Welcome to our Educational Resource (E-Source), an informative newsletter that keeps you up-to-date on current nutritional supplement information and gives you advice about use and effectiveness from a physician.

Many people like to use good and bad in relationship to foods, when balance would be better terminology. Take polyunsaturated fats as an example. We need both kinds of unsaturated oils, omega threes and omega sixes. Historically, we have had in our diets a ratio of omega 6 to 3 of about 4 to 1. Both are important to good health. However, in the last quarter century, this historic ratio has become seriously distorted. First, let’s look at what constitutes these oils.

Omega 3 oils principally come from cold water fish; salmon, cod, haddock, sardines and anchovies. If you are an Eskimo, walrus, seal and whales also qualify. Omega 6 oils typically come from fields: sunflower, safflower, soy, and corn oils. We have seen in this country an increase in omega 6 oils in our food supply because we have lots of farmers growing these crops...plant oils are less expensive, and so they are used by food manufacturers and fast food restaurants pervasively. As a result, we have seen the ratio change from 4 to 1 to about 16 to 1. I have even seen guesses on this proportion in the American diet as high as 25 up to 100 to 1.
 
There are several reasons why this ratio of 4 to 1 is important. I do not know of any evidence that shows that an excess of omega 3 oils is harmful. Eskimo, for example, have diets that are almost exclusively omega 3. They have lived happily with this exclusivity for thousands of years. An excess of omega 6, however, is not so benign. It has been shown that the countries that have the highest intake of omega 6 oils have the highest cancer rates. Israel is the prime example. DHA, an omega 3 oil, constitutes 1/3 of your brain’s fat. Lack of DHA has important consequences for brain development and depression.

Another effect that this ratio has is in our immune system. This is due to the fact that these oils have an opposite effects, omega threes toning down our immune system while omega sixes rev it up. We need our immune systems working well to be healthy. It is our natural immunity that heals our cuts and scratches, and fights off bacterial and viral invaders. Once the need is finished, however, it needs to shut off. When the intake of these two oils is balanced, the immune system is also balanced, working when it is needed, and stopping when it is not. When a relative excess of omega 6 oils predominate, the immune system tends to remain active far longer than necessary, causing all kinds of problems. Allergies and autoimmune disease are the results.

The incidence of asthma has tripled in the last half century. Even the death rate from asthma has tripled. This is hard to believe, in the face of more emergency rooms, prompt EMS service, and inhalers. This is paralleled by the rise of autoimmune diseases.

It is difficult to impossible to remove omega 6 oils from our diet, as they have been added to virtually every food in the supermarket. However, we can remove corn, safflower and sunflower oil from our pantry. Make the switch to olive oil to sauté. At the same time, increase your consumption of fish. Most people do not like cooking fish at home due to the cooking odors. We now use a portable butane burner and do our fish cooking on the patio. Of all the cold water fish, salmon has the highest amount of omega 3 oils. Make it a goal to eat salmon weekly. Make sure it is wild salmon, rather than the farm-raised salmon, as it is the krill that the wild salmon eat that give them their color and their omega 3 oils.

Tests have shown that grass-finished beef has good ratios of omega 6 to 3 oils. Feed-lot cows are fed a corn-based diet and as a result have lost all of their omega 3 oils. Finding a source of grass-finished beef will do wonders for your hyperactive immune system.

Eggs can also be a source of omega 3 oils. Look for eggs where the chickens have had access to pasture (free range), as grass will have the correct ratio. Also, eggs that have been given flax seed in their diet will have elevated levels of omega 3 oils as well. The yolks will have a rich orange color. They will also taste better.

Taking a teaspoon of fish oil or cod liver oil is a good daily habit. My preference is cod liver oil as it has vitamins A and D which the fish oil lacks. Note: Molecular-refined cod liver oil has no fishy taste, and does not create fishy aftereffects, so I urge you to try this oil, which is a small triumph of absolutely fresh raw materials and modern technology. Fish oil is available in many sizes, including capsules. I used to recommend flax oil until I learned that it takes 100 teaspoons of flax oil to equal 1 teaspoon of fish oil. Rebalancing your omega oils will accomplish great things for your health.