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Americans may be unhealthiest because they eat too much omega-6
After I learnt a fair mount of nutritional knowledge, and dietary cultures of Western Nations, I suspected that Americans could be unhealthiest because their diet included too much omega-6 and low in omega-3. This was confirmed by (The Commonwealth Fund, 2023), which states that the U.S. has the highest rate of people with multiple chronic conditions and an obesity rate nearly twice the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development average. They see doctors less often, have lowest practising doctors and hospital beds.
But what are Omega-6 and omega-3? They are essential oils, fatty acids, which means our body can not make them, we have to obtain them from our diet. There is not any issue with the amount of omega-3 consumption but there is serious health issues with the consumption of omega-6 alone or higher than omega-3. The healthy ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 is 4:1 or less, 1: 1 is best..
Health benefits of omega-3
Health benefits of omega-3 may include:
Health benefits of omega-3 (Hjalmarsdotti, 2023) may benefit depression and anxiety, improve eye health, promote brain health during pregnancy and early life , reduce risk factors for heart disease, reduce symptoms of ADHD in children, reduce symptoms of metabolic syndrome, reduce inflammation, benefit autoimmune diseases, improve mental disorders, help prevent age-related mental decline and Alzheimer’s disease, help prevent cancer, reduce asthma in children, reduce fat in your liver, improve bone and joint health, help alleviate menstrual pain, improve sleep and support skin health.
Omega-6 Health Benefits
Omega-6 also has health benefits but must be with omega-3 otherwise may cause serious side effects like blood pressure (WebMD, 2024). Quote: "Along with omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids play a crucial role in brain function, and normal growth and development. As a type of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), omega-6s help stimulate skin and hair growth, maintain bone health, regulate metabolism, and maintain the reproductive system" Mount Sinai. (2024).
Omega-3 Rich Foods
Foods rich in Omega-3 (National Institute of Health, 2022) and balanced omega-6 include:
Fish and other seafood (especially cold-water fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines), Nuts and seeds (such as flaxseed, chia seeds, and walnuts). Plant oils (such as flaxseed oil, chia seed oi and walnut oil). Omega-3 rich foods are also rich enough in omega-6.
Why American Diets may be unhealthy
This could be because American diets includes a lot of high omega-6 and low omega-3 foods. Some examples include sweet corn and peanuts and their products, which have a high ratio of omega-6 to omega-3. Peanuts have a ratio of 50:1 of omega-6 to omega-3 (cibdol, 2023). The same ratio in corn ranges from 25:1 to 60:1 (.Gottlieb, n.d.).
How to protect and cure from diseases
References:
Cibdol. (2023). Is Peanut Butter High in Omega-6 Fatty Acids? [online]. Available at: (Accessed: 04/08/2024).
Freydis Hjalmarsdotti. (2023). 17 Science-Based Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids. [online]. Available at: (Accessed: 04/08/2024).
Gottlieb. (n.d). Corn Versus Corn Oil. [online]. Available at: (Accessed: 04/08/2024).
Hyslop. (2021). Why peanut high consumption in USA. [online]. Available at: (Accessed: 09/08/2024).
Mount Sinai. (2024). Omega-6 fatty acids. [online]. Available at (Accessed: 04/08/2024).
National Institute of Health. (2022). Omega-3 Fatty Acids. [online]. Available at: (Accessed: 04/08/2024).
Shahbandeh. (2024). Global corn consumption 2023/2024, by county. [online]. Available at: (Accessed: 09/08/2024).
The Commonwealth Fund. (2023). U.S. Health Care from a Global Perspective, 2022: Accelerating Spending, Worsening Outcomes. [online]. Available at: (Accessed: 04/08/2024).
WebMD. (2024). Omega-6 Fatty Acids - Uses, Side Effects, and More. [online]. Available at: (Accessed: 04/08/2024).
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