The omega-3 to omega-6 ratio — the most important number nobody tracks
It's not the absolute amount of omega-3 that matters most. It's the ratio.
nutrition
(linoleic acid) and (EPA, DHA, ALA) compete for the same elongase and desaturase enzymes. When dominates, it outcompetes for incorporation into cell membranes — shifting every cell in the body toward a pro-inflammatory baseline. This isn't acute inflammation. It's a chronic low-grade state that underlies cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, depression, and autoimmune conditions.
Ancestral diets maintained roughly a 1:1 to 1:4 to ratio. Modern Western diets run between 15:1 and 25:1 — almost entirely due to seed oil proliferation in processed food. The mechanism is well understood. The epidemiology is consistent. It is almost entirely absent from public health messaging.
ALA from plant sources (flax, chia, walnuts) converts to EPA and DHA at roughly 5–10% efficiency — less in people with certain FADS gene variants. EPA and DHA from fatty fish or algae are directly usable without conversion.
Target ratio: below 4:1 to
Alarm threshold: above 10:1 — chronic inflammatory baseline becomes physiologically significant
Primary sources: salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, anchovies, algae
Primary drivers: seed oils, processed food, grain-fed animal products