Here is another article about the proper ratio of Omega 6 and 3. You're right, the problem with Omega 6s is that we eat way too much of it.
Because the media has hyped the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids so frequently, most people are aware of the advantages of consuming fish oil or omega-3 supplements. However, many people are not aware that this represents only half the story.Human beings evolved to consume a diet comprising approximately a 1:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 essential fatty acids. In Western diets, however, that ratio can be 15-to-1 or even greater [1]. This discrepancy is a result of both underconsumption of omega-3 fatty acids and an overconsumption of omega-6 fatty acids.
One of the main tenets of a Paleolithic diet is to provide our bodies with foods that match our genetically determined nutritional requirements. Dietary mismatches can cause health concerns. This is particularly true with our fatty acid ratios. The high omega-6 to omega-3 ratio in Western diets has been shown to promote the pathogenesis of many diseases, including cardiovascular disease [2] [3], cancer [4] [5], and inflammatory [6] and autoimmune diseases [1].And here is an article on grass fed beef. It doesn't get into the ratio of 6:3s, but it does state that grass fed beef has five times the amount of omega 3s than grain feed beef.Importantly, the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in our diet is reflected in the ratio in our cell membranes. The correct functioning of our cells requires the same ratio to which humans evolved. Therefore, the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is implicated in so many different diseases; a deficiency in this ratio can affect any cell in the body.
Grass-fed beef usually contains less total fat than grain-fed beef, which means that gram for gram, grass-fed beef contains fewer calories (2Trusted Source
However, the composition of fatty acids is also different:
- Monounsaturated fat. Grass-fed beef contains much less monounsaturated fat than grain-fed beef (2Trusted Source).
- Omega-6 polyunsaturated fats. Grass- and grain-fed beef contain very similar amounts of omega-6 fatty acids.
- Omega-3s. This is where grass-fed makes a major difference, containing up to five times as much omega-3 (3Trusted Source).
- Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Grass-fed beef contains about twice as much CLA as grain-fed beef. This fatty acid is associated with a few health benefits (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source).
In short, there are some significant differences in the composition and amount of fat in grass- and grain-fed beef.