Significance of Ratio of Omega-3 and Omega-6 in Human Health with Special Reference to Flaxseed Oil


	International Journal of Biological Chemistry
	Year: 2016 \| Volume: 10 \| Issue: 1-4 \| Page No.: 1-6 DOI: 10.3923/ijbc.2016.1.6

Significance of Ratio of Omega-3 and Omega-6 in Human Health with Special Reference to Flaxseed Oil

Kshitij Bhardwaj, Narsingh Verma, R.K. Trivedi, Shipra Bhardwaj and Neha Shukla

Abstract: It is known from the past that the quantity of n-6 in the diet directly affects the conversion of n-3 ALA (α-linolenic acid), found in plant foods, to long-chain n-3 icosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which protect us from disease consumption of omega-6 fats increased at the expense of n-3 fats. This change was due to both the advent of the modern vegetable oil industry and the increased use of cereal grains as food for domestic livestock which in turn altered the fatty acid profile of meat that humans consumed. Study suggests that our ancestors consumed omega-6 and omega-3 fats in a ratio of roughly 1:1. It also indicates that both ancient and modern hunter-gatherers were free of the modern inflammatory diseases, like heart disease, cancer and diabetes, that are the primary causes of death and morbidity today. At the onset of the industrial revolution (about 140 years ago), there was a marked shift in the ratio of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids in the diet. From this, it is concluded that it’s all about balance this balance affects things on a cellular level with your omega-3 and omega-6 ratio. Average intake of n-6 fatty acids is between 10 and 25 times higher than evolutionary norms. In this review, the importance of flaxseed and ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 in health balance are discussed.

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How to cite this article:

Kshitij Bhardwaj, Narsingh Verma, R.K. Trivedi, Shipra Bhardwaj and Neha Shukla, 2016. Significance of Ratio of Omega-3 and Omega-6 in Human Health with Special Reference to Flaxseed Oil. International Journal of Biological Chemistry, 10: 1-6.

DOI: 10.3923/ijbc.2016.1.6

URL: https://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=ijbc.2016.1.6

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