Abstract
Many enzymes metabolizing essential fatty acids (EFA) do not discriminate much between the n-3 and n-6 structures. Thus, relative abundances of competing n-3 and n-6 acids influence relative rates of reaction during hydrolysis, activation, elongation, desaturation and acyl transfer that control the balance of n-3 and n-6 highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) accumulated in tissues. An empirical competitive, hyperbolic equation describes how dietary EFA maintain tissue HUFA balance. The %n-6 in HUFA is a useful biomarker for average dietary intakes of n-3 and n-6 EFA. An Omega 3-6 Balance Score combines data on eleven competing EFA in a food and expresses them as a single number. Average daily food scores range from –7 to +2, relating to HUFA balances from 81% to 30% n-6 in HUFA. The HUFA released by phospholipase provide substrates that form important hormone-like bioactive lipids. Formation and action is more intense with n-6 than n-3 mediators, allowing n-6 eicosanoids to shift healthy physiology toward pathophysiology for people who have a high proportion of n-6 arachidonate in tissue HUFA. The HUFA balance, expressed as the %n-6 in HUFA, is a useful biomarker for health risk assessment. The biomarker makes evident that, in the absence of dietary n-3 nutrients, dietary n-6 linoleate has a very narrow therapeutic window, and it can be widened by dietary n-3 nutrients. A useful concept for preventive nutrition is to NIX the 6 while you EAT the 3.
Highlights
– Relative abundances of n-3 and n-6 nutrients control the balance of accumulated n-3 and n-6 highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA). – High proportions of n-6 arachidonate in tissue HUFA tend to shift healthy physiology toward pathophysiology. – A useful concept for preventive nutrition is to NIX the 6 while you EAT the 3
Competition is a dominant theme in the multi-enzyme metabolism that converts 18-carbon polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) into 20- and 22-carbon highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA)
When it became evident that the tissue HUFA balance influences the intensity of formation and action of potent hormone-like eicosanoids, it seemed useful to examine quantitative details by which the supply of dietary essential fatty acids (EFA) affects the accumulated HUFA balance
Summary
Competition is a dominant theme in the multi-enzyme metabolism that converts 18-carbon polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) into 20- and 22-carbon highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA). A consequence of similar reactivity for competing n-3 and n-6 structures is that the relative abundance of an n-3 or n-6 substrate dominates the relative balance of n-3 and n-6 HUFA accumulated in tissues. Because n-3 and n-6 essential fatty acids (EFA) only appear in humans from dietary supplies, people’s voluntary food choices have a major influence on the balance of n-3 and n-6 HUFA that accumulate in tissues. When it became evident that the tissue HUFA balance influences the intensity of formation and action of potent hormone-like eicosanoids, it seemed useful to examine quantitative details by which the supply of dietary EFA affects the accumulated HUFA balance
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