Obesity Linked To Poor Omega-6 to Omega-3 Ratio

Dietary fats are often misunderstood and as a result are often grouped together as a bad part of our regular diets.  For years we were told that limiting the amount of fat in the diet was the right way to eat for both weight management and heart health.  While this is still correct to a point (eating too much fat is still not good for us), we have learned that eating healthy consists of choosing the right fats in the correct amounts.  Fats are an essential part of a healthy diet.  They supply energy and are vital for the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.  Fats also are important for the normal operation of many of our body's functions.  Unhealthy fats consist of the saturated fats and trans fats, which have been linked to poor heart health.  In contrast, the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are considered healthier fats.  Interestingly, research over the last several years suggests that even the healthy fats need to be consumed in appropriate proportions.

A new obesity research paper explored the impact of a Western diet, which typically has an unhealthy ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, on obesity over several generations of mice.  For this study, the obesity researchers fed male and female mice a high fat diet (35% of total calories).  This high fat diet  consisted of a high ratio (28:1) of omega-6 fat (linoleic acid) to omega-3 fat (alpha-linolenic acid) and was fed over four subsequent generations.  Consumption of this unbalanced, Western diet resulted in an increase in fat mass over the four generations.  Additionally, changes in fat tissue genes and protein production, particularly those involved in inflammation, were observed throughout the generations of mice consuming this unbalanced diet.  These researchers concluded that even in a population with genetic stability and an unchanging routine, consumption of an unbalanced, high fat diet leads to greater incidence of obesity.

The results of this study appear to reflect the unbalanced diets we typically consume and the rise in obesity seen over the last 20 years or more.  According to some researchers, human beings originally consumed a diet with a 1:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats.  Unfortunately, a typical Western diet now contains a ratio of approximately 20:1 omega-6 to omega-3 fats.  This unhealthy ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats has arisen through both the excessive consumption of omega-6 fats and insufficient consumption of omega-3 fats.  Current research efforts suggest that dropping back down to a ratio of less than 4 parts omega-6 to 1 part omega-3 has many healthy benefits and that increasing omega-3 consumption is a critical part of re-balancing our dietary fat intakes.  This new obesity research study explored the omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid.  The current recommendation for alpha-linolenic acid consumption is between 1.1 - 1.6 grams per day and can be obtained from a variety of plant sources including flaxseed, soybeans, walnuts, and olive oil.  When designing your healthy eating plan, remember to not only aim for healthy fats but for the right balance of healthy fats.

Visit us at www.drtabor.com to learn about the delcious foods that you can eat on my easy diet plan!  Or tune in to watch me on QVC September 12th from 1 AM - 2 AM EST!