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Essential Fatty Acids
(EFAs) · Sources · Effects · Summary Omega-3 and Omega-6 "There are two essential fatty acids - commonly
referred to as Omega-3…and Omega-6…- that are indeed essential
for life because they are vitally involved in the proper functioning of
every cell, tissue and organ in the human body. The Omega-6 EFAs are
distributed evenly in most tissues, but Omega-3 EFAs are concentrated in a
few tissues including the brain. More specifically, a substance termed
…(DHA), converted from Omega-3 EFAs, is the most abundant Omega-3 EFA in
the brain. The brain has the greater percentage of fat than any other organ
in the body - 20% of the dry weight of the brain makes up EFA. We are, in
fact, all 'fat heads'! (Stordy, 2000:83)." ILT: Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) EFAs and Vitamins "Like vitamins, EFAs are essential to health. Older
literature, in fact, refers to them as vitamin F. Vitamins and EFAs are
essential because: ·
We must have them to live
and to be healthy. ·
Our bodies cannot make
them from other
substances. ·
We must obtain an adequate
supply from external sources—from food or from supplements. ·
Deficiency results in gradual deterioration of
cells and tissues, and ultimately, in death. ·
Increasing the intake to adequate
levels reverses the signs brought about by deficiency." The Edelson Center: Essential Fatty Acids: The Healing
Fats EFAs are
Macronutrients "While EFAs are like vitamins in their essentiality, they
differ in other respects. Vitamins are required in small amounts (mg/day).
EFAs are macronutrients, necessary in grams/day." The Edelson Center: Essential Fatty Acids: The Healing
Fats "Of approximately fifty known essential nutrients, LA has
the highest daily requirement. The amount needed varies with ·
season, ·
latitude, ·
levels of activity and
stress, ·
nutritional state, and ·
individual differences." The Edelson Center: Essential Fatty Acids: The Healing
Fats ·
"One to two percent of
calories (1 tsp., 3 to 6 grams/day) prevent signs of deficiency in most
healthy adults. ·
LA optimums are around 3 to 6 percent of calories (1 tbsp., 9
to 18 grams/day), requiring about 30 IU[international units] of vitamin E. ·
Obese people and those
eating hard fats, sugar, and trans-fatty acids require more. Nutrients essential for LA functions include ·
magnesium, ·
selenium, ·
zinc, and ·
vitamins A, carotene,
B3, B6, C and E." The Edelson Center: Essential Fatty Acids: The Healing
Fats ·
"An adult carries
about 10- kilograms of body fat. About 1 kilogram (2.2 lbs.) is LA. ·
Vegetarians’ bodies carry up to 25
percent of their body fat as LA. ·
People with degenerative
disease average only about 8 percent of their body fat as
LA." The Edelson Center: Essential Fatty Acids: The Healing
Fats "Alpha-linolenic acid (LNA) optimums range between
2 and 9 grams (1 or 2 tsp.) per day, averaging 2 percent of daily
calories." The Edelson Center: Essential Fatty Acids: The Healing
Fats "Body content in healthy people is around 2
percent of fat, or 200 grams (half a pound) of LNA." The Edelson Center: Essential Fatty Acids: The Healing
Fats "LNA requires the same antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins
necessary for LA functions." The Edelson Center: Essential Fatty Acids: The Healing
Fats Note:
There may be some confusion in the following excerpts. Some ratios described
as omega-3 to omega-6 may actually be omega-6 to omega-3, and vice versa.
More accurate information about requirements can be found in theEFA Requirements
section. Healthy Populations "Omega 3 to omega 6 ratios in healthy populations range
from 1:2.5 (Inuit diets) to 6:1 (other traditional diets). Since 1850, omega
3 consumption has decreased to one-sixth its traditional level, resulting in
an omega 6 to omega 3 ratio of 20:1 (contemporary polyunsaturated oil diets),
associated with degenerative conditions." The Edelson Center: Essential Fatty Acids: The Healing
Fats "It has not yet been determined how much EFAs we
should ingest every day. However, it seems that in the past, the ratio of
omega-6 to omega-3 in the human diet was about 1:1." ILT: Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) Recommendations "If a person has cancer, inflammatory conditions, or needs to lose weight,
omega 3 should be favored. Otherwise, an omega 6 to omega 3 [should probably
say 3 to 6, not 6 to 3] ratio between 1:2 and 1:3 is suitable." The Edelson Center: Essential Fatty Acids: The Healing
Fats ·
Nutrition: Essential Fatty Acid (EFA) Sources Conversion
of Omega-6s "LA and its derivatives belong to the omega 6 family of
polyunsaturates. In addition to linoleic acid (LA), this family
includes ·
gamma-linoleic acid (GLA),
·
dihomogamma-linolenic acid
(DGLA), and ·
arachidonic acid (AA).
If LA is provided by foods, our cells make GLA, DGLA, and AA." The Edelson Center: Essential Fatty Acids: The Healing
Fats Conversion
of Omega-3s "LNA and its derivatives belong to an omega 3 family of
superunstaurates. Besides alpha-linolenic acid (LNA), this family
includes ·
stearidonic acid (SDA),
·
eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA),
and ·
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
If LNA is provided by foods, our cells make SDA, EPA and DHA."
