Supplement for people who take things without knowing what they are

Kadongy

Am I missing something here?

omega 3 6 9 supplement

Our Omega 3-6-9 contain a blend of fish and plant oils, which provide a perfect blend of Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9 fatty acids.

Amount per 2 softgel serving:
EPA (Omega-3): 180mg
DHA (Omega-3): 120mg
GLA (Omega-6): 180mg
Omega-9: 18mg
Vitamin E: 16mg

The proportion of omega 3 still would make this a beneficial supplement, to my understanding, but why include omega 6 at all - and especially why put it forward as if it is a good thing to have in a supplement?

Just so it seems better value for money because you get a larger volume?

wikipedia wrote:

Some medical research suggests that excessive levels of certain n−6 fatty acids, relative to certain n−3 (Omega-3) fatty acids, may increase the probability of a number of diseases.[3][4][5]
Modern Western diets typically have ratios of n−6 to n−3 in excess of 10 to 1, some as high as 30 to 1. The optimal ratio is thought to be 4 to 1 or lower.[6][7]
Excess n−6 fats interfere with the health benefits of n−3 fats, in part because they compete for the same rate-limiting enzymes. A high proportion of n−6 to n−3 fat in the diet shifts the physiological state in the tissues toward the pathogenesis of many diseases: prothrombotic, proinflammatory and proconstrictive.[8]
Chronic excessive production of n−6 eicosanoids is associated with heart attacks, thrombotic stroke, arrhythmia, arthritis, osteoporosis, inflammation, mood disorders, obesity, and cancer.[9] Many of the medications used to treat and manage these conditions work by blocking the effects of the potent n−6 fat, arachidonic acid.[10] Many steps in formation and action of n-6 hormones from n-6 arachidonic acid proceed more vigorously than the corresponding competitive steps in formation and action of n-3 hormones from n-3 eicosapentaenoic acid.[11] The COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitor medications, used to treat inflammation and pain, work by preventing the COX enzymes from turning arachidonic acid into inflammatory compounds.[12] (See Cyclooxygenase for more information.) The LOX inhibitor medications often used to treat asthma, work by preventing the LOX enzyme from converting arachidonic acid into the leukotrienes.[13][14] Many of the anti-mania medications used to treat bipolar disorder work by targeting the arachidonic acid cascade in the brain.[15]
A high consumption of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which are found in most types of vegetable oil, may increase the likelihood that postmenopausal women will develop breast cancer.[16] Similar effect was observed on prostate cancer.[17] Other "analysis suggested an inverse association between total polyunsaturated fatty acids and breast cancer risk, but individual polyunsaturated fatty acids behaved differently [from each other]. [...] a 20:2 derivative of linoleic acid [...] was inversely associated with the risk of breast cancer".[18]

Hanley

I've always wondered that too tbh.

Like our omega 3:6 ratios seems completely out of whack versus what is deemed to be "optimal" for health, so why add in additional omega 6? It's hardly like most peoples diet is lacking in that regard.

Brian?

Hanley wrote: »

I've always wondered that too tbh.

Like our omega 3:6 ratios seems completely out of whack versus what is deemed to be "optimal" for health, so why add in additional omega 6? It's hardly like most peoples diet is lacking in that regard.

Agreed. I think your average Joe soap is bamboozled by the whole thing though, so they think anything with a number and omega has to be good.

Edwardius

Pretty sure you don't need to supplement the 6, but the 6 in this case is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamma-Linolenic_acid, might be useful for the womenfolk

w-9 isn't an essential fatty acid (you can synthesize it)

This seems to be more complicated than "w-3 good w-6 bad"

"Unlike AA and EPA, DGLA cannot yield leukotrienes. However it can inhibit the formation of pro-inflammatory leukotrienes from AA." So that particular w-6 is not inflammatory.

Edwardius

Had a look around and found this.

Gotta remember that the 3 and 6 just denote the position of a double bond in a large enough family of compounds so their individual actions can be fairly different (e.g. ALA in flax oil vs EPA and DHA in fish oil and grassfed unicorn)