hi, i’m currently using a site called CRON-O-Meter (similar to myfitnesspal) to track my food and make sure that my diet gets me to 100% of the recommended daily intake for every micro (and, of course) macronutrient.
However, i find very confusing all the fuss online about the ratio between omega 6 and omega 3, since there is a lot of conflicting information about it. To hit 100% of the rda i’d have to eat 17 g of omega 6 and 1.6 g of omega 3, according to the site. By this standard, i would actually be slightly deficient in omega 6, since with my regular diet i hit around 90% of the omega 6 target and 225% of the omega 3 target. HOWEVER, this seems to contradict everything about the “golden ratio” of 1:1, that one should obtain by limiting omega 6 intake and increasing omega 3 intake… so i’m pretty lost. What should i do? Increase the omega 6 intake to hit the rda target? Continue eating like i am now? Or increase omega 3 intake to obtain a 1:1 ratio? (At the moment i am around a 4.5:1 ratio).
Thanks in advance for all the knowledge you share.
There is zero use to worrying about this at all. Taking supplemental omega 3’s does nothing outside of a small portion of the population.
So you wouldn’t recommend a fish oil supplement?
And in terms of oils used for seasoning you would just go with the one you prefer (olive oil, for me)?
Whats up with the rda data, since you suggest that it should not be taken in consideration? Shouldn’t i worry about the “deficiency” in omega 6s either? thanks.
I would not routinely recommend a fish oil supplement, no.
I’m not sure what RDA data you’re referring to.
The site that i use for tracking micronutrients sets for me (24, male, 75 kg) a target of 1.6 g of omega 3s (which i meet) and a target of 17 g of omega 6s (which i do NOT meet). I failed to find an official document to understand where these numbers are coming from, and that’s why i am asking this question here. For vitamins and minerals i can compare the numbers on the site with the official italian guidelines (i’m from italy), but for fatty acids it seems like there is a lot of conflicting information.
So, in conclusion, you said that additional omega 3s are likely to have no beneficial impact on health; what about those 17 g of omega 6 one should eat everyday? Is that a sensible number? I eat more like 10… should i try to reach that target or not? thanks a lot.
I would not make any recommendation about number of omega 3’s or 6’s to take in daily. I think the website you’re using is poor and should be avoided.