Omega-3 fatty acids: counteracting deficiencies
Nowadays, convenience foods, snacks and even home cooking have a high macronutrient content, meaning a high concentration of carbohydrates, proteins and saturated fatty acids. Often, these foods do not contain sufficient micronutrients – vitamins, minerals and trace elements – or our bodies are no longer able to absorb the nutrients they receive as well as they used to. The root cause may be a one-sided or unhealthy diet, or constant stress from excessive burdens in daily life. It comes as little surprise that around 70% of the world population is not receiving sufficient omega-3 fatty acids. Stone Age people, for example, consumed roughly ten times more omega-3 fatty acids than today’s Joe Bloggs. In this day and age, a deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids is practically preprogramed. Athletes, pregnant and breastfeeding women, older people and people who are already at a disadvantage due to illnesses have a higher need for omega-3 fatty acids. These groups in particular need to focus on getting a sufficient supply of these fatty acids.
To meet your daily omega-3 fatty acid needs, it is advisable to eat fish twice a week and to go for high-quality sources of omega-3 fatty acids when choosing oils, such as linseed oil (also known as Flaxseed oil), chia seeds, camelina oil, hemp oil and walnut oil. Linseed oil should be part of your daily menu. After all, it boasts an ideal ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids. Ideally, the ratio should be 5:1 in favour of omega-3 fatty acids. The ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids in linseed oil is roughly 3:1. This means it has the highest relative portion of omega-3 fatty acids of all the oils. A solid recommendation is about two tablespoons of linseed oil per day; this can be added to your morning muesli, to salads, or as a garnish for vegetables. Walnuts (once you don’t have a nut allergy) and linseeds also make a fantastic addition to muesli. For optimum effect, the linseeds should be freshly crushed, since this improves the absorption of the omega-3 fatty acids in the body.
Extracts taken from Kathrin Pötsch from https://www.vivamayr.com