Are omega-3 and omega-6 food supplements necessary to give us the fats we need? I have heard that we don't get sufficient quantities from fish since the toxins from contaminated water are stored in their body fat. Also, due to the lack of crop rotation and use of artificial fertilisers and pesticides, many essential minerals are missing from our food. Is this correct?

answer

Ideally, you should aim to get these essential fats from the foods you eat, and only take supplements if you can't get enough of these omega oils from your daily diet. Omega-6 fats are come from vegetable seeds and polyunsaturated margarine, whereas omega-3 fatty acids are derived from oily fish. You need to get both of these fatty acids (which are essential for good health) from your diet because your body does not produce them naturally. (Find out more about good fats and bad fats.)

Most people tend to get sufficient omega-6 fats from their diet through nuts, seeds and oils. However, many of us do not eat enough oily fish and therefore may need to take supplements. You need to eat between one to two 140-gram portions a week to get an adequate amount of the fats. The Food Standards Agency recommends women and girls limit intake to two portions a week because of PCBs and dioxins found in fish.

If you are worried about the toxins in oily fish, you can include omega-3 supplements in your diet. Alternatively, there is a product on the market called 'Columbus eggs' which are enriched with omega-3 fats. However, the government's healthy eating guidelines recommend no more than one or two of these 'eggs' a week in order to ensure we keep our fat intake to a healthy level. As far as getting sufficient omega-6, why not try eating more nuts and seeds, which you can find at any health food store and many supermarkets.

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Am I getting enough omega oils in my diet?