Consumers could be getting too much of a good thing with all the omega 3 fortified food on the market, according to a new study.
The research, conducted by Sanjoy Ghosh of the University of British Columbia, was aimed at determining whether fish oil pills, which are high in omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), could counteract some of the negative health effects of omega 6 PUFA.
People are consuming a lot more omega 6 PUFA than they used to because they have switched from animal fats to vegetable oils, which is generally thought to be a healthier form of fat.
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Vegetable oils made from corn, safflower and sunflower are high in omega 6. Recent research has shown that diets high in omega 6 can cause inflammation and damage to the heart and other organs.
Ghosh’s research, which was published in the British Journal of Nutrition, shows that adding fish oil supplements to mice that were fed a corn oil-based diet reduced inflammation and added beneficial bacteria to the gut but also led to oxidative damage.
His hypothesis is that omega 6 levels are already so high that adding more unsaturated fat, even in the form of healthy omega 3, is contributing to the negative effects that omega 6 is having on the heart and bowels.
Will Hill, president of the Flax Council of Canada, is puzzled by Ghosh’s research.
“It seems to be counter to the conventional wisdom and that’s basically that we have too much (omega) 6 and we need more (omega) 3,” he said.
Ghosh said the study shows pills can’t fix an improper diet.
“Polyunsaturated fats should be brought down in our diet, olive oil should be increased and saturated fats should be increased,” he said in a UBC news release.
Recent studies have shown that saturated fats may not be as bad for people as once thought.
