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Omega-6 fatty acids are still necessary for the production of various molecules such as the eicosanoids, leukotrienes and prostaglandins but most people get plenty of linoleate in their diet so supplementation isn't all that necessary, although it obviously depends on the person. If you approach a 1:1 or lower ratio, you get insufficient conversion of linoleate to arachidonic acid because the enzymes preferentially act upon n3 fatty acids over n6; such an occurance would result in abnormal levels of the aforementioned molecules. The ratio itself is supposed to represent the optimal n6:n3 ratio for conversion of alpha-linoleate into DHA without fubaring n6 production. How significant the ratio is, I have no idear; one study says optimal conversion occurs at 4:1 and another at 2.3:1 from what I gather. I'm guessing the 3:1 ratio is just a happy medium but someone may have more direct info on it than I.
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