Too much omega 6 promotes inflammation and increases the risk of blood clotting as well as boosting production of white fat tissue.

‘Fatty acids act directly on the central nervous system, influencing food intake and the sensitivity of insulin involved in blood sugar control and leptin involved in appetite suppression.
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Major changes in food supply over the past century, as a result of technological advances and modern farming methods, have distorted the omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acid ratio in the typical Western diet, which developing countries are now also increasingly adopting, say the authors. 




The production of vegetable oils high in omega 6, such as sunflower, safflower, and corn oils, has soared, while animal feeds have switched from grass, which contains omega 3, to grain, resulting in higher levels of omega 6 in meat, eggs, and dairy products.
This matters because while the body needs both types of fatty acid, human beings evolved to eat a diet containing equal amounts of omega 6 and omega 3 in it. But that dietary ratio is now a belt-busting 16:1 rather than the healthy 1: 2/1, the authors contend.
But too much omega 6 promotes inflammation and is prothrombotic (increasing the risk of blood clotting) as well as boosting production of white fat tissue that is stored rather than 'good' energy-burning brown fat tissue.
Copious amounts of white fat and chronic inflammation are the hallmarks of obesity, the authors point out, as well as being linked to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and cancer.
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They point to several key studies that have shown a strong link between the dietary omega 6 to omega 3 ratio and long term weight gain.
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"The scientific evidence to balance the omega 6 to omega 3 ratio is robust and necessary for normal growth and development, prevention and treatment of obesity and its comorbidities, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer," they continue.
And they conclude: "It is the responsibility of governments and international organisations to establish nutrition policies based on science and not continue along the same path of focusing exclusively on calories and energy expenditure, which have failed miserably over the past 30 years."
Source-Eurekalert