Essential Fatty Acids - All About Fats
Some people shy away from anything that has the word
“fatty” associated with it. They instantly think it will cause
them to gain unnecessary weight. However, there are “good
fats” and “bad fats,” and the beneficial ones can actually help
decrease the desire to eat the harmful ones. Fats are important
for health. Also known as lipids, they help balance the body’s
chemistry and provide padding as protection for vital organs.
Fats provide a source of energy for body processes, and they
help with the transportation and absorption of fat-soluble vitamins
such as A, D, E, and K. They are also a source of the vital
nutrients known as essential fatty acids. Categories of fats include the following:
SATURATED FATS: All fats are composed of carbon, hydrogen,
and oxygen molecules. The carbon atoms of fatty acids hold
together in a chain-like fashion. These carbon atoms can attach
hydrogen to them. When each place that can hold a hydrogen
atom is filled and there is not room for even one more, they are
described as saturated. The longer the chain, the harder the fat
will be and thus, the higher its melting point. These types of
long-chain fatty acids are found in “hard fats,” such as those in
red meat, butter, cheese, sour cream and palm kernel and
coconut oils. When a person’s diet is high in saturated fats, these
fats tend to clump together in the body and form deposits,
along with protein and cholesterol. They then lodge in the cells,
organs and blood vessels. This can lead to many health problems,
including obesity, heart disease, and breast and colon cancers.
UNSATURATED FATS: Unsaturated fats are called such because
there are at least two adjacent carbon atoms on a chain which
are not attached to hydrogen atoms. When at least two pairs of
carbon atoms are empty it is known as a monounsaturated fatty
acid. When two or more sets are empty, then it is referred to as
a polyunsaturated fatty acid. A good rule of thumb is that ...
Benefits and Functions of Essential Fatty Acids
The body takes combinations of different triglycerides and
makes fats from them to help in various processes. The basic
building blocks of any fats are the fatty acids. Fatty acids are
either essential or nonessential. A fatty acid is considered essential
if 1) the body is unable to synthesize it and 2) the only way
it can be obtained is through the diet. In addition, it is considered
essential if a deficiency will cause a disease. As far back as
1930 researchers discovered that if an animal did not get essential
fatty acids in the diet, it could cause symptoms such as poor
reproduction, lowered immunity, rough, dry skin, and slow
growth, among others.
There are basically three essential fatty acids. They are linoleic
acid, linolenic acid, and arachidonic acid. Linoleic acid is the
most vital. Linolenic and arachidonic acids can be converted
from linoleic acid, but linoleic acid must be obtained from the
diet. Most people are unaware of the many vital functions of
essential fatty acids. The list includes:
• Lowering triglyceride levels.
• Helping to eradicate plaque from the walls of arteries.
• Lowering blood pressure.
• Altering the production of leukotrienes which aggravate
inflammation in the body. This has shown to be beneficial,
especially to those suffering from conditions such as arthritis,
lupus, psoriasis and other inflammation-related ailments.
• Constructing body membranes. EFAs work with cholesterol
and protein to repair old cell membranes and construct new
ones.
• Helping strengthen cell and capillary structures. Fatty acid
supplementation in the diet helps replace saturated fats with
unsaturated fats. This increases the fluidity of cell membranes,
and helps renew their proper function, preventing
stiffness and deterioration. The health of the cell membrane
depends upon adequate amounts of EFAs.
• Prolonging blood-clotting time, helping wounds to heal.
EFAs prevent ...Sources of Essential Fatty Acids
Essential fatty acids are found in both plant and animal
sources, although primarily in plants. The EFA family is composed
of two main forms, Omega-3 and Omega-6. The following
explains exactly what these forms are.
OMEGA-3: The most common forms of Omega-3 are eicosapentaenioic
acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and
alpha-linolenic acid, which comes from plants and helps create
EPA and DHA. Omega-3 is usually derived from fish oils. Dr.
Roger Illingworth, associate professor of medicine and biochemistry
at Oregon Health Sciences University, explains that
Omega-3 fatty acids are “long-chained metabolic products from linolenic acid. . . When animals consume and metabolize plants
rich in linolenic acid, they produce Omega-3.” EPA and DHA
are liquid and remain that way, even at room temperature. It is
said that they protect fish by providing a body fat that stays
fluid even in cold temperatures.
OMEGA-6: The most common form of Omega-6 is is gammalinolenic
acid (GLA). GLA is known to provide the following
benefits, among many others:
1. Helps facilitate weight loss in overweight persons (but not in
people who do not need to lose any weight).
2. Reduces platelet aggregation (abnormal blood clotting).
3. Helps reduce symptoms of depression and schizophrenia.
4. Alleviates premenstrual syndrome symptoms.
5. May help alcoholics overcome their addiction.
Omega-6 is usually found in plant sources. The oils of coldwater
fish such as salmon, bluefish, herring, tuna, mackerel and
similar fish are known as Omega-3 fatty acids. The freshpressed
oils of many raw seeds and nuts contain Omega-6 fatty
acids. The most popular sources of Omega-3 and Omega-6
include:
BLACK CURRANT SEED OIL: This oil is rich in linoleic acid (44%)
and provides almost twice as much gamma-linolenic acid as
evening primrose oil. Black currant seed oil also is an excellent
source of an Omega-3 precursor known as stearidonic acid ...
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