Omega-6 to Omega-3 Ratio
Enter the grams of each fat family eaten per day for the ratio and a verdict: up to 4:1 is healthy, past 4:1 is over the ideal, past 10:1 inflammatory.
Razão
—
Omega-6 to omega-3 ratio: from 15:1 (modern) toward 4:1 (ancestral)
The omega-6 : omega-3 ratio compares two essential polyunsaturated fat families. The industrialized Western diet sits around 15–20 : 1, an excess of omega-6 (linoleic acid from soy, corn, sunflower and cottonseed oils) over omega-3. The ancestral / paleolithic ratio is estimated at 1–4 : 1, and many researchers (Simopoulos, 2002 onward) tie the modern excess to chronic low-grade inflammation. Take an example: 12 g of omega-6 against 1.5 g of omega-3 gives a ratio of 8:1, better than average but still on the high side. Two levers help. Raise omega-3 with fatty fish like salmon and sardine, plus flaxseed, chia and walnut, and lower omega-6 by cutting industrial seed oils and ultra-processed snacks. One caveat: long-chain omega-3 (EPA/DHA) comes from fish or algae oil, while the plant form (ALA in flax and chia) converts to EPA at only ≈ 5% in humans. Formula: ratio = ω6 (g) / ω3 (g).
Applications: cardiovascular nutrition, anti-inflammatory diet, pregnancy, mood
The ratio guides cardiovascular nutrition (lower triglycerides, antiarrhythmic effect of EPA/DHA), anti-inflammatory protocols (rheumatic disease, IBD), pregnancy (DHA is structural for fetal brain and retina, with a recommendation of ≈ 200 mg DHA/day), depression (omega-3 as adjuvant in major depression, per APA, 2019) and ARDS / critical care (some protocols use enteral formulas enriched with EPA). A practical rule of thumb: two portions of fatty fish a week, daily ground flax or chia, and seed oils swapped for olive oil.
FAQ
Is the ideal ratio really 4:1? There's no single official target; cited values run anywhere from 1:1 to 4:1. Many bodies, the AHA among them, would rather set an absolute target: at least 2 portions of fatty fish per week.
Does omega-6 cause inflammation? Mechanistically, linoleic acid is a precursor of arachidonic acid, which is pro-inflammatory, yet RCTs show neutral or even beneficial CVD effects. The "excess omega-6" hypothesis remains debated.
Is flaxseed enough for omega-3? It provides ALA, but conversion to EPA/DHA is poor (≈ 5–10% to EPA, < 1% to DHA). Vegans and vegetarians should consider algae DHA.
How much fish oil per day? Common doses range from 250 mg EPA+DHA for general health up to 1–4 g in clinical settings under guidance, since high doses raise bleeding risk.
Related Tools
Optimum Reflux Ratio
Compute a distillation column's operating reflux ratio, R = factor · Rmin, multiplying the minimum reflux by a factor (typically 1.1 to 1.5). There is a classic economic trade-off: a low reflux (near minimum) requires many plates (more column investment); a high reflux requires fewer plates but much more energy in the reboiler and condenser (more operating cost). The optimum balances the two. Enter the minimum reflux and the factor.
Equivalence Ratio (φ)
Calculate the combustion equivalence ratio, φ = AFR_stoichiometric ÷ AFR_actual, dividing the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio by the actual one. The dimensionless result classifies the mixture: φ = 1 is stoichiometric (exact air); φ < 1 is lean (excess air, typical of industrial burners and diesel engines); φ > 1 is rich (lack of air, produces CO and soot, but more power in gasoline engines). The equivalence ratio is the preferred dimensionless parameter in combustion science, linked to excess air (φ = 1/(1+EA)). Enter the stoichiometric and actual air-fuel ratios.
Concentration Ratio
Compute the concentration ratio of a processing operation, CR = feed mass / concentrate mass, how many tonnes of raw ore are needed to produce one tonne of concentrate. It measures the degree of upgrade: high ratios indicate lean ores that require heavy processing. It is useful in the mass balance and plant sizing. Enter the feed mass and the concentrate mass.
Cholesterol Ratio (Total/HDL)
Calculate the total cholesterol to HDL ratio, an indicator of cardiovascular risk. Below 3.5 is ideal; above 5 points to high risk for your heart.
Proportion Calculator
Solves proportions (rule of three) with up to 4 terms: A is to B as C is to X. Computes the unknown.
Appraisal Ratio (Treynor-Black)
Computes the Treynor-Black appraisal ratio: a manager's alpha divided by the standard deviation of residual risk, the part not explained by the market. It measures the quality of security selection per unit of specific risk taken, and is the central metric for deciding how much to allocate to an active strategy. The higher it is, the better the manager extracts abnormal return without taking on too much diversifiable risk. Enter the alpha and the residual standard deviation.
The results provided by this tool are for general informational and educational purposes only and do not constitute professional, financial, medical, legal, tax or accounting advice. Always confirm important decisions with a qualified professional and official sources.