We have an omega-6 problem.
I can’t even enjoy the complementary tortilla chips at a Mexican restaurant anymore — my favorite thing about the whole experience — without wondering what I’m doing to myself for the sake of mouth pleasure.
Via Missouri Medicine (emphasis added):
“Marine omega-3s have been consumed by our ancestors for millions of years. Estimates indicate that during the Paleolithic era, the intake of the marine omega-3s eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was approximately 660–14,250 mg/day, compared to just 100–200 mg/day today. Furthermore, the omega-6/3 ratio has increased from around 4:1 during Paleolithic times to 20:1 today.
Over the last 100 years, the intake of the omega-6 fat linoleic acid in the United States has more than doubled. This is primarily due to the increased consumption of omega-6 rich seed oils, such as soybean, corn, and safflower oil, the latter two having an omega-6/3 ratio of approximately 60:1 and 77:1, respectively. Additionally, since the 1950s, there has been an approximate 2.5-fold increase in linoleic acid stored in adipose tissue in the United States. The increase in the omega-6/3 ratio has paralleled the rise in numerous autoimmune, inflammatory, and allergic diseases. Omega-3s are utilized by the body to resolve and lower inflammation, whereas omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids are primarily used for increasing inflammation.”
Everyone who cherishes the gifts of the internet likely remembers Trigglypuff, the college student, probably a Women’s and Gender Studies major, flapping her blubber with gusto and divine indignation at some long-forgotten crime against Social Justice™ committed by long-forgotten troll Milo Yiannopoulos.
“Easy, girl!” my midwestern Irish-Catholic grandmammy, who, despite her severe demeanor, had a way with animals, would have whispered in her ear. “You’ll blow out your udders carrying on like that, and then we’d be liable to put you out to pasture, because, after all, what good is a dairy cow without her udders?”
…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…
