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Welcome
to my email newsletter. I hope you will find it interesting
and beneficial |
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Essential Fatty Acids (omega 3 and omega 6) Fats in our body Our bodies are made up from cells. Cells produce energy,
enable movement, allow us to reproduce, help us to see, hear and taste,
initiate healing and repair, and facilitate thought and emotional processes.
To go about our daily activities, we rely on our cells to function smoothly
and effortlessly so as not to disturb our enjoyment of life. For this our
cells need many raw materials that we provide them with by eating and
drinking. One such raw material is fat, and a sub-group of this are two
families of essential fatty acids (EFAs). What are Essential Fatty Acids? Essential fatty acids are components of fat that we eat. Our
body has the ability to break down dietary fat and reorganise the liberated
fatty acids into substances it needs. As an exception to this, two special
families of fatty acids cannot be sourced by reorganising dietary fat, and so
the body relies on a ready-made supply of these in the diet. These fatty
acids are therefore called "essential" and they are required in our
diet in the same way as vitamin C or other nutrients are. The difference is
that a deficiency is less immediately harmful and may only show up many years
later as a contributing factor to chronic disease. It may even affect the
next generation as we will see below. Chemically, the structure of EFAs gives rise to their family
names: omega 3 and omega 6. Each family has many members and one can describe the family
relationship as a chain of related substances, each derived from the
previous. Our body needs to take in one family member towards the beginning
of the chain and then convert it in steps to the last member which will be
used for the many functions an omega 3 or 6 may have. What do we need EFAs for? Our cells need EFAs for two main reasons:
To summarize, the need for EFAs is so universal that an adequate
supply is an absolute requirement for health. Below is a list of the uses of EFA supplementation in
nutritional therapy: Prevention of heart disease; Reduction of high blood pressure;
Reduction of blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides; Reduction of
thrombosis risk; Protecting against Type II diabetes; Increase effectiveness
of the immune system; Reducing the risk of autoimmune diseases; Reducing the
occurrence of allergy and atopy (eczema, asthma and hay fever); Protection
against osteoporosis; Protection against some causes of lack of growth in
children; Prevention of neurological problems such as behavioural
disturbance, lack of coordination, learning disability, visual impairment. Essential Fatty Acids in the Human Brain The human brain is 60% fat and of this 1/3 should come from
essential fatty acids! At birth, the average human brain weighs 350-400g. Of this,
about 100g should be EFAs, and naturally these will have to come from the
mother’s diet. In theory this is easily done, but in reality, many adults do
not cover their own requirements. A deficiency of EFAs in the brain at birth and/or during the
first few months may not be reversible, but further erosion may be prevented
by dietary and homeopathic therapy. The average human (adult) brain at age 15 weighs 1300 – 1400g.
In our first 15 years we therefore must grow our brains by 1000g of which
222g should come from essential fatty acids! Requirements and Sources of Essential Fatty Acids There is no official recommended daily amount as with a
vitamin or mineral. But nutritionists like Patrick Holford in his New
Optimum Nutrition Bible (2004) recommend a daily amount of about 700mg
omega 3 and 150mg of omega 6. Omega 3 and 6 also need to be supplied in proper balance to
each other. This is because an excess of one can block the other’s
action! Our diets are naturally more plentiful in omega 6 due to its
presence in meat, fish, eggs, dairy and vegetable oils. Omega 3 on the other
hand is relatively sparse, with its main source being ocean fish and some
specific seeds. The story becomes more complicated: Omega 3 from plant sources
is different to omega 3 from fish as it is lower down in the family chain. It
therefore needs more conversion than an omega 3 from fish. This conversion
process is complicated and can be interrupted by a shortage of vitamins and
minerals as well as by the action of drugs and environmental pollutants on
our tissues. In addition it is now suspected that many individuals in Western
societies have lost much of their ability to convert omega 3 from plant
sources. The reasons for this go beyond the scope of this newsletter, but may
be linked with universal erosion of basic constitutional health and advance
of chronic metabolic disease states. Omega 3 and 6 from fish needs far less
conversion and so may for most people be the only source of EFAs their bodies
can make use of. There is no reason for alarm as long as you consume enough
wild oily fish (farmed fish is fed too much cheap omega 6 feed and so does
not contains enough omega 3) or take a high quality fish oil supplement.
These supplements are now available in all sorts of pleasant flavours or even
in capsule form! It is difficult to say how much wild oily fish you need to eat
in order to cover your requirements, because a) exact requirements are not
established and b) contents of food sources depend on the animal’s own
intake. But it is probably safe to suggest that 2 servings (400g in total per
adult) per week will cover basic needs. A pregnant woman needs to consume
twice this amount. Essential Fatty Acid Robbers Please be aware that certain dietary and lifestyle factors rob
you of omega 3 and 6. These include smoking, alcohol, frying with vegetable
oils, and consuming hydrogenated fats/trans fats (mostly contained in
processed foods such as bakery goods, sweet and savoury snacks, margarines,
dressings and sauces). Hydrogenated/trans fats take up the spaces of EFAs in
cells and hormones but cannot perform their function. Their consumption therefore
produces the same effect as a dietary deficiency of EFAs, in this way
contributing to all health problems mentioned above. If your diet is high in omega 6 seed oils such as sunflower
oil, you will in effect block much of the action of any omega 3 you may
consume. So stay away from seed oils and use olive oil only. This contains
omega 9, which is associated with the health giving properties of the
Mediterranean diet. Summary Essential fatty acids are universally required in our body,
but their main effect is on our immunity, cardiovascular health, and nervous
system/brain. A deficiency is easily acquired as sources of omega 3 are
sparse and an excess of omega 6 blocks omega 3 further. The consequences are
not immediate but long term and may even be handed down to our children. There is no need for alarm as the human body is very resilient
and intelligent in its survival strategies. A deficiency of essential fatty
acids will lead to minor ailments first (brittle hair and nails, and poor
skin) before more important areas such as our heart or brain are seriously
affected. Contact me today for further advice and information and how
homeopathy and nutrition may help with your symptoms. Meanwhile: Eat more fish and supplement with a high quality fish oil supplement! |
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