We are often told that we should cut right down on fats. But there are two types of fats that are absolutely essential for our diets - both rather unimaginatively called Essential Fatty Acids or EFAs.
26 Oct 2009 - BBC Radio 4 - Food Programme: Omega-3
for a discussion of Omega-3 and Omega-6 balance. Contributors include two of FAB Research's scientific advisors, Professor Jack Winkler and Dr Alex Richardson.
Related research can be found here:
Omega 3 is one of these EFA. It is found mainly in oily fish. Omega 6 is another type of EFA - found in vegetable oils, grains, seeds and nuts. They come in two forms - the long-chain types that are needed for healthy function and the short-chain types which can be joined together to form the healthy long chain versions - but not very efficiently. So ideally, we want to be eating the long-chain type of EFAs.
Both omegas 3 and 6 are essential to our diet, however we are eating them in a completely different balance to our cave-dwelling ancestors, with much more omega 6 being consumed than omega 3 in a modern diet.