Modern diets heavily favor omega-6 fatty acids, potentially leading to issues like cardiovascular disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Achieving a healthier balance is essential, but how should we approach this balancing act—by eating more omega-3s or reducing omega-6s? Dr. Chris Knobbe, clinical associate professor emeritus at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, believes the overconsumption of omega-6 fatty acids, primarily from highly processed industrial seed oils, is a significant driver of modern diseases.
He emphasizes the historical absence of vegetable oils in diets until the modern era, noting that their introduction has paralleled the rise in chronic diseases. “The average American is consuming at least one-fourth, and some a third, of their diet as vegetable oils. Remember, they were absolutely zero in 1865.
We had no seed oils, no vegetable oils, and a trivial amount of olive oil,” Dr. Knobbe told The Epoch Times. Modern agriculture also relies heavily on livestock raised in confined feeding operations, fed diets comprising corn and soy—both rich sources of omega-6 fatty acids, according to the 2002 article in Biomedical Pharmacotherapy.
1. Increase Omega-3 Consumption These findings underscore the importance of achieving a better balance of these essential fats in the diet as opposed to supplementing with omega-3s alone. 2.
Decrease Omega-6 Consumption Furthermore, lowering omega-6 intake enhances the body’s ability to convert plant-based .