Omega 6, 3 and 9.....

Ashira

Does anyone have any good information on getting the right amounts/balance of EFA’s? Do any of you think about it? I’m a little concerned about the high amount of Omega 6 and wondering how we turn this around. It’s my understanding that we are supposed to have a balance of 1:1 6 to 3 or at the most 4:1 6 to 3… Any input appreciated!

Alicia

I’m not terribly well informed on the ratios that you’re “supposed” to have. However, Omega fats are very important to helping our bodies function at the optimum level. You get Omega 3 from flaxseeds, hemp nuts, pumkin seeds, walnuts, sesame seeds, brasil nuts, avacados. Sources of Omega 6 include flaxseeds, hempnuts,pumpkin seeds, pinenuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, olives, and olive oil. Omega 9 is found in olive oil, avacados, almonds, pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts, and macadamia nuts. Hope this helps!

SocaL

If you eat a lot of greens such as lettuces and spinach you will not have to worry about these EFAs. In fact the body absorbs the EFA much more efficiently when we get EFA from vegetables than from nuts and seeds. A 4 gram serving of romaine lettuce has 1.1 mg of omega 6 and 2.8 mg of omega 3, these are in perfect ratio for a healthy diet. You will need to eat a lot though, but this is an extremely healthy way to go. I eat about 15 ounces of romaine lettuce a day and I feel great. A tablespoon of hemp seeds sprinkled on your salad are also a good addition for a balanced EFA.