This way you provide more omega 3 and less omega 6
In the past, linoleic acid was widely advertised, especially by margarine manufacturers. This omega-6 fatty acid is said to be good for the heart and blood vessels. In fact, you never hear about it in commercials. It is now known that too much linoleic acid is also not beneficial. It is better to pay attention to the correct ratio of fats in the diet. Not only omega 6 such as linoleic acid, but also omega 3.
You need fat in your diet. First of all, because fat provides taste. In addition, fats are indispensable for your body. They not only provide energy, but also the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Fats also help with the absorption of these vitamins in the body. And finally: fats are building materials for cell walls, hormones and brain cells, among other things. Of course, fat isn’t just healthy. Because fat provides a lot of calories, you can gain weight if you consume a lot of it. And the type of fat is also important. Saturated fats and trans fats are less healthy than unsaturated fats.
Unsaturated fats
Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are among the healthy unsaturated fats. It has to do with the chemical structure. Unsaturated fats have a so-called double bond in at least one place in their molecule. This makes the structure ‘looser’ and you notice that: they are mainly found in liquid products such as olive oil, peanut oil and fish oil. Coconut oil, palm fat and ghee, on the other hand, are harder products and that is because they contain a relatively large amount of poorly saturated fat.
Omega-3 fatty acids
The main omega-3 fatty acids are:
- alpha-linolenic acid (also known by its English abbreviation ALA). ALA is mainly found in rapeseed oil, soybean oil, walnuts and vegetable (diet) margarines.
- eicosapentaenoic acid (also known by its English abbreviation EPA).
- docosahexaenoic acid (also known by its English abbreviation DHA).
EPA and DHA are also known as fish fats. They are unique omega-3 fats that are mainly found in oily fish. But they are also in other products such as eggs and some meats and they are added to some margarines. There are also fish oil capsules on the market that contain EPA and DHA. In addition, the body can make these fish fats itself from ALA, but that is very difficult.
Omega-6 fatty acids
Omega-6 fatty acid is also one of the unsaturated fats. The main omega-6 fatty acids are:
- linoleic acid (also known by its English abbreviation LA). LA is mainly found in vegetable oils such as sunflower oil, corn oil and soybean oil, but also in margarine, low-fat margarine and frying and frying fats.
- arachidonic acid (also known by its English abbreviation AA). Your body makes AA itself from linoleic acid (LA) and it is also found in eggs, poultry, organ meats and fish.
- gamma-linolenic acid (also known by its English abbreviation GLA). GLA is in some vegetable oils, such as evening primrose oil.
Linoleic acid, could it be a little less…
Of the omega-6 fatty acids, the Health Council has only drawn up an advice for linoleic acid: of all calories you ingest in a day, 2% should come from linoleic acid. With all the oil and margarine that we use in the preparation of the meal and with the spreading of bread with low-fat margarine and margarine, we will get there. In fact, we are well above it! The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) has examined the intake of linoleic acid in a survey among more than 4,000 consumers. What seems? Of the calories that adults ingest, 5.7% is provided by linoleic acid. That’s almost three times the recommendation.
Fish fats, please some more
We get too little from ALA. This is also apparent from research by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM): 0.7% of the calories that adults consume comes from ALA. This means that the recommendation of 1% is not met. The omega-3 fish fats also deserve attention. You need 200 mg of fish fats daily, while the intake from food and supplements turns out to be an average of 177 mg per day for adults. Without taking supplements, this was even just 163 mg per day. It is therefore not for nothing that the advice is to eat oily fish every week. If you eat a portion of fatty fish every week, such as butterfish, herring, mackerel, sardines and salmon, you will get enough fish fatty acids to get an average of 200 mg of fish fatty acids per day.
In balance
Omega-6 fats use the same enzymes for their conversion as omega-3 fats do. If your diet contains a lot of omega-6 fats, this inhibits the conversion of omega-3 fatty acids. The optimal dietary ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids is 4:1. In the Western diet, this ratio is often between 10:1 – 20:1. Various studies have shown that if omega 3 and omega 6 are not in balance, the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, inflammatory diseases and autoimmune diseases is greater. So on to a better balance. If you provide a weekly portion of fish, a daily portion of (wal)nuts and use less low-fat margarine and margarine, you will come a long way. Do not spread bread with low-fat margarine or margarine, but with vegetable spread, pesto, homemade avocado spread, nut spread or tahini. Or spread hummus on bread and top with grilled vegetables. This way you bring your omegas into better balance.