There are two major kinds of essential fatty acids that you should eat on a daily basis. Some of these acids are easy to get into your system through your regular diet, but others are not as easy. For example, omega 6 acids are present in most of the foods that people eat today, whereas omega 3 fatty acids are considerably rarer. The differences between omega 3 and 6 oil have to do with where the oils are found as well as the chemical makeup of the different omega fats.

The first difference between omega 3 and omega 6 oil is that you can actually eat different oils in order to get these two different EFAs. Omega 3 fatty acids are almost only found in oils like fish oil or flax oil. Although there are a few other foods that you can get these fatty acids from, those two oils are the best sources. Omega 6 fatty acids can be found in most of the oils that you use to cook food on a regular basis.

The clearest way to point out the difference in consumption of omega 3 and 6 oil is to look at the ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 in the normal diets of average Americans. Generally, the omega 6 to omega 3 ratio is 10 to 1 or even 20 to 1! This is an extremely unhealthy ratio. Human beings should be eating omega 6 and 3 (respectively) in a ratio of 1 to 1 or 4 to 1.

Why? Both fatty acids require the same enzymes in your body to be broken down for use. Therefore, if you are eating too much omega 6, there will not be enough of these enzymes left over to make proper use of the omega 3 that you've been eating.

Therefore, although taking omega 3 supplements is a great way to improve your health, this will not be as effective as you'd like it to be unless you also cut back severely on the amount of omega 6 that you are eating.

Once you get the correct ratio of omega 3 and omega 6 oil in your diet, you will start experiencing all the amazing health benefits of omega 3.