There’s an elephant in the room when it comes to health, and it’s been hiding in plain sight for decades. It’s not just about cholesterol, blood pressure, or blood sugar levels. It’s something far more fundamental—something that could prevent countless strokes, heart attacks, and chronic diseases if only more people knew about it.
That elephant is your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.
For years, we’ve been told to eat “heart-healthy” vegetable oils, cut back on saturated fat, and load up on whole grains. But during that same time, we’ve seen an explosion in heart disease, strokes, and inflammatory conditions. The missing piece of the puzzle? The catastrophic shift in our omega-6 to omega-3 balance.
A Moment of Truth: My Presentation to 17 Physicians
I recently had the opportunity to present to a group of 17 physicians, and I decided to cut straight to the heart of the issue.
I asked, “How many of you are familiar with the importance of omega-6 to omega-3 ratios?”
Every hand went up.
Then I asked, “How many of you are aware that most people are getting far too much omega-6 and not nearly enough omega-3?”
Again, they all nodded in agreement.
I followed up, “So we’re all in agreement with the National Institutes of Health, the World Health Organization, and numerous other prestigious organizations that knowing and improving one’s omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is crucial for health?”
Without hesitation, they all agreed.
Then I asked the game-changing question:
“If we all know how important it is, why aren’t doctors testing for it?”
Silence.
That moment of realization hit hard. It wasn’t that they didn’t believe in the science—it was simply that it had never been a standard part of routine testing. Yet, we routinely check cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure, even though an imbalanced omega ratio may be just as—if not more—critical.
By the end of my presentation, all 17 physicians decided to get tested—and every single one of them started taking BalanceOil+ to improve their ratios.
How Did We Get Here? The Omega-6 Takeover
Humans evolved on a diet where omega-6 and omega-3 were balanced at a 1:1 ratio. This balance supported brain function, reduced inflammation, and helped regulate blood flow.
But in the past century, our diets have drastically shifted. With the rise of cheap, highly processed seed oils—soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, and sunflower oil—our intake of omega-6 skyrocketed. Today, most people consume 20 times more omega-6 than omega-3, and some estimates suggest a ratio as high as 50:1 or higher in the Western diet (Simopoulos, 2016).
This imbalance is not just a minor nutritional issue—it’s a major driver of inflammation and chronic disease.
The Stroke Connection: Why Your Omega Ratio Could Save Your Life
One of the most overlooked yet deadly consequences of an imbalanced omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is its role in stroke risk.
Here’s why:
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- Excess omega-6 promotes blood clot formation, increasing the likelihood of ischemic strokes (Calder, 2017).
- Low omega-3 levels lead to arterial damage, making blood vessels more prone to rupture (Harris et al., 2007).
- Chronic inflammation stiffens arteries, reducing blood flow and increasing the risk of stroke (Mozaffarian & Wu, 2011).
Studies have shown that people with the highest omega-3 levels have up to a 50% lower risk of stroke compared to those with the lowest levels (Albert et al., 2002). And yet, most people have no idea what their omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is—because it’s simply not being tested.
The Test That Could Save Your Life
The reality is most doctors do not check omega-3 levels or omega-6 dominance. But there’s an easy way to find out where you stand: the BalanceTest (Dried Blood Spot).
This at-home dried blood spot test measures:
✔️ Your Omega-3 Index – The percentage of omega-3s in your blood.
✔️ Your Omega-6 to Omega-3 Ratio – Ideally, it should be below 3:1. Most people are over 20:1, putting them at significant risk.
Without knowing your numbers, you’re flying blind.
How to Fix Your Ratio
The good news? You can correct your omega balance in as little as 120 days by making targeted changes:
✅ Eliminate Seed Oils – Avoid vegetable oils like soybean, corn, and sunflower oil. These are the primary drivers of excess omega-6.
✅ Increase Omega-3 Intake – Eat more fatty fish (wild-caught salmon, sardines, mackerel) or supplement with high-quality omega-3s like BalanceOil+.
✅ Use the Right Omega-3 Supplement – Not all fish oil supplements are created equal. BalanceOil+ is the only supplement that combines omega-3s with polyphenols, protecting the delicate fats from oxidation and ensuring superior absorption into cells.
✅ Reduce Processed Foods – Nearly all packaged foods contain high levels of omega-6. Stick to whole, unprocessed foods.
The Bottom Line: Stop Ignoring the Elephant in the Room
If we’re serious about preventing strokes, heart disease, and chronic inflammation, we must stop ignoring the elephant in the room—our omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.
The science is clear:
⚠️ A high omega-6 to omega-3 ratio drives inflammation, blood clots, and vascular disease.
⚠️ Most people are dangerously out of balance, and it’s not being tested.
⚠️ This imbalance is preventable—and fixable.
We routinely check for cholesterol and blood sugar—so why aren’t we checking omega levels?
It’s time to change that.
Getting tested is simple, and the results could save your life. If you don’t know your numbers, now is the time. Don’t wait for a health crisis to find out where you stand.
References
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- Albert, C. M., Campos, H., Stampfer, M. J., Ridker, P. M., Manson, J. E., Willett, W. C., & Ma, J. (2002). Blood levels of long-chain n−3 fatty acids and the risk of sudden death. New England Journal of Medicine, 346(15), 1113-1118.
- Calder, P. C. (2017). Omega-3 fatty acids and inflammatory processes: From molecules to man. Biochemical Society Transactions, 45(5), 1105-1115.
- Harris, W. S., Mozaffarian, D., Rimm, E., Kris-Etherton, P., Rudel, L. L., Appel, L. J., & Sacks, F. (2007). Omega-6 fatty acids and risk for cardiovascular disease. Circulation, 115(1), 113-120.
- Mozaffarian, D., & Wu, J. H. (2011). Omega-3 fatty acids and cardiovascular disease: Effects on risk factors, molecular pathways, and clinical events. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 58(20), 2047-2067.
- Simopoulos, A. P. (2016). An increase in the omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid ratio increases the risk for obesity. Nutrients, 8(3), 128.
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Robert Ferguson is a California- and Florida-based single father of two daughters, nutritionist, researcher, best-selling author, speaker, podcast and television host, health advisor, NAACP Image Award Nominee, creator of the Diet Free Life methodology, Chief Nutrition Officer for iCoura Health, and he serves on the Presidential Task Force on Obesity for the National Medical Association. You can e-mail Robert at robert@dietfreelife.com.
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