Dietary Book Denounces Omega-6 as the Devil’s Fat

June 10, 2008 - Press Dispensary - Bestseller lists are packed with celebrity-endorsed, pseudo-scientific fad diets, and a ‘latest miracle food’ seems to hit the supermarket shelves every week. But a major new book from researcher Robert Brown sets out to unravel nutritional truth from fiction, and tell the unheard diet story about the essential fatty acid omega-6. ‘Omega Six – The Devil’s Fat’ (http://www.omegasixthedevilsfat.com ) draws on a huge volume of research findings to demonstrate that an imbalance of omega-6 in the body leads to much greater risk of western 'lifestyle' illnesses such as asthma and diabetes, and a host of mental-health problems from Alzheimer's to depression and childhood disorders.

Anyone interested in modern dietary advice has heard of omega-3 and its benefits: concerned consumers fuel the multi-million omega-3 industry, buying products that boast about their essential fatty acid content – from ‘wonder supplements’ to refrigerator essentials like eggs and milk. Omega-6, however, rarely gets a mention and, if it does, the mention is favourable. Brown’s book provides compelling evidence that excess omega-6 contributes to a wide range of ‘modern’ and western physical and mental health conditions, and considers why excess omega-6 fatty acid in the diet may help to explain the ever growing levels of violence in western countries.

Over the last century, most western countries have undergone a dramatic shift in nutrition. Omega-6 is a rarity in our historically natural diet, but since the rise of cooking oils and convenience foods, beneficial omega-3 fatty acids have been flooded out by competing omega-6. These come mainly from oils such as soya and sunflower, found in every kitchen and used in industrial frying for almost all ready meals, snack foods and takeaways.

And, following this growing imbalance in the ratio of omega-3 and 6, most western societies have seen a surge in inflammatory conditions such as asthma and arthritis, neurological disorders like dementia, and aggressive public behavioural trends. Industrial societies where omega-3 consumption has remained high and omega-6 low because people eat more fish, such as Japan, have lower rates of murder and depression and higher child IQs.

Author Robert Brown explains: “Sales of omega-3 supplements have rocketed, but people taking fish oil are unknowingly missing the point that what we subtract from our diet is as important as what we add. If Omega-3 is the angel, omega-6 is the devil.”

He continues: “Too much omega-6 inflates many of the negatives in society – from the rise in knife-crime by teenagers brought up on processed food, to the increase of ADHD in kids fed a diet of crisps and chips. Omega-6 rich junk food is not only be making us sick, but mad and bad as well.”

The book also looks at diet from a woman’s perspective, concluding that excess omega-6 negatively impacts on fertility and pregnancy, and may cause post natal depression and osteoporosis.

The World Health Organisation recommends a 2:1 ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 for optimum brain development, and 5:1 for general health. But common kitchen oils have ratios as extreme as 70:1, and even ‘good’ olive oil has a ratio 10:1. Brown’s book urges people to redo their dietary sums, swapping 3s for 6s, and suggests that a balanced diet can reduce the build-up of omega-6 in the body by as much as 50% in just two years.

‘Omega Six – The Devil’s Fat’ is written for the layperson but, with over 800 references to scientific trials and reports, is sufficiently authoritative to be of interest to the medical professions. It is split into small indexed sections for easy browsing.

“I’m not a doctor or scientist,” concludes Brown, “But the more research I did into the links between diet, health and behaviour, the clearer it became that excess omega-6 turns us into dumber, sicker and more aggressive people. ‘Omega Six – The Devils Fat’ takes the reader with me on my journey to understand the importance of essential fatty acids to human health, and the `discovery’ of the ‘cure’ to many modern ills - getting the balance right between omega-3 and 6.”

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Notes for editors
'Omega Six – The Devil’s Fat’ is written by Robert Brown and published by Les Creux Ltd. It will be launched at the Jersey branch of Waterstones on Monday June 16, 2008 and will be available on Amazon.com as well as through Waterstones, Smiths, Blackwell and many more. It will be available to the trade through Ingrams.

For further information, please contact:
Robert Brown, Les Creux Limited
Tel: 01534 864655 / 07797718810
Email:
Site: www.omegasixthedevilsfat.com