What is the optimal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids for a healthy diet?

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The discussion centers on the health implications of butter versus low-fat oils in diets, particularly in school cafeterias. It highlights the confusion around the fat content in butter and oils, noting that butter is high in saturated fats, while oils like olive and canola contain healthier monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Participants express concern about the high omega-6 to omega-3 ratio in typical Western diets, which can be detrimental to health if exceeding 4:1. The conversation also touches on the necessity of saturated fats in moderation, as well as the importance of understanding the nutritional profiles of different fats. Overall, the debate emphasizes the need for balanced fat consumption in a healthy diet.
nsaspook
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I see this article about a school dept. cracking down on the use of even small amounts of butter in cooking. Is there really medical evidence that "low" fat oils are healthier than the equivalent about of 'butter' in a balanced diet with normal amounts of daily exercise?

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education-department-cracks-butter-cafeteria-article-1.1339986

A shallow and quick google search for "is butter bad for you" shows mainly links showing it's actually better than most replacements.
 
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I don't know but that article doesn't make sense: the school must use low-fat oil? I think oil contains more fat than butter per unit. Also, they should serve "peanut butter, jelly and cream cheese with bread", because it's less fattening than butter? Peanut butter contains lots of fats and oils, jelly lots of sugar. Cream cheese doesn't sound that healthy either.

However, I think it's good to limit the use of butter as an ingredient, often I had the impression that US restaurants use a couple of sticks per serving. Oil would be a healthier option, since one doesn't use the same amount and it lower on saturated fats.
 
I remember some years back when I studied nutrition a bit to learn how to eat healthier, I paid a lot of attention to how much saturated fat various foods have because my dietician had told me that was one of the things, along with sodium, that I wanted to keep to a minimum.

I was quite startled when I looked up butter and it said amount of saturated fat = 100%

In other words, as far as saturated fat goes, there ISN'T anything that can possibly be worse than butter (or taste better)
 
phinds said:
I was quite startled when I looked up butter and it said amount of saturated fat = 100%
That can't be right.

According to USDA Food-A-Pedia

1 tbsp butter: 102 cal. 7 g saturated, 3 g unsaturated fat
1 tbsp olive oil: 119 cal. 2 g saturated fat, 11 g unsaturated fat
 
Monique said:
That can't be right.

According to USDA Food-A-Pedia

1 tbsp butter: 102 cal. 7 g saturated, 3 g unsaturated fat
1 tbsp olive oil: 119 cal. 2 g saturated fat, 11 g unsaturated fat

Hm ... maybe I misremember and what it said was FAT = 100%, not saturated fat.
 
While olive oil and canola oil are high in total fat, these oils are high in monounsaturated fat. Together with polyunsaturated fats, these are referred to as the "good fats". Saturated fat and trans fats are the so called "bad fats" which have been linked to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. As already shown, butter has higher proportions of the bad fats while the oils have the higher proportion of the good fats. It's not black and white. Polyunsaturated fats are a mixed bag and there is still controversy about their impact on heart disease. My Trader Joe's olive oil has 10g of monounsaturated fat, 1.5g of polyunsaturated fat, 2 g of saturated fat and 0 cholesterol and trans fat per serving.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fat/NU00262
 
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phinds said:
Hm ... maybe I misremember and what it said was FAT = 100%, not saturated fat.

Butter also contains about 16% water, so this can't be true either.
 
DrDu said:
Butter also contains about 16% water, so this can't be true either.

Ok, I've got it. The % of CALORIES is 100% fom fat!
 
  • #10
Evo said:
No, because butter contains protein (milk solids) in addition to fat.

You can see it here. It's a small amount.

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/0/2

Huh. The site I looked at really quickly did say calories from fat = 100% so I guess they were throwing out what almost amounts to being a rounding error.
 
  • #11
phinds said:
Huh. The site I looked at really quickly did say calories from fat = 100% so I guess they were throwing out what almost amounts to being a rounding error.
Still wrong. :-p If you look at a tiny amount, say a tablespoon, they do round it.
 
  • #12
Maybe it's the butter content that was 100%
 
  • #13
Saturated fats are also necessary...
 
  • #14
audioloop said:
Saturated fats are also necessary...

There are just two essential fatty acids: alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3) and linoleic acid (an omega-6). All others can be synthesized by humans. Both are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). In modern Western diets, there is a considerable excess of omega-6 over omega-3 PUFAs (20-30:1). Current research indicates a ratio over 4:1 is unhealthy. Cold water fish, walnuts and flaxseed are good sources of omega-3 PUFAs.

http://www.nuskinmall.co.kr/images/datacenter/train/FORM92_1.pdf
 
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