The Bizarro Fatty Acid

We hear so often about the virtues of omega-3 fatty acids, it’s reasonable to suspect that all fatty acids beginning with “omega” are good for you. But don’t be fooled by omega. While omega-3 fatty acids are exceptionally good for the heart and brain, omega-6 fatty acids are another matter entirely.

In short, they’re a “mega” problem!

Omega-3s and omega-6s are both unsaturated fatty acids that share carbon-to-carbon bond structures, but that’s pretty much where their similarities end. Unlike omega-3s – a healthy fat found primarily in fish that protect against cardiovascular and brain deficiencies – omega-6 fatty acids contribute to poor health. While the two sound the same and are found in some of the same dietary sources, (some omega-6 and omega-3s are found in seafood sources like tilapia), they couldn’t possibly have more different functions in the body. For comic book fans, the two are like Superman and Bizarro Superman– similar looking, but divergent in their function and purpose.

For example, when there are too many omega-6 fatty acids in the body compared to omega-3s, the imbalance set off a tidal wave of health issues, increasing the risk of inflammation, depression, cancer, atherosclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease.

Speaking of Alzheimer’s disease, a recent study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience demonstrated the link between certain fatty acids and how they impacted the brain’s development.

Scientists from the University of California took brain scans of rats and compared the fatty acids one with another. One of the groups’ brains had been genetically engineered by the scientists to resemble a brain experiencing Alzheimer’s disease. The scientists noticed a chain of fatty acids that were identical to the chemical composition of those found in omega-6 fatty acids, called arachidonic acid. The levels of these acids were higher in the “tampered with” brains compared to the other rats whose brains had been left alone.

Through another round of genetic engineering, the researchers lowered the levels of arachidonic acid, and found that the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease were reduced as the proportion of arachidonic acid levels reduced.

While human studies have yet to be done, the findings suggest to the researchers that consuming a diet high in omega-6s can have an adverse impact on the brain by increasing one’s susceptibility to Alzheimer’s. But this finding isn’t necessarily a bad thing, for it suggests that one’s diet has a direct impact on the development of Alzheimer’s disease – something I and my fellow natural health advocate colleagues have been talking about for some time now.

So, what are the primary sources of omega-6 fatty acids? Truth be told, omega-6s are found in healthy food sources like lean chicken and turkey, eggs, even whole grain breads and pastas. Fortunately, they’re not found in high doses here. The major sources of omega-6s are found in unhealthy oils like vegetable oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil and soybean oil. While each of these oils have some health benefits, the negatives far outweigh the positives. Further more, these are the oils primarily used for frying foods, and as I’ve said in the past, you can fry up the healthiest food in the world, but the simple act of frying makes it one of the worst foods in the world.

To keep one’s health on the increase, stay out of the bizarro world of omega-6 and in the world where the Fatty Acid Chain of Steel reigns supreme: Omega-3.