Most people know they should eat more omega 3. Fewer people know why the ratio between omega 3 and omega 6 matters just as much as the total amount they consume.
Get this balance right, and you support your body’s ability to manage inflammation, protect your heart, and maintain healthy brain function. Get it wrong — which most people in the modern world do — and you quietly fuel a state of chronic inflammation that underlies a long list of serious health conditions.
Here’s what you need to understand.
The Two Fats Your Body Cannot Make Itself
Omega 3 and omega 6 are both essential fatty acids. That word “essential” carries a specific meaning in nutrition: your body cannot produce them on its own, so you must get them entirely from food or supplementation.
Both types of fat serve critical roles. Omega 6 fatty acids support cell membrane structure, skin health, and certain aspects of immune function. Omega 3 fatty acids — particularly EPA and DHA — drive anti-inflammatory processes, support brain and nervous system function, protect cardiovascular health, and regulate mood.
The problem isn’t that omega 6 is bad. The problem is proportion.
How the Modern Diet Destroyed the Balance
For most of human history, people consumed omega 3 and omega 6 in a ratio of roughly 1:1 to 1:4. The human body evolved in that nutritional environment, and it functions best within it.
Today, the average Western diet delivers a ratio closer to 1:15 — sometimes as high as 1:20 in favour of omega 6. That dramatic shift happened because of one major change: the widespread adoption of vegetable and seed oils.
Sunflower oil, corn oil, soybean oil, and rapeseed oil all contain very high concentrations of omega 6 fatty acids. These oils now appear in almost everything — cooking oils, salad dressings, ready meals, baked goods, snacks, and fast food. Meanwhile, the foods richest in omega 3 — oily fish, grass-fed meat, walnuts, flaxseed — make up a much smaller part of most people’s diets than they once did.
The result is a population that consumes far too much omega 6 relative to omega 3, often without realising it.
Why That Imbalance Causes Inflammation
Omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids compete for the same enzymes in the body. When omega 6 dominates, it pushes the body toward producing pro-inflammatory compounds called eicosanoids. These compounds play a protective role in the short term — triggering inflammation to fight infection or heal injury. But when the body continuously favours this pathway due to dietary imbalance, that short-term defence mechanism turns into a chronic state.
Chronic low-grade inflammation underpins a wide range of serious conditions, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, arthritis, depression, and cognitive decline.
Increasing your omega 3 intake rebalances this equation. EPA and DHA shift the body toward producing anti-inflammatory compounds instead, effectively acting as a natural brake on the inflammatory response.
What Omega 3 Actually Does for Your Health
The evidence base for omega 3 fatty acids is one of the strongest in all of nutritional science. Research consistently links higher omega 3 intake with:
- Reduced cardiovascular risk — lower triglycerides, improved blood pressure, reduced arterial inflammation
- Better brain health — DHA makes up a significant portion of brain cell membranes and supports memory, focus, and mental clarity
- Improved mood and mental health — multiple clinical trials show meaningful reductions in depression symptoms with regular omega 3 supplementation
- Reduced joint pain — particularly in people with rheumatoid arthritis, where fish oil supplementation can reduce morning stiffness and swelling
- Healthier pregnancy outcomes — DHA supports foetal brain and eye development in the third trimester
The evidence doesn’t just suggest benefit. It consistently demonstrates it across populations, conditions, and age groups.
How to Rebalance Your Ratio
You don’t need to eliminate omega 6 from your diet. You need to increase omega 3 while reducing your reliance on seed and vegetable oils.
Practical steps that make a real difference:
- Eat oily fish — salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies — at least twice a week
- Switch to olive oil for cooking and dressings where possible
- Add walnuts, flaxseed, and chia seeds to your regular diet
- Reduce ultra-processed foods, which almost always contain high-omega 6 vegetable oils
- Take a high-quality omega 3 supplement to fill the gap your diet leaves
On supplementation: look for a product that specifies the amounts of EPA and DHA rather than just “fish oil.” A combined daily dose of at least 1,000mg of EPA and DHA is where the research consistently shows benefit.
The Bottom Line
The omega 3 vs omega 6 story isn’t about avoiding one type of fat. It’s about restoring a balance your body was designed to work within.
Most people need significantly more omega 3 than they currently get. Correcting that imbalance through diet and a high-quality supplement is one of the most impactful steps you can take for your long-term health.
Body by Nature Supplements‘ Omega 3 delivers a clean, concentrated source of EPA and DHA — so you can start rebalancing with confidence.