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Omega 3 to 6 ratio dilemma

Posted: Wed May 25, 2016 7:14 am
by Jebus
I recently started paying more attention to my Omega 3:6 ratio after learning that too much Omega 6 vs. Omega 3 (along with lack of B12) basically cancels out the other dietary vegan advantages with regards to heart disease.

The problem I have found is that most of my favourite protein rich foods, such as nuts and pumpkin seeds, come along with a weak Omega 3:6 ratio. Is there any way of resolving this dilemma other than multiplying my flax seed intake?

Re: Omega 3 to 6 ratio dilemma

Posted: Wed May 25, 2016 10:51 am
by AlexanderVeganTheist
I believe up to a 4:1 ratio for omega 6:3 is good. So nuts and seeds are still going to be good usually, if I'm not mistaken the majority of omega 6 intake comes from using oils. I use broken linseed in smoothies for more omega 3, and have recently abstained from using oils in cooking.

Re: Omega 3 to 6 ratio dilemma

Posted: Wed May 25, 2016 10:59 am
by brimstoneSalad
Your other option (to eating more 3 and less 6) is taking supplemental DHA derived from algae, which short circuits the whole conversion issue that is the problem with too much Omega 6. Supplemental EPA may be an option too, but I think based on weaker evidence.

There are nuts and seeds with better ratios, though: Walnuts, Hemp, Chia, and as you mentioned flax. I mostly eat those nuts and seeds, with more moderate intake of others.

Canola oil is also a good source of Omega 3.

Re: Omega 3 to 6 ratio dilemma

Posted: Mon May 30, 2016 6:00 pm
by Mr. 95/5
Avoid oils, and consider oysters and mussels which have a great ratio.

Re: Omega 3 to 6 ratio dilemma

Posted: Mon May 30, 2016 9:48 pm
by brimstoneSalad
Mr. 95/5 wrote:Avoid oils, and consider oysters and mussels which have a great ratio.
Just for reference, I addressed this in this thread here: http://philosophicalvegan.com/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=801&start=20#p22078

They may have a good 3:6 ratio, but they have a high saturated fat ratio 1:1 for omega 3 to saturated, and a low overall amount of fat which makes them a rather poor source of Omega 3. You'd have to eat a huge amount of them daily to rely on them as a source of EFAs, and there are other reasons not to eat them (heme iron, high methionine, cholesterol).
Better to get Omega 3 from nuts, seeds, or the healthier oils like canola, which are richer sources of good fats so you don't have to eat a huge amount of them, and the former come with fiber and other phytonutrients.

Re: Omega 3 to 6 ratio dilemma

Posted: Tue May 31, 2016 5:46 pm
by miniboes
I found this comparison of omega 3 content in plant oils interesting:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega-3_fatty_acid#Plant_sources

Sadly, canola is probably the only one of these that you can actually use for cooking purposes. A salad with walnuts and flax seed oil might be quite a good way of upping your omega 3 intake.

Re: Omega 3 to 6 ratio dilemma

Posted: Tue May 31, 2016 6:23 pm
by brimstoneSalad
miniboes wrote:Sadly, canola is probably the only one of these that you can actually use for cooking purposes. A salad with walnuts and flax seed oil might be quite a good way of upping your omega 3 intake.
It's probably not even a good idea to cook with canola, at least at high temperatures. If you need to fry, try to do it with monounsaturated fats if you can, like olive oil or high oleic oil varieties of sunflower or safflower (not all of them are). Canola oil is better for baking where there's less oxygen exposure and lower temperatures, or making sauces and such.

I don't know how credible this is, but it looks like a pretty good diagram:

Image
http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchi ... 0215-1.png

The diagram could be improved by breaking down the polyunsaturated fatty acids into the EFAs by percentage (it tells you nothing about 3:6 ratio).
Of course, for an oil like high oleic sunflower oil, the ratio doesn't matter since it contains so little polyunsaturated fat.

Re: Omega 3 to 6 ratio dilemma

Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2016 3:29 am
by miniboes
What is actually the risk of cooking with canola, then? I've been stir frying my stuff in canola oil for quite some time now, and never had any noticable issues. According to the package the smoke point is 210 degrees celcius (410 degrees fahrenheit). Isn't that high enough for any normal use?

Re: Omega 3 to 6 ratio dilemma

Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2016 1:19 pm
by brimstoneSalad
miniboes wrote:What is actually the risk of cooking with canola, then? I've been stir frying my stuff in canola oil for quite some time now, and never had any noticable issues. According to the package the smoke point is 210 degrees celcius (410 degrees fahrenheit). Isn't that high enough for any normal use?
Smoke point is different from degradation of the fatty acids, which is invisible. PUFAs degrade easily, oxidizing with the heat and become unhealthy rather than healthy (although it's not clear how serious this risk is, or its exact effects).

Re: Omega 3 to 6 ratio dilemma

Posted: Thu Jun 09, 2016 3:18 pm
by Jebus
brimstoneSalad wrote:There are nuts and seeds with better ratios, though: Walnuts, Hemp, Chia, and as you mentioned flax. I mostly eat those nuts and seeds, with more moderate intake of other.
Agree except that walnuts are slightly on the wrong side of the 4:1 ratio, and the fact that they are so high in both 3 and 6 need to be considered.