The balancing act: Getting omega-3 and omega-6 just right

This Time of Year

You’re at a holiday party and the hors d’oeuvre tray comes around. Come on, it’s the holidays! Have one. Or two. Wow – that one was really good – have another.

Sure, you know exactly how it goes. This time of year, many healthy diets bite the dust – due to be resuscitated around the first week of January.

Also common this time of year: depression.

Coincidentally, one of the factors that can trigger depression is food. More specifically – food that’s on the not-so-healthy end of the spectrum. So when the hors d’oeuvre tray comes around, you may want to pass on the bacon-wrapped hot dog and keep an eye out for the salmon.

Here’s why…

As I’ve mentioned before, an increased intake of omega-3 fatty acids has been shown to alleviate symptoms of depression. With that in mind, researchers at the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam, Netherlands, created a study to examine how the ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids might be associated with depression.

As most HSI members are probably aware by now, the optimum omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is 1:1. But because omega-6 is abundant in processed foods (while the primary dietary source of omega-3 is fish) the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of a typical diet is by some estimates more like 20:1; a ratio that’s been linked to a wide range of chronic health problems.

The Rotterdam team recruited more than 260 subjects with symptoms of depression, and about 460 randomly selected control subjects. A blood sample was taken from each subject.

In their analysis of the samples, researchers found what they called a “direct effect of fatty acid composition on mood.” Subjects with depressive disorders had a significantly higher ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids compared to subjects who were not depressed.

Go fish

Walnuts and flaxseed contain alpha-linolenic acid, which is converted to omega-3 in the body. But only fish contains both omega-3s – eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docohexaenoic acid (DHA). Salmon, tuna, swordfish, lake trout, herring, mackerel, and sardines are all good sources of EPA and DHA.

The drawback with fish is the potential for mercury contamination when dark-meat fish (such as tuna and swordfish) is eaten several times each week.

Fortunately, fish oil supplements provide an easy way to ensure a good intake of omega-3 fatty acids. Mercury content: zero. An investigation by ConsumerLab.com (an independent testing lab) found no mercury or PCB contamination in more than 40 fish oil products.

So go right ahead and enjoy that salmon hors d’oeuvre. In fact, take another.

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson

Source:
“Plasma Fatty Acid Composition and Depression are Associated in the Elderly: The Rotterdam Study” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 78, No. 1, 40-46, July 2003, ajcn.org