Medically reviewed by Regina Gill, MS, RD, LD, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, University of Maryland Capital Region Health Medical Group – National Harbor
Omega fatty acids play a crucial role in our health and well-being beyond what many realize. While omega-3 fatty acids have gained popularity for their numerous benefits, a whole spectrum of omega fatty acids deserve attention. From omega-3 to omega-6 to omega-9, each type of omega fatty acid offers unique properties that contribute to various aspects of our health.
Fishy, Nutty Omega-3s
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential nutrients that our bodies can’t make — so we have to get them from foods or dietary supplements. Omega-3 fatty acids, also called essential fatty acids, are vital for overall health, supporting everything from heart health and brain function to hormone production and inflammation reduction. They also help create the structure of the cell membrane.
Though some of the connections between consuming omega-3s and good health are unclear, chowing down on omega-3s may impact these areas:
- Heart. Fatty fish may help improve your heart health and reduce your risk of coronary heart disease, especially when it replaces less healthy foods. Omega-3s may help you avoid heart disease by lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol levels and preventing inflammation and blood clotting.
- Cancer. Eating omega-3s may help cut your risk of breast cancer, colorectal cancer and other cancers.
- Dementia. Getting plenty of omega-3s in your diet may protect against diseases that cause cognitive decline, such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. However, while a few small studies indicate that it may help patients with mild cognitive impairment, larger studies have shown that omega-3 supplementation does not benefit patients with Alzheimer’s disease or affect the cognitive function of healthy older adults.
- Infants. If you’re pregnant or nursing, omega-3s may help your baby’s development and overall health.
- Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. Preliminary study findings indicate that omega-3 supplementation taken with medication may help improve the symptoms of RA.
How Much Omega-3 Fatty Acid Do You Need?
Because omega-3 fatty acids offer so many potential health benefits, getting plenty in your diet is vital. Fortunately, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements states that most Americans get enough omega-3s in their diets. The NIH recommends that males ages 14 and older get 1.6 grams of omega-3s daily, while women get 1.1 grams. Pregnant women should consume 1.4 grams of omega-3s, and lactating mothers should get 1.3 grams.
A few foods known to be rich in omega-3 fatty acids include:
- Flaxseed, chia seeds and English walnuts
- Fatty fish, such as Atlantic salmon, herring and mackerel, and sardines canned in tomato sauce
- Plant-based vegetable oils, including soybean, canola and flaxseed oil
If you struggle to maintain your omega-3 intake, there are options. Fish oil supplementation and other dietary supplements can increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids.
As with any supplement, talk with your provider before taking an omega-3 supplement. Doing so is especially important if you take medication to prevent blood clots, like warfarin (Coumadin). At high doses, fish oil can act like a blood thinner, although milder than aspirin. While unlikely, when combined with such a medication, excessive omega-3 intake could make it harder for your blood to clot.
The Second Essential: Omega-6
Like omega-3s, omega-6 fatty acids are essential — you must eat them to get them in your body. That’s not too difficult, as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are in many foods that contain polyunsaturated fats (the good fats).
Good sources of omega-6 include sunflower and pumpkin seeds and corn and soybean oil. Omega-6s play a role in helping your cells do what they’re supposed to do. A moderate amount of omega-6 in the diet may help lower cholesterol and, therefore, the risk of cardiovascular disease. Eating extra omega-6s for health purposes, however, may not pay off. Those extra unsaturated fatty acids may even be dangerous, damaging heart and blood vessel cells.
The Risk of Excess or Unbalanced Omega-6
One issue seems to stem from arachidonic acid, a type of omega-6. If you get too much omega-6, arachidonic acid may build up in the cell membranes, which produces inflammation. This extra acid may then cause your body to experience inflammation.
While questions about omega-6 remain, research published in Missouri Medicine may provide some insight into its risk. These researchers indicate that Americans’ ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s is out of balance.
The American diet has undergone significant changes over the past 100 years. Today, we eat five times as much omega-6 as before without increasing our omega-3 consumption.
The result, according to the previously mentioned study, is an increase in allergies, autoimmune issues and inflammation. Omega-3 supplements may provide a way to reverse this trend.
More studies are needed, but consuming omega-3s while pregnant could improve the ratio of omega-3s and 6s for babies while in utero. If this proves true, correcting this ratio could reduce a baby’s likelihood of being born with allergies.
Omega-9, Not Exactly Essential
While omega-3s and omega-6s are essential fatty acids, omega-9 fatty acids are partially essential. Your body produces them, but not enough to keep your body at maximum performance.
A mono-unsaturated fatty acid, omega-9 is in plant- and animal-based foods. Good sources include:
- Almond butter
- Avocado oil
- Canola oil
- Hazelnut
- Soybean oil
The Potential Perks of Omega-9 Fatty Acids
Of the various types of omega-9, oleic acid is one of the most common. That’s good news, as it slows the creation and spread of breast cancer cells and may even provide protection from cardiovascular disease.
Can an increase in omega-9 provide long-term protection from breast cancer? That answer isn’t clear. Omega-9s do, however, seem helpful in reducing inflammation. This benefit seems most helpful with the following:
- Eye inflammation
- Liver inflammation (hepatitis)
- Lung inflammation (pneumonitis)
- Sepsis
- Skin inflammation (including wound healing)
- Ulcerative colitis
These benefits may also extend to diabetes and other conditions, but further research is necessary.