A short and savoury blog today…

Is your Omega 6 to Omega 3 balance out? Should you care? The answer is yes!

So, why does it matter to you?

Well, both omega 3 and omega 6 have anti-inflammatory properties and to work at their best they should be eaten in 1:1 ratio. 

But, if there is an imbalance with too much omega 6 in your diet, this could lead to inflammation!

Modern grain fed beef could be the culprit. It has upset the ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 as it is far higher in omega 6 than omega 3 compared to its grass fed counterpart. 

Take a look below.

So what does the food composition data tell you?

The ratio of grain fed beef can be as much as 178:1 omega 6 to 3.
The ratio of grass fed beef can be around 16:1 omega 6 to 3.

Should you stop eating grain fed beef?

Well, that may be a good idea given that cows naturally eat grass and forage (thistles, herbs and other weeds) NOT grain!

However there is another solution you might want to employ next time you sit down to a 300g (½lb) ribeye steak and that is the classic ‘surf and turf’ combo.

Re-balance

For example if you were to combine 100g of King crab with your 300g grain fed steak this would change the ratio of omega 6 to 3 from 178:1 to 1:1 - the ideal ratio according to science to maintain good heath!

This realignment of the balance of omega 6 to 3 is coming from the omega 3 in the King crab.

So next time you surf and turf, apart from the delicious experience, remember you are also protecting your health!

The best way to find out if your omega 6 and 3 are in balance is to keep a food diary. With the food tracker on CheckYourFood, not only can you check your getting your omega 6 & 3 balanced, you will be able to see if you are getting enough of all of the other vitamins and minerals vital to your health as well.

To start your food diary, sign up for a Free For Life account at checkyourfood.com and start reaping the benefits now.

Take me to my food diary

Sources – USDA food composition data 2014, checkyourfood.com

Image from Chop and SteakHouse Bar