Dr. Mercola: How to increase your Omega-6...

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If you want to increase your intake of omega-6 oils, it is essential to use only ORGANIC, unprocessed oils.

Ideally this would be in the form of their original seed precursors like safflower, sunflower, pumpkin, or sesame seeds.

Unfortunately, the primary sources of omega-6 in the U.S. are:

Corn oil Canola oil Soy oil Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats Margarine Shortening

You will want to avoid this entire list of over-processed, damaged and genetically modified oils, and instead look for safflower, sunflower, pumpkin or sesame seed oils that meet the following requirements:

Minimally processed: Look for expeller-pressed or cold-pressed oils, which are less likely to be damaged.

Not refined: Refined oils are stripped of flavor, color and nutrients. Look for unrefined versions, which will appear cloudy and have a stronger flavor than refined oils.

Bottled in dark-colored glass: Because omega-6 oils are easily damaged by heat and light, high-quality oils will be stored in dark-tinted bottles. You'll also want to choose one packaged in glass, as plastic containers can potentially leach toxic compounds into the oil.

What Other Types of Oils Should be Included in a Healthy Diet?

The standard American diet (SAD) is almost devoid of healthy omega-3 fats, except for certain types of fish -- and fish can no longer be recommended as a safe source of omega-3s due to high levels of mercury and other toxic contaminations.

This is why I highly recommend increasing your omega-3 intake by supplementing with a high quality animal-based supplement like krill oil (while at the same time reducing your intake of the processed omega-6 fats mentioned above).

Other acceptable and beneficial oils to include in your diet are:

High-quality extra virgin olive oil

Coconut oil

Avocados and high-quality avocado oil

Organic butter, or better yet grass-fed, raw organic butter