The Food Pyramid warns you to use fats and oils only in moderation. Depending on your cholesterol level, your doctor may have recommended even tighter restrictions. And supermarkets shelves- with all their fat-free fare- suggest that you might not need fat at all.
Well, guess what? Respected nutrition authorities don't agree.
The Good Fats and Oils
Jean Barilla, M.S., editor of Volume 2 of The Nutrition Superbook, The Good Fats and Oils, says that without fats and oils we could not survive. She emphasizes,"Essential fatty acids ( linoleic and linolenic) are necessary for energy production, utilization of oxygen, production of red blood pigment (hemoglobin) and are part of the cell membranes that allow nutrients in and wastes out of our cells. These fats help our muscles recover from fatigue and are used to make prostaglandins- the hormone-like substances that regulate blood pressure, among other things. Essential fatty acids are also important in cell growth and division, in keeping the skin smooth, in promoting healing and for brain development in children."
According to Lewis Harrison in The Complete Fats and Oils Book, a fatty acid is essential given one of the following reasons:
- The body is unable to manufacture it and must obtain it through diet.
- A deficiency or absence of it results in a specific disease.
Omega-6 Family
Donald Rudin, M.D., and Clara Felix, in Omega-3 Oils, suggest that there are two main groups that fit this definition- linoleic acid, the primary member of the omega-6 family, which the body can convert into the longer-chain arachidonic acid (ARA) and alpha linolenic acid (ALA), the primary omega-3, which the body can convert into eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
To understand where the numbers "3" and "6" come from, recognize that all fats are made of the same basic elements- carbon, oxygen and hydrogen- which are arranged in molecules called fatty acids. The numbers refer to the place where the first kink in the carbon chain occurs.
Understanding Your Fats
Today, report Michael T. Murray, N.D., and Jade Beutler, R.R.T., R.C.P., in Understanding Fats and Oils , many people suffer from essential fatty acid deficiency, even though they may be eating more saturated fats than ever. The authors claim that the proportion of saturated fats has remained more or less stable over the past century, but the "ingestion of unrefined polyunsaturated oils rich in the disease-preventing essential fatty acids has decreased dramatically.
Using Fats Wisely
What can the average citizen do to use fats and oils more productively? In Fats and Oils: The Complete Guide to Fats and Oils in Health and Nutrition, Udo Erasmus offers these suggestions: lower total fat consumption; increase essential fatty acid consumption; lower refined sugars and starches; lower hard (saturated) fats and cholesterol; increase fiber, vitamins and minerals; avoid altered fats; minimize drugs and food additives; and exercise.
Jean Barilla discusses what she calls "the oils we need." Whole chapters are dedicated to EPA-marine lipids, fish oils, evening primrose oil, flaxseed oil and olive oil. Recently, research has emerged about various "new" sources of essential fatty acids.
For example, three authors- Gero Leson, Petra Pless and John W. Roulac- writing in Hemp Foods and Oils for Health, indicate that "about 75% of the fatty acids in hemp oil consist of a balanced ratio of the two essential fatty acids, including omega- 3 alpha linoleic acid, usually under- represented in our diet."
In Flax For Life!, Jade Beutler reports, "Dramatic evidence suggests that flax oil and a special plant fiber found in flaxseed called lignan, can protect us against heart disease and cancer as well as other degenerative diseases."
Another beneficial fatty acid substance is conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). It "has been shown to effect a reduction in body fat and an enhancement of lean tissue." So regardless of whether your goal is to feel better, look better or both, essential fatty acids have an important role to play.
References:
The Nutrition Superbook, The Good Fats and Oils, edited by Jean Barilla, M.S.
The Complete Fats and Oils Book by Lewis Harrison
Omega=-3 Oils by Donald Rudin, M.D., and Clara Felix
Understanding Fats and Oils by Michael T. Murray, N.D, and Jade Beutler, R.R.T., R.C.P.
Fats and Oils: The Complete guide to Fats and Oils in Health and Nutrition by Udo Erasmus
Hemp Foods and Oils for Health by Gero Leson, Petra Pless and John W. roulac
Flax for Life by Jade Beutler
Last Update:: 0000-00-00
