Omega 6 and 3 daily amounts?


(charlie3) #1

With my current menu I’m getting 3.9 g of Omega 3, which cronometer says is 245% of the RDA (a few ounces of daily salmon). I’m also getting 10.5 g of Omega 6, which cronometer says is 75% of the RDA. Do I need to find an additional source of Omega 6 or should I revise the targets for one or both of these?

Speaking of fat, my LDL was measured April 18th at 699 mg/dL. The doc was sure there must be a lab error so it was measured again, May 8th, at 766 mg/dL. Back in April 2017 it was 181 mg/dL so no doubt this is my reward for healthy eating and exercise. I’ll recheck once a month. Things aren’t all bad. TG:HDL ratio is 81/90=0.90 which I read is a good value. Two years ago the ratio was 89/48=1.854, apparently okay but not as good. VLDL today is 16, down from 18 in 2017. I’m not planning to change diet and exercise unless and until I understand the issues better.


#2

I had a similar question & stumbled upon this https://forums.cronometer.com/discussion/615/17-grams-of-omega-6-minimum answer in the cronometer forums.


(charlie3) #3

I read the posts. The most credible person in the conversation says a 4:1 ratio of 6 to 3 seems desirable. I was vaguely aware there was a ratio but I didn’t know it. Turns out mine is exactly 4:1.


(Eric - The patient needs to be patient!) #4

I don’t track mine but I do make sure to eat Omega3 sources like sardines, salmon and fish eggs. I’m apoE4/3 so from what I understand Omega3 FA is extra needed for my health.


(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #5

I don’t know, so don’t take this seriously, but isn’t the ratio of 6:3 supposed to be 1:1? I thought I read that somewhere.


(Kristen Ann) #6

I think I’ve read this somewhere too…


(Khara) #7

I’ve always had it in mind to actually try and reduce the omega 6’s and increase the 3’s so supplementing omega 6 sounded strange. I looked it up a bit. It sounds like we get plenty of omega 6’s through diet. Most people actually get too many, which is a bad thing because too many are inflammatory. They are found in vegetable oils and processed carby foods. It sounds to me that with a ketogenic diet we would likely get enough as they are also found in red meat, poultry, nuts, seeds, and some fish. The omega 3’s are what’s a struggle to get enough of. They compete for space so if 6’s are hogging up all the room, then 3’s have no where to reside so it still sounds like a good idea to me to try and reduce 6’s. I found this info regarding the ratio of both 1:1 and 4:1 and the website is below as well:

https://blog.bulletproof.com/omega-3-vs-omega-6-fat-supplements/


(Khara) #8

I also found this info on fats and cooking oils. It’s interesting how all of the “healthy” oils we were told to use in previous decades are actually the ones that should be avoided due to excessive omega 6’s. Website is below.


#9

Just don’t confuse the bioavailability of plant based ALA with the salmon sourced EPA, DHA.


(Eric - The patient needs to be patient!) #10

Exactly.


(charlie3) #12

1:1 would distort my diet noticably. Hopefully that’s not the ratio. I get omega 6 from eggs, beef, avecado, salmon and a couple other items. It adds up to less than what crono recommends. I’m inclined to leave it alone.

In the mean time I’m at the point where I’m getting the micro nutrients without suppliments eating 40 net carbs keto.


(Rachel) #13

If you haven’t already seen Dave Feldman’s work on Lean Mass Hyper Responders, take a look: https://cholesterolcode.com/lmhr/

Based on your lipids, it sounds like you’re one of them :). According to Feldman, you’re in good company with quite a few lean, athletic, keto dieters, and it may be (likely is) nothing to worry about.


(Rachel) #14

Oops – replied to the wrong message, so I copied it here. Sorry to clog the thread. This is my first (ok, let’s call it second now haha) comment on the forum :slight_smile:

If you haven’t already seen Dave Feldman’s work on Lean Mass Hyper Responders, take a look: https://cholesterolcode.com/lmhr/

Based on your lipids, it sounds like you’re one of them :). According to Feldman, you’re in good company with quite a few lean, athletic, keto dieters, and it may be (likely is) nothing to worry about.


(charlie3) #15

I’ve decided to study it but not worry about it.


(Bunny) #16

From what I understand but I could be wrong is that the 1:1 omega 3 to omega 6 ratio is what is supposed to be in grass fed meat vs. grain fed?

”…Humans should naturally have an omega 6:3 ratio around 4:1 or 2:1 …” - Dr. Jockers[5]

Even intake of saturated fats (butyric acid; helps the body burn body fat) equal to polyunsaturated (PUFA; holds onto body fat but the brain needs it and what the human brain tissue mostly is; omega 3’s). In equal ratios is anti-inflammatory!

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A contributing factor of obesity? The other deciding factor how much (amounts) processed sugars are in the diet?

Footnotes:

[1] How much CLA is in grass fed beef? Depending on the breed of cow, grass-fed beef contains between 2 and 5 times more omega-3s than grain-fed beef, and the average ratio of n-6:n-3 in grass fed beef is 1.53:1 …More

[2] Fatty Acid Composition: I mentioned in my previous post that the ratio of saturated to monounsaturated to polyunsaturated fat in beef stays about the same regardless of what the animal is fed. (1) Those ratios might shift slightly depending on the animal’s diet, but the shifts are still relatively small. On average, grass-fed beef tends to have slightly lower levels of MUFA and slightly higher levels of PUFA than grain-fed, but these differences are at most five percentage points, depending on the breed of cattle and the study in question. So regardless of whether your beef is grain-fed or grass-fed, you’ll be getting about 40-50% saturated fat, about 40-50% monounsaturated fat, and somewhere near 10% polyunsaturated fat. However, the diet of the cow does significantly influence the types of each fat present. Within the broad categories of SFA, MUFA, and PUFA, there are several individual fatty acids with different chemical compositions, and each has unique effects on the body. …More

[3] What is better grass fed or grain fed beef?
Grass-fed beef is naturally leaner than grain-fed beef. Omega 3s in beef that feed on grass is 7% of the total fat content, compared to 1% in grain-only fed beef. Grass-fed beef has the recommended ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fats (3:1.) …More

[4] Changes in consumption of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the United States during the 20th century:

[5] Grass-Fed Beef: Is It Superior to Poultry The Importance of Omega 6:3 Ratios: Humans should naturally have an omega 6:3 ratio around 4:1 or 2:1. When these ratios become skewed, they trigger cellular inflammation and accelerated cellular degeneration. This environment causes an individual to become highly inflamed and to build degenerative disease (5). …More