Omega 3&6

Omega 3 and 6

What are omega 3 and omega 6?

Omega 6 (or linoleic acid) and omega 3 (or alpha-linolenic acid) are essential polyunsaturated fatty acids beneficial for cardiovascular health^6-9. They are also important for normal growth and development. However, essential fats cannot be synthesised in the body and must be obtained in sufficient quantities from the diet. They can be found naturally in vegetable oils (e.g. sunflower seed oil, maize oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil, linseed oil), nuts and in the meat of grass-fed animals.

Increasing the intake of omega 6 has a positive effect on cholesterol levels^1-4,10,11 actively reducing total and LDL-cholesterol when used to replace saturated fat, as well as carbohydrates. Omega 3 comes from both marine and vegetable sources and has a beneficial effect on cardiovascular health.

References

Hegsted DM,Ausman LM, Johnson JA, Dallal GE. Dietary fat and serum lipids: an evaluation of the experimental data.Am J Clin Nutr 1993; 57(6):875-883.
Howell WH, McNamara DJ, Tosca MA, Smith BT, Gaines JA. Plasma lipid and lipoprotein responses to dietary fat and cholesterol: a meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr 1997; 65(6):1747-1764.
Keys A, Anderson JT, Grande F. Serum cholesterol response to changes in diet: IV. Particular saturated fatty acids in the diet. Metabolism 1965; 14:776-787.
Mensink RP, Zock PL, Kester AD, Katan MB. Effects of dietary fatty acids and carbohydrates on the ratio of serum total to HDL cholesterol and on serum lipids and apolipoproteins: a meta-analysis of 60 controlled trials.Am J Clin Nutr 2003; 77(5):1146-1155.
Finnegan YE, Minihane AM, Leigh-Firbank EC et al. Plant and marine-derived n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have differential effects on fasting and postprandial blood lipid concentrations and on the susceptibility to LDL to oxidative modification in moderately hyperlipidemic subjects. AM J Clin Nutr 2003;77:783-95
Zock PL, Katan MB. Butter, margarine and serum lipoproteins. Atherosclerosis 1997; 131(1); 7-18
Jousilahti P, Vartiainen E, Pekkanen J et al. Serum cholesterol distribution and coronary heart disease risk: observations and predictions among middle-age population in eastern Finland. Circulation 1998:97:1087- 94
Pietenen P, Ascherio A, Korhonen P et al. Intake of fatty acids and the risk of coronary heart disease in a cohort of Finnish men. The Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study. Am J Epidemiol 1997;145:856-87
Turpeinen O, Karvonen MJ, Pekkarinen M et al. Dietary prevention of coronary heart disease: the Finnish mental hospital study. Int J Epidemiol 1979;8:99-118
Clarke R, Frost C, Collins R, Appleby P, Peto R. Dietary lipids and blood cholesterol: quantitative meta-analysis of metabolic ward studies. BMJ 1997;314(7074):112-117.
Mensink RP, Katan MB. Effect of dietary fatty acids on serum lipids and lipoproteins. A meta-analysis of 27 trials. Arterioscler Thromb 1992; 12(8):911-919.

Fat intake	% of total energy
Total fat intake	30% total energy
Saturated fat intake (upper limit)	10% total energy
total polyunsaturated fat intake (omega 6 and 3)	6-11% total energy
Monounsaturated fat	The rest up to a maximum of 30-35%