Scary thing - it is claimed by scientists that the UK, Canada, UA, Argentina and Australian murder (homicide) rates have increased with an increased consumption of omega 6 oils.
What? Did you read that right? Well, let's go back to the beginning.
We evolved using long-chain omega 3s from fish, and short chain omega 3s and omega 6s from seeds.
Omegas in this context are oils - there are different types.
Our cell membranes use omega chains, especially omega 3s.
Up until recently it was thought the proportion didn't matter.
But thoughts are changing on this...
and eventually our governments may listen to the eminent scientists and take action.
Prof Michael Crawford, Director, Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition, said in March 2009 that a proportion of one or two omega 3s to every omega 6 is what our brains work well with, and that should be our target.
His comment is that nutritionists of the last century concentrated on proteins in our diet and not omega 3s, so we have a huge increase in mental health problems - he says we are in a parlous situation.
Omega oils are found in animals but, unless they are fed naturally (such as cattle eating grass and chickens eating grain and worms), the amount of omega 3s we get from is negligible.
We find the best (long-chain) omega 3 oils in oily fish and some lesser ones (short-chain) in flax and hemp.
Omega 6s are found in vegetable oils (like sunflower oil) and seeds.
We need the 6s, but we suffer if we have too many in proportion to the 3s.
So, the first thing to do is reduce omega 6 and increase omega 3s by eating more sea food.
But the fish is running out, so husbandry really needs to be looked at more closely.
Farmed fish and animals need to be fed natural diets.
Michael Crawford and other scientists like Dr Alexandra Richardson reckon a misbalance between omega 6 and omega 3 is a main cause of inflammation of tissues.
Inflamed tissues lead to things like heart disease and other modern illnesses such as arthritis, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease - and maybe obesity.
We'll look at the link with obesity in the next article.
Inflammation also leads to depression and aggression.
Studies have shown that enough omega 3 oils in the diet can calm prisoners down.
Let's listen to those studies and apply them not only to prisons but to all groups of humans.
So back to where we were at the start: Scary thing - it is claimed by scientists that the UK, Canada, UA, Argentina and Australian homicide rates have increased with an increased consumption of omega 6 oils...
...
It's scary because the governments aren't listening to one simple solution - add more omega 3s to the diet.
You can find out more about Alex Richardson and Michael Crawford at http://www.
fabresearch.
org (Dr Richardson is also author of "They Are What You Feed Them" which you can find on Amazon).
What? Did you read that right? Well, let's go back to the beginning.
We evolved using long-chain omega 3s from fish, and short chain omega 3s and omega 6s from seeds.
Omegas in this context are oils - there are different types.
Our cell membranes use omega chains, especially omega 3s.
Up until recently it was thought the proportion didn't matter.
But thoughts are changing on this...
and eventually our governments may listen to the eminent scientists and take action.
Prof Michael Crawford, Director, Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition, said in March 2009 that a proportion of one or two omega 3s to every omega 6 is what our brains work well with, and that should be our target.
His comment is that nutritionists of the last century concentrated on proteins in our diet and not omega 3s, so we have a huge increase in mental health problems - he says we are in a parlous situation.
Omega oils are found in animals but, unless they are fed naturally (such as cattle eating grass and chickens eating grain and worms), the amount of omega 3s we get from is negligible.
We find the best (long-chain) omega 3 oils in oily fish and some lesser ones (short-chain) in flax and hemp.
Omega 6s are found in vegetable oils (like sunflower oil) and seeds.
We need the 6s, but we suffer if we have too many in proportion to the 3s.
So, the first thing to do is reduce omega 6 and increase omega 3s by eating more sea food.
But the fish is running out, so husbandry really needs to be looked at more closely.
Farmed fish and animals need to be fed natural diets.
Michael Crawford and other scientists like Dr Alexandra Richardson reckon a misbalance between omega 6 and omega 3 is a main cause of inflammation of tissues.
Inflamed tissues lead to things like heart disease and other modern illnesses such as arthritis, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease - and maybe obesity.
We'll look at the link with obesity in the next article.
Inflammation also leads to depression and aggression.
Studies have shown that enough omega 3 oils in the diet can calm prisoners down.
Let's listen to those studies and apply them not only to prisons but to all groups of humans.
So back to where we were at the start: Scary thing - it is claimed by scientists that the UK, Canada, UA, Argentina and Australian homicide rates have increased with an increased consumption of omega 6 oils...
...
It's scary because the governments aren't listening to one simple solution - add more omega 3s to the diet.
You can find out more about Alex Richardson and Michael Crawford at http://www.
fabresearch.
org (Dr Richardson is also author of "They Are What You Feed Them" which you can find on Amazon).