The Ratio of Omega 6 To Omega 3 Fatty Acids Is CriticalEssential Fatty Acids Some fats cannot be made by the human body. This includes the essential poly-unsaturated fatty acids, and certain saturated fatty acids, such as lauric acid, which is supplied only in mother’s milk. These fatty acids have to be supplied in the diet, and include the omega 3 and omega 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are called the essential fatty acids. As a result of his studies world wide, Dr. Weston Price recommended the fat soluble vitamins, including an activator X to make use of minerals in the diet. Fred and Alice Ottoboni, authors of The Modern Nutritional Diseases, suggest that activator X is the same as the omega 3 family of the essential polyunsaturated fats. Dr. Price suggested that acivator X is similar to vitamin A. Eighteen Carbon Unsaturated Fatty Acids Oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid, is found in olive oil. Linoleic acid, an 18 carbon polyunsaturated fatty acid, is found in large amounts in many vegetable oils such as, peanut, corn, cottonseed, and canola oils. Linoleic acid, has 2 unsaturated bonds and is parent of the omega 6 family of fatty acids. Alpha-linolenic acid is an 18 carbon fatty acid with 3 unsaturated bonds. It is found in a few plant species, in relatively small amounts, except for canola oil and flax seed oil. It is the parent of the omega 3 series of fatty acids. It is a very important component of fats for humans. Omega 3 and Omega 6 Fatty Acids The omega 3 oils are the ones that smoke when subjected to high temperatures when foods are fried in fats containing the omega 3 oils, making them unwanted by the food processing industry. The omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids are found in small amounts in animal fats in the right ratio as needed in the human body. For optimum health the human body needs a ratio of 4 parts omega 6 to 1 part omega 3, or perhaps better, 1 part omega 6 to 1 part omega 3. You will probably not hear about this healthy ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 in any information the food processing industry puts out, including misleading TV ads. There are two ways the food processing industry has dealt with the problems of omega 3 oils. Hydrogenation and Trans Fatty Acids One is to hydrogenate, or add hydrogen, (H), to carbon-carbon double bonds. A description of the hydrogenation process of vegetable oils is given in Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon with Mary Enig. This process turns unsaturated fatty acids into some saturated fatty acids, some conjugated fatty acids, and turns cis unsaturated fatty acids acids into the trans configuration. The trans configuration is the most dangerous fat available. The hydrogen process destroys the omega 3 oils, which are needed for optimum health in the human body. Some of the trans fats produced by the hydrogenation process are used in margarines and other products of vegetable oils. These trans fat products are harmful to health because they interfere with normal biological processes. Genetic Manipulation of Omega 3 Fatty Acids The other method is to breed out of existence the omega 3 fatty acids. This has been fairly successful especially in soybean and canola oil seeds. Is this bad? Definitely. The result is that the American diet consists of a ratio of 20 parts omega 6 to one part of omega 3. This high ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids has been proven to be responsible for many of the nutritional diseases of obesity, adult onset diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer. These facts, uncovered through research, and published in the scientific literature, are ignored by the food processing industry. Trans Fat Labeling Resisted by Industry Rule changes requiring the labeling of trans fats appeared in the November 17, 1999 Federal Register. They had yet to be required as of the printing of The Modern Nutritional Diseases because the vegetable oil industry opposes such labeling. Does that tell you something? It does tell me something. If American citizens understood these disease connections, perhaps the food processing industry would shrink dramatically. They are deliberately putting their profits before our health.
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