Omega 6 Content of Common Foods

[charlie]

Omega 6 content of common foods by percentage of total calories:

Extremely High!!! (Above 50%):
Grapeseed oil 70.6%!!!
Corn Oil 54.5%
Walnuts 52.5% (oil is 53.9%)
Cottonseed oil 52.4%
Soybean oil 51.4%

Very High Omega 6 sources (20-50%)
Sesame oil 42.0%
Pepitas 34.5%
Margarine 27.9%
Pecans 26.9%
Peanut Butter 22.5%
Pistachios 21.3%

High Omega 6 Sources (10-20%)
Chicken Fat 19.5%
Almonds 19.1%
Canola oil 19.0%
Flaxseed oil 12.9%
Cashews 12.6%
Duck Fat 12.2%
Bacon Grease 10.2%
Lard 10.2%

Moderate Omega 6 Sources (5-10%)
Olive oil 9.9%
Goose Fat 9.8%
Avocado 9.4%
Chicken with skin 9.0%
Olives 7.4%
Bacon 7.0%
Eggs 6.8%
Pork chops 6.2%
Popcorn (Air Popped) 5.8%
Oats 5.6%
Low Omega 6 Sources (2-5%)
Corn 4.7%
Chicken Liver 3.7%
Sunflower Oil 3.7% (High oleic variety - others are very high in omega 6)
Butter 3.4%
Beef Tallow 3.1%
Cocoa Butter 2.8%
Cooked carrots 2.7%
Macadamia Nut oil ~2.5%
Brown rice 2.5%
Cream 2.2%
Beef liver 2.1% Grass-fed Beef 2.0%
Whole wheat flour 2.0%

Extremely low Omega 6 Sources (Less than 2%)
Coconut oil 1.9%
Prime rib 1.8%
Whole milk 1.8%
Half and Half 1.8%
Ground Beef 1.6%
Macadamia Nuts 1.6%
Chicken without skin 1.4%
Lamb 1.4%
Cheese/Brie 1.3%
Corn grits 1.2%
Beets 1.2%
Coconut Milk 1.1%
Foie gras 1.1%
Palm Kernel Oil 0.8%
White rice 0.7%
Sockeye Salmon 0.5%
Yams 0.4%
Potatoes 0.3%
Halibut 0.2%
Shrimp 0.2%
Clams 0.2%
Canned tuna 0.1%
Blue crab 0.1%
Lobster 0.1%

 

[narouz]

Thanks, Charlie. I've been looking for such a reference.
But...what about PUFAs in vegetables--like lettuce and kale and spinach and such?
I think I've heard it said that Peat is not against some vegetables so much for there PUFA content
but rather because they have toxins which mess with our digestion and immune system in serious ways.
After months of Peating I've been sortuv lusting after some nice, crisp, cold lettuce.
Just a leaf to wrap around my meat and potato, say.
Is that so wrong?

 

[narouz]

PUFAs in Eggs

The number for eggs on your chart is a bit scary seen through a Peatian lens.
But I wonder if that number has a substantial downward range based on the specific chickens laying.
Peat has said that, while chickens are not ruminant,
the composition of their meat and of their eggs
is a reflection of their diet.

I can get chickens and eggs from a very cool farm
where the chickens are Really free range
and are not fed feed.
I'm wondering how big a difference that would make in PUFAs...?

Eggs are one of the few non-liquid things (okay, I know there's all kind of fruit)
on my Peat diet.
I'd love to feel okay about continuing to eat them,
but at the PUFA number your chart show
I see why Peat says he cut back to having only one every other day or so.
(Of course I think his eggs were not special--not raised on a special farm like the one I have access to).

 

[charlie]

narouz, welcome to the forum. its good to have you here. :)


i honestly am not sure about vegetable pufa content. i know i am steering clear of any above ground vegetables till i can get through the healing process. i imagine making yourself a wrap every now and then shouldnt set you back too far. heck, it might even move you forward a bit because i am sure you will be really enjoying the moment and getting those feel good hormones at the time. if anything, maybe give it a try and see how it goes?

as for the eggs. i am pretty sure if those chickens you get eggs from are free ranged and not getting commercial feed then those eggs are going to be much better then any other ones you can get. i would think the pufa count would be a lot lower. i have my own chickens but we are feeding them some commercial layer feed although they are free ranged. i might give it a shot pulling the feed and seeing how they do. its summertime now and they have plenty of natural food available around.

wish i could have given much more solid answers. but thats the best i got for right now.

 

[stevensmith]

narouz, no, there is nothing wrong with regularly consuming crunchy foods like a little bit of lettuce, or some tortilla chips fried in coconut oil, as opposed to vegetable oil. To do this, you might try buying some masa harina (corn flour) and making them yourself in the oven.

Craving crunchy foods can sometimes mean you are really craving salt. Its okay to add a couple tsp or more of salt per day in your milk/OJ, etc....

Since vegetables are low fat foods, the amount of PUFA you would get from having some lettuce or kale here or there is negligible. Thus, I wouldn't worry about the PUFA content of veggies. However, veggies are problematic due to I3C components (increase estrogen), natural goitrogens (oppose thyroid), and too much insoluble fiber, which can increase bacterial gut endotoxin. To avoid this, cook vegetables thoroughly. It's best to discard the leaves, and drink the vitamin k rich broth.

The PUFA count probably doesn't vary much with free range vs regular eggs. This is because with "free range" the farmers can just have the cage door open and call it free range. Unless you are getting them from a source where you know the chickens are not eating soy and/or flax seeds, I would consume one every other day. Soy isoflavones make their way into the egg, and chickens who were not fed soy have much lower isoflavones, if any at all. Isoflavones are problematic because they increase estrogen in vivo.

Don't get too upset over everything though. If you really like eggs, consume them as you wish. Much of the beneficial components make them worthwhile to eat, but I suppose that consuming them excessively is a bad thing.