Omega-6

Hello,
I would like to ask, is the best oil in the kitchen for preparing meals refined olive oil and sunflower oil, and therefore also ghee butter? Could you recommend which of these oils is the most suitable for practice and why?
Thank you.

The "best" oil is one that meets three conditions:
1. It does not burn at the temperatures at which you intend to use it,
2. It contains a reasonably balanced ratio of fatty acids,
3. It is affordable.
Refined olive and canola oils are closest to these conditions. Although sunflower oil has a higher smoke point, it contains a high proportion of omega-6 fatty acids, which is a disadvantage given their excess in the Western diet. Ghee indeed has a high smoke point and is therefore suitable for warm cooking, but it does not have such a favorable ratio of fatty acids (saturated fats dominate).
However, it is always sensible to approach the choice of oils pragmatically; it is not absolutely necessary to target just one option. One of the main principles of rational eating is the factor of variety, so it is beneficial to combine sources.

Good day, Mr. Jelínek,

I was intrigued by the information, and I would like to ask about the ratios of omega 3 and 6 in hunters and gatherers. As you mention in the lesson, their ratio used to be as close as 1:1. Lately, I have been hearing that the quality of meat influences the proportion of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. So, if we choose high-quality meat (difficult to define - let's say in the ideal case from our own, known farms...), then theoretically, it should contain a higher proportion of omega 3 fatty acids. This would explain why hunters and gatherers had such balanced fatty acid ratios. Does this factor play a role in it? Or did gatherers perhaps obtain omega 3 fatty acids from other sources?

Thank you for your response.

The representation of individual groups of fatty acids in animal fat primarily depends on the composition of their diet. Fat from animals in a free natural environment contains more omega-3 and generally less omega-6 fatty acids than that of livestock fed predominantly on grains. Furthermore, it is necessary to distinguish between the fat of warm-blooded and cold-blooded animals, where on average, fish are a richer source of omega-3.

The example of hunters and gatherers cannot be universally applied to the conditions of contemporary civilization. Our ancestors lived in a completely different manner regarding stress factors, levels of physical activity, the quantity and quality of food, including its regularity. They had different diversity in their gut microbiota... Comparing their diet to our current diet, focusing on the O3:O6 ratio, is essentially irrelevant because:

1. Hunters and gatherers did not consume grains (or only a minimal amount in the form of grass seeds), which today are the largest source of O6 in the diet.
2. The key source of O3 was not meat, as is commonly presented, but primarily insects (which are the richest source of omega-3 fats overall), as well as seeds of certain plants and nuts. Meat and fish were only supplementary parts of the diet based on the ability to capture these sources.

Even though insects are a common part of the diet on some continents and are experiencing a boom as a potential food of the future, it is not possible to compare this to the conditions of hunters and gatherers, as their metabolism was shaped by entirely different factors.

Hello.
In this lesson, you mention in one place that eicosanoids originate from omega-3 acids and alleviate inflammation, and in another place that an excess of omega-6 promotes the formation of substances with inflammatory effects - eicosanoids. How should I understand this?
Thank you for your response.

Eicosanoids are substances that originate from polyunsaturated fatty acids, specifically eicosapolyenoic acids (acids having 20 carbons, from Greek eikosi = 20). These are further divided into two groups:
1. Prostanoids, which include prostaglandins, prostacyclins, and thromboxanes,
2. Leukotrienes.
Each of these groups performs specific functions in the body. For the production of physiologically significant eicosanoids, omega-3 and omega-6 fats are particularly important. Since these groups of fatty acids are part of the diet, the formation of specific types of eicosanoids depends on the quality of the diet, specifically on the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats. In simplified terms, it is presented that based on the O3 to O6 ratio, the body produces eicosanoids with pro-inflammatory effects (with an excess of O6) or conversely with anti-inflammatory effects (with an excess of O3).

Hello,

Are there any symptoms of an excess of omega-6 over omega-3? I mean any signs or indicators in everyday life that could suggest these fats are imbalanced.

Thank you.

If the ratio of O6 to O3 is too high, there is an increased production of pro-inflammatory factors in the organism at a general level. This is a condition that you might not feel subjectively at all, but in the long term, the metabolic balance shifts to a state that allows for the development of inflammation (this is most commonly associated with the onset of atherosclerotic problems, metabolic syndrome, or type 2 diabetes - health complications that develop gradually).

In practice, the problem is that these groups of fatty acids are significantly unbalanced due to conventional dietary habits, even in individuals who are otherwise completely healthy, do not suffer from overweight, and are essentially untroubled. More serious complications may not occur until after many years of maintaining such an imbalance.

Good day, Mr. Jelínek,

You mention the influence of the excess of omega-6 fatty acids on the organism as a prevailing issue in modern times concerning the topic of O3 and O6. But what about the imbalance towards the excess of O3? What problems could arise? For instance, with frequent consumption of larger amounts of hemp seeds or flaxseed oil ("because it's healthy, after all") without understanding the ratio, which is crucial for the body's balance.

Thank you for your response.

The situation of predominance of omega-3 fats is a rare phenomenon; it practically does not occur naturally and must be artificially induced by using supplements. By consuming plant sources, we intake alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which the body is forced to convert into EPA and DHA, from which the standardly presented effect of O3 is derived. However, this conversion rate is very low, meaning that an increased intake of ALA does not affect the resulting O3:O6 ratio in the body towards an O6 predominance. A too high intake of O3 (DHA, EPA) primarily has a negative impact on blood coagulation—it worsens blood clotting, thus increasing the risk of excessive bleeding.

Hello, Mr. Jelínek,

Recently, I attended a lecture where the instructor warned about nuts in general, stating that the maximum should be about two handfuls per week since they contain more omega-6 than omega-3. Therefore, frequent consumption might promote inflammation in the body. Personally, I consume about a handful of nuts daily, usually pre-soaked. Am I making a mistake by doing this? Is the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio truly disadvantageous in all nuts? In your lessons, you specifically mention this for hazelnuts, where this information is confirmed, but is it the same for other nuts?

I have a question about cashew nuts as well. How can I tell if they are fresh and not oxidized? Are any possible molds visible to the naked eye? Could you suggest where to purchase quality nuts?

Thank you for your response.

You are not making any mistake by any means. The fact is that, on average, nuts contain a high proportion of omega-6 fats, which is disadvantageous in relation to omega-3, but this information is taken out of context. The key is to control the o3 to o6 ratio within the overall daily dietary plan, where it is up to each of us to decide the path in terms of preferences for individual food groups.
The state of advanced oxidation in cashews can primarily be recognized by their color, which shifts towards yellow as the degree of oxidation increases. Molds are usually identifiable by the naked eye—they can be white, gray, or even black.
It is best to buy nuts in bulk rather than packed, where you don't have as much opportunity to visually assess their quality.