Omega 3 Fatty Acids And Leukotrienes

Omega 3's belong to the group of essential fatty acids, which means, the body cannot produce them on its own and they have to be provided from external sources. Omega 3 fatty acids are known for their numerous health benefits, but unfortunately, diets of western civilization show a severe lack in omega 3's, whereas there is an overload in omega 6 fatty acids.

Omega 6 fatty acids consumed in excessive amounts can lead to allergic and inflammatory disorders, caused by their metabolic products: Inflammatory prostaglandins, thromboxanes, and leukotrienes, which can make your body more prone to heart attacks, strokes, and cancer.

Ideally, the ratio between omega 3's and omega 6's should be ~ 1:3, however, in "western diets", ratios are sometimes as high as 1:50. To make sure you get sufficient amounts of omega 3 fatty acids, you should eat fish 2-3 times a week, add walnuts, flaxseed oil, green leafy vegetables and other foods rich in omega 3 to your diet.

The right balance between omega 3 fatty acids and omega 6's has also proved to be an important factor in order to reduce post-traumatic immune dysregulation after major surgery.

Immune dysregulation is driven by the activation of proinflammatory mediators, like leukotrienes. Leukotrienes of the four-series derive from omega 6 fatty acids and show an elevated biological activity, whereas leukotrienes of the five-series are metabolic products of omega 3 fatty acids and show less biological activity.

After thorough research, a lipid emulsion with an omega-6 : omega-3 fatty acid ratio of 3:1 was developed in order to increase the synthesis of the less active leukotrienes of the five-series. That way, hyper inflammatory situations in patients after major surgery can be avoided.

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