Omega 3 and omega 6 - are you getting the balance right?
Omega 3 and omega 6 are essential fatty acids, needed as part of a balanced diet. Our bodies can't make them - so we have to get them from food. However most of us have an imbalance between the two and need more omega 3, so where can we find it?
You find omega 6 in things like cereals, processed foods and vegetable oils. Omega 3 can be found in plants such as linseed but the best source are the long chain omega 3s (EPA and DHA) which are found in oily fish. The problem is, over the centuries humans have changed their eating habits so we now tend eat to more cereals, processed foods and vegetables oils, and less oily fish. Which means there’s an imbalance between omega 6 and omega 3 in our diet – and some scientists believe this imbalance may be behind the increase in heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.
So how can you balance things to get more omega 3? Well, oily fish has long-chain omega 3s in it anyway, but our Lochmuir™ salmon, reared at dedicated farms, is given a unique feed that increases the level of these long chain omega 3 fats in the fish. Each portion contains more than the minimum recommended levels by the UK Government Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition of 3g a week.
Lochmuir™ salmon is grown more slowly too, so the texture and flavour are fantastic – an all-round delicious way to get all the omega 3 you need.
Want to know more? You can email our nutritionists with any questions. nutrition@marks-and-spencer.com
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