Comparison of Omega-6 and Omega-3 Ratios in Cooking and Salad Oils
Inflammation is a factor in pain and chronic disease. The omega composition of corn, safflower, and cottonseed is heavily weighted toward pro-inflammatory omega-6 oils. Corn, safflower, and cottonseed oils, as well as refined flour which is also inflammatory, are used extensively in processed foods.If you are concerned about inflammation, you may want to read the labels of packaged and processed foods carefully.
| Oil | Ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 (Ideal is 3:1 to 1:1) |
|---|---|
| Flaxseed | 1/4:1 |
| Butter, Grass-fed animals | 1:1 |
| Walnut | 5:1 |
| Soybean | 7:1 |
| Butter, commercial | 9:1 |
| Olive | 11:1 |
| Sunflower | 19:1 |
| Palm | 46:1 |
| Corn | 72:1 |
| Safflower | 186:1 |
| Cottonseed | 234:1 |
Source: Pathways4Health April 2001 Newsletter, Derived from Mary Enigs Know Your Fats
Note: These simply reflect omega-6 versus omega-3s. For a more complete picture and overview, see Table 2 that follows.