The All Important Omega Ratio

Everyone is talking about omega-3 fatty acids, but why all of a sudden? All the noise makes us wonder what the big fuss is about. One of the biggest problems with supplements is that so many new ones enter the market each year, and some study debunks them the following year.

Some folks even took aim at omega-3 fatty acids last week. In a study whose biases were uncovered only a few days later, researchers claimed that omega-3 did not reduce the risk of dying from heart disease nor provided much else.

Well, the American Heart Association still recommends Omega-3 supplements.  The AHA studies a lot of the deaths in America, and many of which have been attributed to a poor omega-3 to omega-6 ratio. The study never discussed the ratio.

The omega-3 to omega-6 ratio is literally the ratio of two polyunsaturated fats in the blood. In one serving of factory-farmed beef, for example, the omega ratio is 1 omega-3 fatty acid for every 20 omega-6 fatty acids.

For years, and often without knowledge of the omega ratio, doctors in America recommended that their patients limit their beef intake.  Heart disease claims more lives in the U.S. than lung disease, breast and prostate cancer combined. Research shows that a modern diet, known as the meat sweet diet, puts more strain on the heart and arteries. We’re not necessarily making that recommendation because we’re not trying to change your life, but we do want you to have the facts.

According to health professionals, the optimal omega ratio is somewhere between the Paleolithic ratio: 5 omega-3s to 4 omega-6s, and 1 omega-3 to 2 omega-6s. So it would probably help to change your diet and add a high quality omega-3 supplement to your daily regimen.

Most people are aware of omega fatty acids, but perhaps less aware of how important it is to have a healthy balance of omega-3 and omega-6. The Western diet has an imbalance of omega-6 over omega-3. This imbalance causes inflammation and can be linked to cases of stress, obesity, diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

We know some athletes say all that talk about blood lipid levels (one example would be the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio) doesn’t matter, in general. The evidence speaks for itself. Icing after a workout is good if you don’t have another event or training regimen to complete in the coming days, but omega-3 fatty acids go a long way in preventing deeper more dangerous inflammation for the long haul.

We turned to Superba™ Krill Oil, sourced from the pure and pristine Antarctic waters. It is more easily absorbed than fish oils. Omega-3 Ready delivers EPA and DHA directly to the bloodstream via the villi, so there are no burps or fishy aftertastes. It even comes in a small and easily to swallow pill – not a horse pill.

Sources: Chris Speed, MDN NPD, Food and Nutrition Strategies, LLC;  http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/sns-rt-us-heart-omega3bre88a1c0-20120911,0,1161145.story,   http://www.drugstorenews.com/article/crn-debunks-omega-3-meta-analysis-inherently-inconclusive?utm_source=GoogleNews&utm_medium=Syndication&utm_campaign=ManualSitemap,  http://life.nationalpost.com/2012/09/18/fish-oil-supplements-straight-talk-on-the-heart-health-benefits-of-omega-3-fats/