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3. Vegetable Oils
There are plenty of healthy fats found in fish, nuts, beans, and meat. And when it comes to these healthy fats, omega-3 fatty acids are the primary type you want in your body.Omega-6 fatty acids are definitely not the same thing.
An ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids is right around 1:1. The average ratio for American diets, however, is anywhere from 15:1 to almost 17:1.
That’s a big problem.
Where are we getting all of these omega-6 fatty acids from? And why are they so bad for us in excess?
Studies show that high amounts of omega-6 fatty acids, compared to omega-3s, can be a major contributor in the development of heart disease, cancer, and other chronic conditions.
This happens because some omega-6 fatty acids promote inflammation of bodily tissues (which leads to many of those chronic conditions listed above), while omega-3 fatty acids have no impact on inflammation.
Omega-3s and omega-6s are in competition with each other, so a diet high in omega-3s reduces the impact of omega-6s, in the process reducing inflammation and the risk of chronic diseases.
Why discuss omega-3s and omega-6s to such great length here?
Most vegetable oils are extremely high in omega-6s, and low in omega-3s.
There are, however, a few healthy vegetable oils that aren’t so high in omega-6 fatty acids. Olive oil and coconut oil break the trend, offering a healthy ratio of fats – so stick to those two instead of the typical vegetable or canola oil.
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