In my quest to get more omega-3 fatty acids into the people I meet, one of the most common comments I hear is,"I'm taking my omega 3-6-9 supplement."
I have learned from this, that sometimes the more popular concept is the one that is best marketed, not necessarily the one that is the best choice.
Here's why this supplement deserves reconsideration.
Omega-6 fatty acids are essential fatty acids. However, the problem with our diet is that we already have an oversupply of those in our food. Essential as they are, they are so prevalent we do not need to supplement with them. We actually need to dial back on the amount we consume. One of the reasons you see on this blog, and you hear me say when I speak, to minimize your intake of oils beginning with the letters"S" and"C" (corn, cottonseed, soy, safflower, sunflower, sesame), is because it's an easy memory trick to use when you're grocery shopping. If you can move away from these oils and focus more on avocado oil, olives, olive oils, nuts…and the only exception to that rule, canola oil, it is very effective at reducing an oversupply of omega-6 fatty acids within your body.
Omega-9 fatty acids are not essential. Meaning, we can make them from other compounds in our body and we do not need to supplement with them. They are a major component of olive oil, which, if you're reducing omega-6 intake and focusing more on the fats I just mentioned, should provide you with sufficient omega-9 in your diet. You should not need supplementation.
The fatty acid we have a lot of trouble getting, is omega-3. It's primarily found in fish, but is also, in varying forms, found in marine algae and algal-supplemented products, flaxseed, nuts, edamame, dark green leafy vegetables, and pumpkin seeds, to name a few. The differences between the fish-based and vegetarian-based omega-3's are discussed elsewhere in this blog. The important thing to take away from THIS post, is that if there's anything you need to focus on getting in your diet, it's omega-3's, not omega-6's.
I'm hoping someday that my"S and C" mnemonic will be more memorable than the"3-6-9" version that appears to be causing confusion.