I've been follwing the 1:4 - Omega 3:Omega 6 recommendation. Beyond The Ms Recovery Diet - I've read this to be the preferred EFA ratio.............However, Donna Jackson Nakazawa's writes in The Auto Immune Epidemic that while Omega 3's are recommended and necessary - Omega-6's are not because they cause inflammation. I'm wondering what others have read.
It can get very confusing with so many people giving advice about what to do and not do. Omega 3s and 6s are called the Essential Fatty Acids; Flax and Fish oil being the 3s and sunflower, walnut, etc. being the 6s. Olive Oil is an Omega 9--also helpful but not an EFA. The EFAs are the raw ingredients for certain prostagladins, which are made in the body to regulate the immune system. Animal fat is also used to make another prostagladin which turns the immune system up-more active.
The trick with the Omega 3 and 6s, can't be reduced to one is bad and the other good, if you read the labels you will see most good oils have both components. Rather, what is crucial is the ratio. In our modern life and diet, we get an excessive amount of the 6s and not enough 3s. Donna is a wonderful woman and her book greatly contributes to the cause of beating all of these autoimmune diseases. She was probably warning against the 6s because our balance is already off with the 3s and too much can be counter productive in terms of regulating the immune system. We already get more than enough of the 6s, so her emphasis was on the 3s. As we see in the diet, so much is a matter of balance.
I hope this is helpful. Ann
Hey! I also ran into that
Hey! I also ran into that problem with the omegas.. Usually I have been taking only omega 3 but for about a month I started taking a combination of omega 3,6,9....... and my muscles started getting incredibly sore!!! And they wouldn't heal, just kept being sore. I stopped immediately the Omega supplements and they are getting better although I still feel some soreness. Now I went back to only Omega 3 supplements and will stick to it. My diet is good and includes everything I need, I take omega 3 coz I exercise a lot and I believe I need it, however, I don't need any more omegas... sometimes too much of a good thing is a bad thing after all!!!!!!!!!!!
I concur with the balance
I concur with the balance being off as most of Americans get way too many Omega-6's and few Omega-3"s. This is why 13 years ago I took Flax seed oil 2-4 tablespoons a day initially to try to elevate that situation and it seemed to work for me.
I do not take that supplemental level now, but do include salmon, and flax in various ways, plus use only omega 3 spread, etc.
Mary C., Cary, NC