated fat can result in high cholesterol, and so many people moved away from traditional fats, like butter and lard, towards a new product: margarine.

 

In recent decades, there has also been a shift towards the consumption of factory produced processed foods – such as crisps, biscuits, spreads and dips – which are rich in Omega-6.

The problem with modern farming

It is possible to alter your diet to ensure a better balance between Omega-3 and Omega-6. But this is not simple.

 

Modern farming techniques have altered the balance between the two fats in many of our foods. Many of our cultivated plants now have eight times less Omega-3 than their wild counterparts. The industrial production of animal feeds also means much of our meat, butter and farmed fish has higher levels of Omega-6 and less Omega-3 than previously.

 

The fatty acid composition of egg yolk from free-range chickens, for example, shows a ratio of 3:1 Omega-3 to Omega-6, compared to a ratio of 9:19 for eggs from factory farmed chickens. This is because factory farmed hens are typically fed corn and soybeans rather than their natural diet of seeds, worms, insects and green plants. The fatty acid content of butter from grass-fed livestock is also shown to have a healthier balance of Omega-3 to Omega-6 than butter from animals fed on industrially produced feeds.

 

It is possible to switch to a diet based only on organic produce and produce from free-range and grass-fed animals. However, for most of us to get enough Omega-3, we need to take supplements.