The Difference Between Omega 3 and Omega 6

You are surely familiar with omega 3 fatty acids that are contained in fish oils. But do you know that there is also such a thing as Omega 6? Let us explore the difference between omega 3 and omega 6 and what these two can do to the body.

Both omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids belong to a particular group of fats - they are both "essential" polyunsaturated fats. With the term "essential," this means two things:

- They are important for normal body functioning
- The body is not capable of producing them naturally, nor can they be converted from other naturally produced nutrients so they have to be obtained from the diet

The main difference

The difference between omega 3 and omega 6 lies mainly in their chemical makeup, the roles their play in our health, and where they can be sourced from. Let us not dig deeper on their chemical makeup as it will take more chemistry than you might want to know.

Omega 3 vs. Omega 6

The main sources of omega-3 are the fat from cold-water fish such as salmon. There are two important omega-3 fatty acids, namely eicopentaenoic acid (EPA) and docohexaenoic acid (DHA). Both EPA and DHA are necessary because they are building blocks for hormones that help control inflammation, reduce blood clotting, promote cardiovascular health, and strengthen immune function.

On the other hand, sources of omega-6 have now increased with modern diets. They are found in nuts, seeds and vegetable oils that are commonly used in cookies, snack foods, crackers, and sweets as well as in fast foods.

The fatty acids found in omega-6 are also building blocks of hormones in the body. The main difference is that hormones derived from omega 6 have the opposite effect - while omega 3 helps control inflammation, omega 6 fatty acids tend to increase it.

Hormones from omega 6 fatty acids have the potential to also increase cell proliferation and blood clotting.

Good vs. Bad Fatty Acids

Put simply, omega 3 is considered to be the good type of fat, while omega 6 is the contrary - omega 6 is considered by some to be a "bad" fat. To maintain optimum health, there must be a good balance between these two families of hormones.

Many nutrition experts today believe that since we now heavily rely on processed foods, humans consume roughly equal amounts of them.

However, in areas like North America and Europe, many people get far too much omega 6's and too little of omega 3. Dietary imbalance of fatty acids may potentially give rise to conditions such as asthma, cancer, coronary heart diseases, neuro-degenerative and auto-immunity diseases - all of which are believed to stem from inflammation. It can also potentially lead to obesity, dyslexia, depression and ADHD.

Now that you know the difference between omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, and how imbalance can lead to detrimental health problems, make sure to take in as much omega 3 fatty acids in your diet. These omega 3 fatty acids are found richly in fish and in fish oil supplements.

These statements are not medical advice and have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate or prevent any disease.