The new math is 2 to 1

By Dr. Wade Thompson

Do you know how to do the new math?  It’s the healthy new equation using Omega fatty acids, by which to live a healthy anti-inflammatory life. There are two numbers you need to be aware of and each one is important to your overall health. It’s 2-1.

What is 2-1?  This is the balance of omega 6s to omega 3s we should be putting into our bodies daily.  However many Americans are using an equation of 20-1, meaning we are putting 20 times more omega 6’s fatty acids as omega-3 fatty acids into our bodies

Omega- 6s and 3s are important for things like brain health, bone health, and skin and hair growth.

While omega-3s reduce inflammation, consuming too many of the wrong kinds of omega-6s actually increases inflammation.  Many chronic conditions in America are due to inflammation throughout the body.

Where do these omega fatty acids come from?  The 6s come from consuming massive amounts of processed food made with safflower, sunflower, soybean and cottonseed oils.  Many of these come from commercial baked goods.  Example, bread, pastries, noodles, pizza and pasta.  When we load up on these foods, we wreck the omega-3/omega-6 balance that’s essential for good health.

Putting too many omega-6s in your diet could be a contributor to heart disease, artery blocking blood clots and damaged brain cells and inflammation.

You can incorporate omega-3s into your diet daily by eating lean proteins such as chicken and fish, fresh whole fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, as well as utilizing a good omega 3 and 6 supplement.  Always remember, not all vitamins are created equal.  You should always get your vitamins and supplements from a reliable, trustworthy source.

As always, too much of a good thing tips the scale of balance. Omega-6s are vital to our health but the equation of 2-1 is important to remember.  Changing our thoughts, changes our habits, and that will change our health.