Most of the world’s population suffers from problems with their health, sometimes it is not officially diagnosed but it feels like:
General malaise, fatigue, dysfunctional digestion, skin problems, allergies, recurring illnesses and also chronic and autoimmune diseases.
Most health problems are based on inflammation, sometimes subtle but persistent, or chronic.
One that can be lived with but is unpleasant to live with.
We know that there is no shortage of reasons for the development of inflammation or health problems, from unmanaged stress to our diet.
But our diet is what we put into our bodies 3 times a day on average and every bite we take affects the levels of inflammation in the body, gut bacteria, genetics, hormones, metabolism and so much more.
So what happens if the foods we put into our bodies create inflammation, how did this happen and how do we balance it?
Omega 3 and omega 6 are essential fatty acids that are not produced by the body but are very necessary for it – that is, we must obtain them from an external source.
And what affects their absorption and their effect on us is mainly the balance between them.
Until about 100 years ago, the omega 6/3 ratio was around 1 to 4 or less.
That is, for every 4 bites of omega 3, one bite of omega 6.
However, the Western diet currently provides an omega 6/3 ratio of about 20:1 in favor of omega 6.
That’s a lot and it’s very problematic.
This creates an inflammatory response and chronic low-grade inflammation.
Just to clarify,
Foods that contain omega 3 – certain fish, eggs, sometimes meat (if the cow ate grass) organic soybeans and chia seeds.
Foods that contain omega-6 – most nuts and almonds, tofu, eggs, tahini and seeds.
That is, there are foods that contain both, there are foods that contain only omega-3 and those that contain only omega-6.
The issue is balance.
In the last century, the significant addition to the Western diet has again been the seed oils (omega-6) that have been added to our diet, and along the way, a decrease in the consumption of foods rich in omega-3, has created a significant negative balance in favor of omega-6.
Excessive consumption of linoleic acid, mainly from industrial omega-6 seed oils and the absence of long-chain omega-3 in the diet creates a pro-inflammatory, pro-allergic state.
It seems that reducing the omega-6/3 ratio, especially by reducing the consumption of seed oils, and increasing the consumption of omega-3, may be an effective strategy for reducing inflammation, allergies, and autoimmune reactions.
Omega-3 from fish has been consumed by our ancestors for millions of years. Estimates suggest that during the Paleolithic era, omega-3 consumption was very significant.
Omega-3 is utilized by the body to resolve and reduce inflammation, while omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids are mainly used to increase inflammation. Given that the majority of the population suffers from omega-3 deficiency, there is an increased need to raise awareness of the importance of increasing omega-3 intake.
Not everything necessarily has to fall on seed oils, sometimes it is huge amounts of nuts, seeds, germinated grains, tofu and tahini that will easily take us there when we do not consume foods from the sea, for example, which are rich in omega-3.
The story always comes back to processed foods.
Humans could not produce seed oils in the past because there were no materials and machines that could create oil from food that did not contain natural fat.
It is not for nothing that natural oils are rich in antioxidants.
If you would like to delve further into nutrition and healing through food
The “Stomach Rules” course will give you the most comprehensive answer through pleasant and easy-to-consume content, in clear language and with the opportunity to discover the things that will change your health and digestive system in the most appropriate way for your body’s needs.
