Omega-3 index replaces the Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio – March 2018

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The Omega-6:Omega-3 ratio: A critical appraisal and possible successor

Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, 20 March 2018, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plefa.2018.03.003
William S.Harris

Highlights

• Polyunsaturated fatty acid blood levels have predictive power for disease outcomes.
• Both the Omega-3 Index and the n6:n3 ratio have been used to express PUFA status.
• The n6:n3 ratio has become scientifically out-dated.
• The Omega-3 Index, because if included EPA and DHA only, is a preferred metric.

The well-known health effects of the long-chain, marine omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids (FAs) has led to a growing interest in the prognostic value that blood levels of these FAs might have vis-à-vis cardiovascular and neurocognitive diseases. The measurement and expression of n-3 FA levels is not straight-forward, however, and a wide variety of means of expression of n-3 FA status have been used in research and clinical medicine. This has led to considerable confusion as to what “optimal” n-3 FA status is. The n-6:n-3 ratio has enjoyed relatively widespread use, but this apparently simple metric has both theoretical and practical difficulties that have contributed to misunderstandings in this field. Just as the once-popular polyunsaturated:saturated FA ratio has largely disappeared from the nutritional and medical literature, it may be time to replace the n-6:n-3 ratio with a newer metric that focuses on the primary deficiency in Western diets – the lack of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (EPA and DHA). The Omega-3 Index (red blood cell EPA+DHA) has much to recommend it in this regard.

 Download the PDF from Sci-Hub via VitaminDWiki

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VitaminDWiki notes

Note: Omega-3 Index cannot get very high (>7) if there is too much Omega-6
Note: Current target for Omega-3 = 8. Japan considers target= 10

• Omega-3 index - many studies
• Omega-3 – Chart of index vs ratio by GrassrootsHealth – Sept 2019
  
• Omega-3 index - good level needed 2.4 grams of regular Omega-3 - Grassroots Nov 2018
• Higher Omega-3 index (4 to 8 percent) associated with 30 percent less risk of coronary disease (10 studies) July 2017
• Depression after childbirth 5 X less likely if good Omega-3 index – April 2019
• Omega-3 index of 6 to 7 associated with best cognition in this study – Nov 2019
• Omega-3 index of 5 greatly decreases the risk of an early preterm birth – Dec 2018
• Predicting the effects of supplemental EPA and DHA on the omega-3 index Aug 2019 doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqz161.
  • 2 grams/day, 14 trials, average 14 weeks Index 4.9% ==> 8.1%
• No NCAA player had a healthy Omega-3 index – Jan 2019
  • NCAA trainers do not appear to have gotten on board the Omega-3 train yet
  • NCAA trainers are getting on board the Vitamin D train (40-50 ng)– Nov 2019

Vitamin D and Omega-3 category starts with

409 Omega-3 items in category Omega-3 helps with: Autism (7 studies), Depression (28 studies), Cardiovascular (34 studies), Cognition (52 studies), Pregnancy (44 studies), Infant (34 studies), Obesity (14 studies), Mortality (7 studies), Breast Cancer (5 studies), Smoking, Sleep, Stroke, Longevity, Trauma (12 studies), Inflammation (18 studies), Multiple Sclerosis (9 studies), VIRUS (12 studies), etc
CIlck here for details

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14+ VitaminDWiki pages with OMEGA-6 in the title

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