Ultimate Guide to Omega 3-6-9 Benefits & Food Sources

Whether you’ve seen bottles filled with fish oil pills or heard something about omega-3’s being good for the heart, you’ve probably encountered the buzzword “fatty acid” and wondered about its impact on your health.

Here’s a complete guide to the most important fatty acids in your diet – omega-3, 6, & 9 – including a breakdown of:

• What they are and what you need to know about them
• Unique omega-3-6-9 benefits on our long & short-term health
• Food groups that contain high amounts of omega 3, 6, & 9

What to know about fatty acids: omega 3-6-9

The story of how we evolved to get just the right balance of fatty acids is actually quite fascinating.

There are two types of fatty acids that our body cannot make on its own: omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids. Both of these are essential for growth, as well as eye, heart, and brain health and function (1, 2).

The key to this story is that there needs to be a balance between omega-3 and omega-6 in order to maintain optimal health.

Over time, humans have evolved through periods of food scarcity. As a result, we’ve developed mechanisms for maintaining a nutritional balance when the food supply was low, or even when specific types of food were largely unavailable.

We used to consume much more omega-3-rich foods and our bodies adapted to absorb just the right amount of each fatty acid in order to maintain the perfect balance between the two.

Now, the Western diet is typically much higher in omega-6 than omega-3, putting us at risk for having too much omega-6 and too little omega-3.

Evidence suggests that we evolved on an omega-6/omega-3 ratio of 1:1, compared with the typical Western diet ratio of as much as 16:1.

This imbalance in the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 can cause heart disease, inflammation, clot formation, and blood vessel constriction (3).

Another type of fatty acid that is important for health, particularly in the brain, is omega-9. What makes omega-9 different from omega-3 and omega-6 is that our body can synthesize omega-9 on its own. However, not obtaining additional omega-9 from food sources can reduce the amount of these fatty acids in the body (4).

Omega 3-6-9 benefits on our health

Omega-3, 6, & 9 all play pivotal roles in the day-to-day functioning of our organs and in preserving our long-term health. Here’s a breakdown of each of their key benefits:

• Omega-3. These are found in the cells of our eyes, brain, and reproductive system. They are essential components of the daily functions of our heart, blood vessels, lungs, immune system, and hormone balance (5). They are anti-inflammatory, which gives them health-protective benefits. Consuming enough omega-3’s in the diet can lower risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, arthritis, and diabetes (6).
• Omega-6: These play a major part in kidney,lung, and blood vessel function. They’re pro-inflammatory, but don’t be fooled by the term – that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Omega-6’s role in regulating inflammation is a crucial component of a healthy immune system (7, 8). However, too much can be harmful to health. Having an imbalance of omega-6 fatty acids in comparison to omega-3 levels can cause or exacerbate inflammation and increase risk of inflammatory diseases (9).
• Omega-9. Oleic acid, the primary form of omega-9 fatty acids, is important for brain development. It’s linked to a few health benefits, including boosting memory and slowing the progression of specific chronic diseases that affect the brain (10, 11).

Foods rich in omega 3-6-9

Omega-3 fatty acids come from (12):

• Fatty fish such as herring, mackerel, salmon, sardines, and tuna,
• Nuts and seeds such as flax, chia, and walnuts
• Plant-based oils such as soybean and canola oil
• Fortified foods, such as yogurt, juice,and milk

Omega-6 fatty acids come from (13):

• Safflower oil
• Sunflower oil
• Soybean oil
• Corn oil
• Cotton seed oil
• Nuts such as walnut and brazil nut

Omega-9 fatty acids come from (14):

• Olive oil
• Beef, chicken, and pork
• Cheese
• Nuts
• Sunflower seeds
• Eggs
• Pasta
• Milk
• Olives
• Avocados

Key takeaways

Omega-3 and omega-6 are the only fatty acids that our body cannot make on its own, making them important components to include in our daily dietary choices. 

On the other hand, we can synthesize omega-9 without obtaining it from food, but not getting enough additional omega-9 from our diet may have health consequences as well.

In the modern Western diet, we tend to consume a high amount of omega-6’s, but not enough omega-3 fatty acids. It’s crucial to maintain a 1:1 ratio of each for optimal health – particularly for heart health.

This guide to fatty acids and omega 3-6-9 benefits, along with their top food sources, is a great start to understanding how to incorporate healthy fats into your diet for both long and short-term health.

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Sydney W

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