Essential Fatty Acids
Also know as EFA’s
Essential Fatty Acids EFA’s are necessary fats that we cannot naturally make within our bodies, they must be consumed within our diet.
Omega 3 fatty acids: These are found in cold-water fish, flax seed, soybeans, and walnuts.
Omega 6 fatty acids: Mainly found in foods such as Soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, cottonseed oil, and rice bran oil peanut oil.
Omega 9 fatty acids: found in Canola oil, Sunflower Oil, and Almonds,
The Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s) that I refer to here are Omega 3, 6 & 9. EFA’s are long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids.
EFA’s support the cardiovascular, reproductive, immune, and nervous systems. The human body needs EFA’s to manufacture and repair cell membranes, enabling the cells to obtain optimum nutrition and expel harmful waste products. A primary function of EFA’s is the production of prostaglandins, which regulate body functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, blood clotting, fertility, conception, and play a role in immune function by regulating inflammation and encouraging the body to fight infection. Essential Fatty Acids are also needed for proper growth in children, particularly for neural development and maturation of sensory systems, with male children having higher needs than females. Foetuses and breast-fed infants also require an adequate supply of EFA’s through the mother's dietary intake.
EFA deficiency is common, particularly Omega-3 deficiency. The minimum healthy intake for both Omega-3 &Omega-6 acid via diet, per adult per day, is 1.5 grams of each. One tablespoon of flaxseed oil can provide this amount, or larger amounts of EFA rich foods. Because high heat destroys EFA’s, cooking in EFA-rich oils or eating cooked EFA-rich fish is unlikely to provide a sufficient amount.
EFA deficiency and Omega 3/6 imbalance is linked with serious health conditions, such as heart attacks, cancer, insulin resistance, asthma, lupus, schizophrenia, depression, postpartum depression, accelerated aging, stroke, obesity, diabetes, arthritis, ADHD, and Alzheimer's Disease, among others. Omega-3s are used in the formation of cell walls, making them supple and flexible, and improving circulation and oxygen uptake with proper red blood cell flexibility and function.
Omega-3 deficiencies are linked to decreased memory and mental abilities, tingling sensation of the nerves, poor vision, increased tendency to form blood clots, diminished immune function, increased "bad" cholesterol (LDL) levels, impaired membrane function, hypertension, irregular heart beat, learning disorders, menopausal discomfort, itchiness on the front of the lower leg(s), and growth retardation in infants, children, and pregnant women. Omega-6 (Linoleic Acid)
Some Omega-6s improve diabetic neuropathy, rheumatoid arthritis, PMS, skin disorders (e.g. psoriasis and eczema), and aid in cancer treatment.
Although most people obtain an excess of linoleic acid, often it is not converted correctly within the body because of metabolic problems caused by diets rich in sugar, alcohol, or trans fats from processed foods, as well as smoking, pollution, stress, aging, viral infections, and other illnesses such as diabetes. It is best to eliminate these factors when possible, but some prefer to supplement with Omega 6 rich foods such as borage oil, black currant seed oil, or evening primrose oil. Omega-9 (Oleic Acid) (Also know as Monounsaturated)
Essential but technically not an EFA, because the human body can manufacture a limited amount, provided essential EFA’s are present.
Monounsaturated oleic acid lowers heart attack risk and arteriosclerosis, and aids in cancer prevention. Found in foods: • Olive oil (extra virgin or virgin), olives, avocados, almonds, peanuts, sesame oil, pecans, pistachio nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, etc. • One to two tablespoons of extra virgin or virgin olive oil per day should provide sufficient oleic acid for adults. However, the "time-released" effects of obtaining these nutrients from nuts and other whole foods is thought to be more beneficial than consuming the entire daily amount via a single oil dose. Food tips • High heat, light, and oxygen destroy EFAs, so when consuming foods for their EFA content, try to avoid cooked or heated forms. For example, raw nuts are a better source than roasted nuts. Don't use flaxseed oil for cooking, and never re-use any type of oil. • Replace hydrogenated fats (like margarine), cholesterol-based fats (butter/dairy products), and poly-saturated fats (common cooking oils) with healthy EFA-based fats when possible. For example, instead of margarine or butter on your warm (not hot) vegetables, use flaxseed and/or extra virgin olive oils with salt. (This tastes similar to margarine, as margarine is just hydrogenated oil with salt.) • Sprinkling flaxseed meal on vegetables adds a slightly nutty taste. Whole flaxseeds are usually passed through the intestine, absorbing water only and not yielding much oil. Also, it's best not to use huge amounts of flaxseed in its meal (ground seed) form, as it contains phytoestrogens. The oil is much lower in phytoestrogens. • In many recipes calling for vegetable shortening, replacing the shortening with half as much virgin olive oil, and a very small pinch of extra salt, often yields similar results. • Adding flaxseed and/or virgin olive oil to salads instead of supermarket salad oil is another healthy change. • Replace oily snack foods, like potato chips and corn chips, with nuts and seeds. • Extra virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil are best to use for cooking oil, as they withstand high heat well.