When the words oils and fats are mentioned, do you as a
health-conscious individual tend to run for cover? What
you may not realize is that there are good fats and bad
fats. Complete avoidance of oils and fats would actually
be detrimental - rather than beneficial - to your health.
When you avoid fats you are missing a whole group of fats
called Essential Fatty Acids. They are called essential
because your body can not create these fats on its own and
they are required for good health. You must obtain these
fats from the food you eat.
Essential fatty acids are divided into two families:
omega-6 and omega-3 EFAs. While there are only very slight
differences that distinguish the two groups of essential
fatty acids from each other their impact on your body is
dramatically different.
Studies have revealed that too much intake of omega-6 EFAs
can lead to inflammation, blood clotting and tumor growth.
The good news, however, is that the omega-3 EFAs provide
the counter balance to the effects of omega-6 EFAs.
There are several different types of omega-6 fatty acids.
Most omega-6 fatty acids are consumed in the diet as
linoleic acid. Linoleic acid comes from vegetable oils and
in the fat of commercially raised animals where it is
unnaturally high. Two common vegetable oils high in
omega-6 EFAs are corn and soy oils, both of which contain
high amounts of linoleic acid.
The three most nutritionally important omega 3 fatty acids
are alpha-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Omega-3 EFAs can be found in
fish oils, flaxseed oil, canola oil, walnut oil, and green
leafy vegetables. All of these being excellent sources of
alpha-linolenic acid. Generally fish oils are the best
source for EPA & DHA which is why these are so closely
associated with fish.
It should be noted that the most benefit is derived from
EPA & DHA. These fatty acids have been observed to provide
many special benefits to the human body. In the early
1970's, a study on Greenland Eskimos have revealed that one
of the major reasons why they rarely suffer from heart
diseases is because of their high-fat diet composed mainly
of fish.
Physicians and scientists are of the same opinion about the
causes behind the decreasing health of people today. This
decrease is happening despite the availability of better
health and fitness information. Cases of heart disease,
hypertension or high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes,
premature aging and certain kinds of cancer are on the rise
and they can be linked to the imbalanced intake of omega-3
and omega-6 EFAs.
Other Benefits of EPA/DHA
The two essential fatty acids, EPA and DHA, are incredibly
helpful in preventing atherosclerosis, heart attacks,
depression and various forms of cancer. Fish oil
supplements have also proven to be useful in treating
illnesses like rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, Raynaud's
disease and ulcerative colitis. There are a lot more
illnesses and situations in which the increased intake of
fish oil has proven to be significantly beneficial.
Naturally, it's in our best interests to keep our hearts
happy and healthy and one way of doing that is eating foods
that are high in omega-3 EFAs and in particular EPA & DHA.
In Athens, Greece, for instance, one study was conducted to
show if there was a direct relationship between a high fish
diet and inflammation of blood vessels. The results
revealed that those who ate the most fish had a lower level
of C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, two factors that
are commonly used to measure likelihood of blood vessel
inflammation. These benefits remained even when the
various risks associated with a high fish diet were taken
into account.
Hopefully I have done what I started out to do and you
understand the importance of returning the natural balance
of omega-3 and omega-6 EFAs to your diet. Increasing the
EPA & DHA you get through your diet whether through eating
more fish or supplementing with fish oils would be one of
the most beneficial things you can do for your health.
I've given a very short list of the positive effects of EPA
& DHA as they are too numerous to cover in this article.
Remember, nothing is good when consumed or used to excess
but complete avoidance of a particular food type is equally
harmful as well. Seek the assistance of a qualified
professional to get your diet on track to better health and
make sure that the regular consumption of omega-3, EPA and
DHA fatty acids are part of that plan.
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