We have gotten a great deal of information warning us about
our intake of fat. We have been told for a long time that
fats are bad. Food store shelves are full of "fat-free"
foods. We have not gotten enough information about good
fats. The good fats that are essential for us to live.
Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) is the good fat that we need.
Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) are accurately named because
they are essential for our health. Our bodies do not
produce EFA so we must get them from our food or through
natural nutritional supplements. Since we are eating more
processed foods than ever we do not get the amounts of
Omega 3 & 6 that we need. Processed foods are stripped of
their Omega 3 content to allow for those foods to have a
longer shelf life. Many of the good fats in our diets have
been partially or fully hydrogenated (saturated) to make
cholesterol-free replacement for fat. Omega 3 and omega 6
are polyunsaturated fats that our bodies can easily
"recognize" and use to keep us alive and well.
We know that we are experiencing EFA deficiency when we
experience skin problems such as dry, eczema, dandruff,
poor wound healing, excess sweating, loss of pigment,
and/or weak blood vessels i.e. bruising. Other signs of EFA
deficiency are obesity, high cholesterol, poor sugar
metabolism, hormone imbalance, PMS, ADHD, depression,
autism, behavioral disturbance, enlarged kidneys or kidney
failure, blood in our urine, shrinking of our pancreas,
and/or shrinking of our salivary and tear glands.
The American Heart Association recommends that people with
heart disease consume at least one gram of omega 3 fatty
acid per day. They recommend that we eat at least two
servings of fish per week because fish are rich in omega 3.
Unfortunately, fish has been very contaminated with
environmental toxins, mercury and dioxines which are a
potential health hazard to us, especially if we are a
pregnant mother or a young person under 16 years of age.
Therefore it would seem to be a safer alternative for us to
rely on natural supplements such as flaxseed oil or
primrose oil and properly filtered and metal/toxin free
natural fish oils to receive the EFA that we need.
So why do we need essential fatty acids i.e. good fat? We
need essential fatty acids to manufacture and repair cell
membranes, to help our cells get maximum nutrition, and to
eliminate harmful waste products.. EFA are essential for
the production of prostaglandins that regulate heart rate,
blood pressure, blood clotting and immune system
functioning to fight inflammation and infection. EFAs are
essential for our children to grow properly and especially
in developing their neurological development and sensory
system.
Those of us who supply our diets with adequate amounts of
omega 3 essential fatty acid have higher HDL i.e. "Good
cholesterol levels. Omega 3 helps in the production of EPA
(eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)
which actually reduces LDL i.e."bad" cholesterol and
triglycerides. This is especially important for our
cardiovascular health and in lowering high blood
pressure/hypertension. Keeping our blood pressure lowers
our risk of stroke. This is because omega 3 helps reduce
the development of plaque and blood clots that clog
arteries that often lead to heart disease and heart attack.
When we have high triglycerides and low HDL levels we are
at risk for diabetes. Omega 3 essential fatty acid lowers
triglycerides and raises HDL levels as well as regulating
blood sugar. People who are overweight suffer from poor
blood sugar control, diabetes and high cholesterol. When
following a weight loss program, it is important for us to
supplement our diet with a proper amount of EFA.
Essential Fatty Acids are reported in numerous studies to
reduce inflammation and pain in joints, reduce morning
stiffness and enable people suffering from rheumatoid
arthritis to reduce the medication they had been taking for
pain and discomfort. Essential Fatty Acids help increase
levels of calcium in our bodies and improve our bone
strength. This is especially important for people
suffering from osteoporosis. Omega 3 essential fatty acid
has been shown to increase grip strength and enhance
walking ability in people suffering from osteoarthritis and
osteoporosis.
Essential Fatty Acids are especially important for
efficient brain function. People who have increased their
intake of omega 3 fatty acid have experienced natural
depression relief. People with Manic Depression (Bipolar
Disorder) reported fewer and shorter mood swings and
recurrence of either full depression or mania. People with
schizophrenia experience an improvement with the use of
Omega 3 essential fatty acid. Children who suffer Attention
Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) experienced reduction
of learning difficulties and behavior problems (e.g. anger
and sleep disturbance) when increasing their intake of
essential fatty acids. People suffering from anorexia
nervosa i.e. eating disorders, have experienced a reduction
in symptoms and lessened their compulsive tendencies. For
those of us not suffering from any particular emotional or
cognitive disorders, we will find that essential fatty
acids improve our ability to concentrate, recall, be
emotionally centered and calm, experience more restful
sleep and cope more easily with normal everyday stress.
Other benefits of essential fatty acids is the reduction of
disorders and protection of our skin, improvement in our
intestinal health (i.e. reduction of bowel inflammation,
easy elimination, reduction in Crohn's disease and
ulcerative colitis), reduction of asthma symptoms and
respiratory ease, reduction and prevention of macular
degeneration and vision improvement, enhancement of wound
healing (e.g. burns, cuts, etc) and improvement in hormonal
balance e.g reduction of menstrual pain and PMS symptoms.
Studies are now being conducted, with promising results, to
determine the specific benefits of essential fatty acids in
preventing and treating breast cancer and prostate cancer.
Primary evidence in other studies of omega 3 essential
fatty acid indicate improvement in protecting against
infections and treatment of conditions such as ulcers,
migraine headaches, preterm labor, emphysema, psoriasis,
glaucoma, Lyme disease, lupus and panic attacks. Other
studies have shown that essential fatty acids increase
energy, performance, stamina, muscle development and
repair, fatigue reduction, strengthening of immune system,
cell growth and activity and appearance i.e. beautiful
hair, skin and nails.
Given all the evidence of the health benefits we receive
from essential fatty acids and the climate of processed
foods and anti-fat warnings, it would be well advised for
us to take care of ourselves by supplementing our diet with
essential fatty acid supplements i.e. flaxseed oil and
primrose oil and clean metal/toxin free natural fish oil
supplements.
----------------------------------------------------
Jenny has more than twenty years experience with all
natural health care products. More information about
Essential Fatty Acids is available at =>
http://www.sweetmedicineessentials.com/amino-acids-essential
-fatty-acids-c-13.html
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