Excess consumption of Omega-6s can lead to ulcerative colitis.

In a recent “Mangano Minute” posting, I talked about the importance of balancing omega-3s and omega-6s.  I talked about how omega-6 fats – often painted as a bad source of fat – are actually good for you, so long as they’re eaten in proper proportion to omega-3s and from quality food sources (you can read it in full here).

Here’s another reason why they should be eaten proportionally:  It can affect your bowel health, be it positively or negatively.
The bowel health I speak of is a condition called ulcerative colitis.  And according to British researchers from the University of East Anglia, people whose diets are high in omega-6s but low in omega-3s are at the highest risk.

Ulcerative colitis is a specific kind of inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, and it specifically targets the inner lining of the digestive tract’s large intestine and rectum.  The symptoms vary in type and intensity, but some common ones include bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping, unintended weight loss, and tenderness in the rectal area (people with ulcerative colitis often feel the urge to pass a bowel movement but can’t because of the severe inflammation).

In the researchers analysis of over 200,000 men and women, Dr. Andrew Hart and his colleagues used food frequency questionnaires to gauge what the then-healthy men and women were eating over a four-year period.  At the end of the study, Hart and company found that a very small proportion got ulcerative colitis, just 126 people.  What really spoke volumes, though, was the commonality of dietary intake among those who got the inflammatory bowel disease.  They found that those whose diets were highest in lineolic acid – a type of omega-6 fatty acid – were about 150 percent more likely to have been affected by ulcerative colitis.

On the other hand, there was also a linkage among those whose diets were high in omega-3s, specifically DHA (or docosahexaenoic acid, a fatty acid found most abundantly in flax seeds, walnuts and salmon).  For those people, they were about 80 percent less likely to have ulcerative colitis compared to those whose diets were low in omega-3s but high in omega-6s.

Speaking to Nutra-Ingredients.com, Hart said that if these results prove accurate – and more testing will confirm that – there’s every reason to suspect that the incidence rate of ulcerative colitis can be minimized through some dietary tinkering.

According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearing House, there are about eight new cases of ulcerative colitis per 100,000 people per year.  That’s the incidence rate.  But for the prevalence rate, it’s much higher – about 246 cases per 100,000 people every year (there’s a subtle difference between prevalence and incidence.  Basically, “prevalence” is the total number of cases at any given point in time, while “incidence” is the number of new cases at a given time).

This study was published in the journal Gut.
Once again, it’s important to consume quality food sources that have both omega-3s and omega-6s.  As my last article referenced, the optimal amount of omega-6s to consume should be right around 12 to 22 grams worth, depending on age and activity level.  This is important to remember because omega-6s are found in far more foods than omega-3s, so they can be easily eaten in excess.  In more general terms, omega-6 fatty acids should take up about 10 percent of your daily calorie allotment.

Sources:
mayoclinic.com
nutraingredients.com
digestive.niddk.nih.gov

Pistachios are a healthy source of Omega-6 fatty acids.

There are goods and bads when it comes to reporting on health news – and oftentimes, they’re one and the same.

For example, it’s great that health news is constantly flowing and improving on itself. What was true today may not be true tomorrow. In other words, science discovers something and makes adjustments to previous research, in the hopes that this new found knowledge improves on what was previously believed to be accurate.

At the same time, though, this constant flow of information can be extremely confusing – if not irritating – because what was true today may be contradicted several years from now through advancements in technology and learning (just how dangerous smoking is to health today compared to 50 years ago is perhaps the best example).

A great example of this dilemma is omega-6 fatty acids. Last November, I wrote about omega-6 fatty acids and how they shouldn’t be confused with omega-3s, essentially saying that omega-3s are far healthier than omega-6s.

I don’t change my tune on that point, for omega-6 fatty acids are found in lots of processed foods, and its believed that the average person gets far more omega-6 fatty acids than they should be getting – 10 times more, in fact.

Further, unlike omega-3s, high levels of omega-6 fatty acids in the body have been linked to a bevy of health concerns, like suppressing the immune system, cause prostate tumor cell growth, and increasing blood clotting above and beyond the normal rate (thus blocking blood flow to and from the heart).

But unlike trans fats and saturated fats, which have no nutritional value whatsoever, the same can’t be said for omega-6 fats. In other words, they’re not ALL bad, as my previously article may have implied.

As I said previously, omega-6s are found in lots of unhealthy food sources, which is why experts believe we’re consuming too much of them. On the other hand, they’re also found in plenty of healthy sources, like nuts, seeds and various healthy cooking oils.

One such healthy oil is safflower oil. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Since when was safflower oil considered a ‘healthy’ oil?” While I grant you it’s not as healthy as, say, extra virgin olive oil, it does have its redeeming qualities.

For instance, researchers at the Ohio State University had two groups of women – 35 in all – take one of two oils for 16 weeks: safflower oil or conjugated linoleic acid. Both oils are chock full of omega-6 fatty acids.

After 16 weeks of supplementing with approximately one and two-thirds tablespoons of either oil – and making sure that each woman did not change anything else about their diet or exercise habits (all of the women were considered obese) – all of the women saw improvements in weight levels.

Those women who supplemented with the safflower oil increased lean muscle tissue by an average of two pounds and decreased their girth around the middle by an average of four pounds. Due to the increased muscle mass, however, they did not decrease their BMI levels.

On the other hand, those women who consumed the CLA did see a decrease in BMI levels, dropping overall weight by about four pounds and their BMI levels by half a point on average.

Remember, these improvements were without any changes in their caloric intake or activity levels. So while the weight loss levels may be marginal at best, the fact that weight levels dropped at all without changes to their diet plan is pretty impressive.

But the benefits of omega-6s didn’t stop at the scale. Blood sugar levels dropped by as much as 19 points for some women (the women’s blood sugar levels were between 129 to 148; anything above 110 milliliters per deciliter is risky territory).

This confirms why omega-6 fatty acids are highly recommended to people with diabetes, not to mention those who want to improve their overall heart health (the American Heart Association is a staunch advocate of omega-6 fatty acids).

As we stand today, most people are getting far more omega-6 fatty acids than needed. So deficiency isn’t the problem (like it is with omega-3s). The problem stems from the sources of foods we eat.

So instead of eating foods that are unhealthy and rich with omega-6 – like creamy salad dressings and thick mayonnaise – opt for healthy omega-6 sources instead, like fish, pistachios, olives and the aforementioned safflower oil (used sparingly).

If you take anything away from this article, take this: Don’t paint omega-6 with a broad “bad” stroke. They are just as crucial to a healthy diet as omega-3s are, so long as they are consumed from healthy sources and in proper proportion to omega-3s. Per the American Heart Association’s recommendation, shoot for between 12 and 22 grams per day, depending on your activity level, age and gender.

Sources:
sciencedaily.com
americanheart.mediaroom.com
optimal-heart-health.com