The omega-6:3 balance, explained in a minute

What you are looking at

The dots show the share of omega-6 (grey) and omega-3 (red) in a simplified model. The starting point stands in for a typical Norwegian diet,[source pending] and the end point is a reference point that laboratories often use when they report the ratio.[source pending] Both numbers are illustrations. They are not your values.

Why the ratio is interesting at all

Omega-6 and omega-3 are both polyunsaturated fatty acids your body cannot make. They are built into the membranes around your cells, and they partly compete for the same places and enzymes.[source pending] The ratio between them therefore says something about the overall fat balance of your diet over time, not just how much omega-3 you get.

I always read it together with the Omega-3 Index and the rest of the fatty-acid profile.

What moves the balance

• More EPA and DHA, mainly from oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring and trout.[source pending]
• Less omega-6-heavy processed food, where much of the omega-6 in a typical diet comes from.
• Time. Fatty acids in red blood cells change gradually as the cells are replaced, over about four months.[source pending]

What the illustration cannot do

It cannot tell you where you are today, and it does not promise any particular change in any particular time. People start in different places and change at different speeds. If you want to know, it has to be measured: read how a fatty-acid test works or get a rough estimate with the omega-3 calculator.

Sources

1. [source pending] Source needed: Norwegian intake data (e.g. Norkost) or test data on the typical omega-6:3 ratio in Norwegian adults
2. [source pending] Source needed: where the commonly used reference point of about 3:1 (or lower) for the omega-6:3 ratio comes from, and how it is used by laboratories
3. [source pending] Source needed: review on arachidonic acid (AA) and EPA sharing the same enzymes and membrane positions
4. [source pending] Source needed: review discussing the usefulness and limits of the omega-6:3 ratio as a marker
5. [source pending] Source needed: Norwegian dietary guidance on fatty fish and food sources of omega-3 (Helsedirektoratet)
6. [source pending] Source needed: red blood cell lifespan (~120 days) and how fast membrane fatty acids change