We all want to be healthy and to make sure we are getting the right nutrients. It's also fair to want the best value for the money we put into our supplements.
Omega-3-6-9 supplements are often found alongside omega-3 at health food stores and pharmacies, but the difference between them isn't obvious.
As the name suggests, a 3-6-9 supplement is a combination of omega 3, 6 and 9, mixed together and sold as an "ideal ratio" or "complete spectrum" of omega fats.
As a consumer this can sound appealing. Why buy one when you can get all three for a similar price? But all is not what it seems. Here are four reasons these mixed supplements are best avoided.
What are omegas 3, 6 and 9?
Omegas 3, 6 and 9 are three families of fatty acids in our diet: omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA), omega-6 (linoleic acid, or LA) and omega-9 (oleic acid, or OA). The balance between them matters, so let's clear up the facts before we dispel any myths.
Omega-3 fatty acids
These are polyunsaturated fats, a kind of fat your body cannot make by itself. The term "polyunsaturated" refers to the chemical structure, where "poly" means many and "unsaturated" refers to the double bonds.
These fats are a crucial part of our cell membranes, and are found in high concentrations in tissues such as the brain, eyes and heart.
Omega-6 fatty acids
Omega-6 fats (linoleic acid) are also polyunsaturated fatty acids, but the last double bond is six carbons from the omega end of the molecule.
Linoleic acid is an essential fat that the body uses in a number of ways.
Omega-9 fatty acids
Omega-9 fatty acids (oleic acid) are monounsaturated, which means they have one double bond, located nine carbons from the omega end of the molecule.
They aren't technically essential, because the body can make omega-9s itself, and they are common in foods like olive oil, sunflower oil, avocado and soy.
4 reasons to avoid omega 3-6-9 supplements
1. You're probably already getting enough omega-6
Omega-6 is an essential fat in the diet, but it's so common that very few people are deficient in it. The modern diet contains plenty of omega-6, and even people on vegetarian and vegan diets can easily get more than enough.
It's abundant in vegetable oils, nuts, cereals, bread, dairy, eggs and meat. Rather than being short of it, most of us are eating far too much, which brings us to the second reason to avoid 3-6-9 supplements.
2. Too much omega-6 can be bad for you
If omega-6 is essential, then surely more is better, right? Not quite.
The human body is built to handle a ratio of around 1:1 omega-3 to omega-6. In reality the average person is closer to 1:20, meaning we eat up to 20 times the omega-6 the body evolved to process.
In large amounts, linoleic acid (omega-6) can have an inflammatory effect, and inflammatory processes have been linked to a range of common conditions, including:
- cardiovascular disease
- stroke
- type-2 diabetes
- obesity
- irritable bowel syndrome
- rheumatoid arthritis
- certain forms of cancer
Omega-3 and omega-6 are very similar in chemical structure and compete for the same enzymes.
This means that if we're eating 20 times more omega-6 than omega-3, the balance tips heavily towards omega-6. Our money is better spent rebalancing the ratio and getting closer to 1:1.
The way to do that is to increase omega-3 while eating less omega-6.
3. You don't need omega-9 in a supplement
Omegas 3 and 6 are considered "essential" because the body cannot make them, so they must come from the diet.
Omega-9 is not essential, because the body can make it from other nutrients, and it's easy to get from foods such as olive oil, sunflower oil, avocado and soy.
So if omega-9 is made by the body and common in food, what's the point of taking it? In a supplement, omega-9 is usually nothing more than a marketing gimmick.
4. There's rarely enough useful omega-3
In a 3-6-9, the omega-3 is the part that's hardest to get elsewhere, particularly for people who don't eat much oily fish.
Unfortunately, 3-6-9 supplements are often crammed with the cheaper omega-6 and omega-9 oils and only a little omega-3. And that omega-3 is usually in the form of ALA from seeds, which is the least useful type.
ALA isn't very useful on its own, because the body cannot use it directly. It has to be converted into DHA and EPA, which are the forms the body uses directly.
So next time you're in a health food store, check the label of a 3-6-9 supplement. You'll usually find mostly omega-6, omega-9 and omega-3 ALA, with little to no DHA, the form we actually need (guidance suggests a minimum of around 250 mg of DHA and EPA a day).
The better option is a high-quality algae-based omega-3 supplement like ours.
How can vegans & vegetarians get omega-3?
If you already eat a varied and balanced plant-based or vegan diet, you are most likely getting enough omega-6 and omega-9 already.
You'll get these fatty acids from foods such as hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, soya spread and almost any vegetable oil.
Omega-6 is also common in many processed foods, so you don't need to worry about being short of it.
As with meat-eaters, though, plant-based eaters are more likely to be missing omega-3, which is far harder to get than omega-6 or omega-9.
The three most important omega-3 fats are ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). This is where it gets a little more complicated for vegans and vegetarians.
Why do vegans and vegetarians often have lower DHA?
A plant-based diet is usually high in ALA, because seeds, nuts and oils are high in it.
Those foods contain almost no EPA or DHA, though. Only oily fish and other seafood contain significant amounts. The body can convert some ALA into EPA and DHA, but research shows this is very limited, and plant-based eaters generally have lower levels of EPA and DHA than people who eat a lot of oily fish.
That doesn't mean oily fish is the only way to get omega-3 DHA. Omega-3 is originally made by algae in the ocean, which fish and small crustaceans feed on. It's by eating this algae that fish become a source of omega-3 in the first place.
That's good news if you don't eat much oily fish, because it means you can get omega-3 straight from the algae source.
The easiest way to add clean, plant-based DHA to your diet is an algae-based omega-3 supplement.
The bottom line: take omega-3, not 3-6-9
For most people, a dedicated omega-3 is the better choice than a 3-6-9 blend. You already get plenty of omega-6 and omega-9 from food; the gap worth closing is omega-3, and specifically DHA and EPA.
The simplest approach is more marine omega-3 (as DHA) and less omega-6, by eating fewer processed foods and vegetable oils. That brings your omega fats back into balance.
If you don't eat much oily fish, getting enough omega-3 can be a challenge. That's where our algae-based omega-3 supplement is a simple, convenient option.
how they compare
| omega 3-6-9 blend | dedicated omega-3 | |
|---|---|---|
| what it's mostly made of | omega-6 and omega-9 oils | DHA & EPA |
| useful omega-3 | usually very little | the main ingredient |
| omega-6 / omega-9 | added, though most diets already have plenty | left out by design |
| source | often seed oils, sometimes fish oil | algae, the original source |
| our take | usually pointless | what we'd choose |
