Fats are composed of fatty acids (FAs) in their chemical structure. Fatty acids are divided into: saturated FAs (mainly found in animal fats (lard, sausages, butter) and used by the body as a source of energy. Their excess causes an increase in blood cholesterol and atherosclerosis and unsaturated FAs (omega-3, omega-6, omega-9 FAs).
Omega-3 FAs are strong natural antioxidants and, in addition, have a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect, as evidenced by the number of publications registered in the Scopus database from the 1960s to the present day, aimed at correlating lipid mediators and inflammatory diseases and metabolic disorders (more than 72,800 scientific articles, reviews, book chapters, etc.) (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30902758)
BUT
Omega-3 deficiency has become common in many industrialised countries due to increased consumption of omega-6 fats found in processed foods and vegetable oils.
An adult consumes omega-6 and omega-3 in a ratio of 20:1. The anti-inflammatory ratio is 1:2, 1:4 (to reduce inflammation, more sources of omega-3 should be consumed).
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