The Edelson Center: Essential Fatty Acids: The Healing
Fats Inhibition
of EFA Conversion ·
"Bad fats (margarines, shortenings, trans-fatty
acids, hard fats, sugar and cholesterol), ·
lack of minerals (magnesium, selenium, zinc) and ·
[lack of ] vitamins (B3, B6, C, E), ·
viruses, ·
obesity, ·
diabetes, ·
aging, and ·
rare genetic mutations can all
inhibit omega 6 [and omega 3] conversion." The Edelson Center: Essential Fatty Acids: The Healing
Fats Inhibition of Omega-6 Conversion "[if omeaga-6 conversion is inhibited] an oil containing
omega 6 derivatives can help. GLA is
present in ·
evening primrose, ·
borage, and ·
black currant seed. DGLA is
found in ·
mother’s milk. AA is
found in ·
meats, ·
eggs, and ·
dairy products." The Edelson Center: Essential Fatty Acids: The Healing
Fats Inhibition of Omega-3 Conversion "When the conversion of EFAs to their derivatives is inhibited
by the factors listed above, DHA from ·
black currant seed oil, or EPA and DHA
from ·
fish oils and ·
northern ocean algae can be given." The Edelson Center: Essential Fatty Acids: The Healing
Fats ·
EFA Deficiency: Omega-3 Deficiency: Effects "As structural components of membranes, EFAs help form a barrier
that keeps ·
foreign molecules, ·
viruses, ·
yeasts, ·
fungi, and ·
bacteria outside of
cells, and keeps the cell’s ·
proteins, ·
enzymes, ·
genetic material, and ·
organelles (small
organs) inside.
They also help regulate the traffic of substances in and out of our
cells via protein channels, pumps, and other mechanisms. They perform similar functions in
membranes that surround organelles within our cells. EFAs fulfill many
functions: ·
Regulate oxygen use,
electron transport, and energy production—our cells’ most
important moment-to-moment processes. ·
Help form red blood
pigment (hemoglobin) from simpler substances. ·
Keep juice-producing (exocrine)
and hormone-producing (endocrine) glands active. ·
Help make joint
lubricants. ·
Are precursors of prostaglandins (PGs),
three families of short lived, hormone-like substances that regulate
A delicate balance between PGs
with opposing functions, in part determined by omega 6 and omega 3 intake,
determines the health of our cardiovascular system. ·
Help transport cholesterol. ·
Help generate electrical
currents that make our heart beat in orderly sequence. ·
Are precursors of
derivatives like DHA [a derivative of omega-3], which are
needed by the most active tissues—
·
Help our immune system
fight infections by enhancing peroxide production. ·
Help prevent the
development of allergies. EFAs play a role in every life process in our body. Life without
them is impossible. When foods are EFA-poor, expect a diversity of health
problems." The Edelson Center: Essential Fatty Acids: The Healing
Fats "This definition of essentiality reflects the fact that
essential nutrients perform key functions in our cells and tissues that
the body cannot live without. EFAs play their essential roles by: ·
Helping to form the membrane
barrier that surrounds our cells and intracellular factories
(organelles). ·
Determining fluidity and
chemical reactivity of membranes. ·
Increasing oxidation rate,
metabolic rate,and energy levels. ·
Serving as starting
material for hormone-like regulating molecules (prostaglandins) that
govern cell activities on a moment-to-moment basis." The Edelson Center: Essential Fatty Acids: The Healing
Fats "The value of LA [the omega 6 EFA, linoleic acid]
and LNA [the omega 3 EFA, alpha-linolenic acid] to health results from
their chemical properties. EFAs react with oxygen (EFA-rich oils—flax,
hemp, safflower—were traditionally used in paints because they oxidize [oxidation
creates acidic waste products, butoxidation also provides energy that is
necessary for us to live], dry and harden quickly when exposed to air).
When fresh, these oils are valuable human foods. EFAs absorb sunlight,
increasing their ability to react with oxygen by about 1000-fold and
making them very active chemically. EFA molecules carry slight negative
charges that cause them to repel one another. They spread out in all
directions. This property enables EFAs to carry oil-soluble toxins from
deep within the body to the skin surface for eliminations [detoxification].
EFAs form associations with sulfhydryl group (cysteine) in proteins,
important in reactions that make possible the one-way movement of
electrons and energy on which life depends. EFAs store electric
charges that produce bio-electric currents important for ·
nerve, ·
muscle, and ·
cell membrane functions,
and ·
the transmission of
messages." The Edelson Center: Essential Fatty Acids: The Healing
Fats Chronic Illnesses "But just how to mend that situation remains controversial.
Omega-3's might worsen some chronic illnesses. (Check with a doctor if
you have such a condition before starting to take supplements.) The Food and
Drug Administration is now considering what quantity of omega-3's to
recommend; currently it has no recommendation but classifies three grams per
day as 'safe.'" WebMD: Fish Oil to Treat Depression? Too Much Fish, Farm-Raised Fish "'Unfortunately in our country eating too much fresh fish
is potentially dangerous because of possible mercury and pesticide levels,'
he explains. 'Farm-raised fish is perhaps safer, but depending on what they
are fed, the fish may not have the needed quantity of omega-3's.'" WebMD: Fish Oil to Treat Depression? "Hibbeln cautions that people should not take cod liver
oil in the quantity necessary to get three grams per day of omega-3's
because that much cod liver oil would contain dangerous levels of vitamin
A." WebMD: Fish Oil to Treat Depression? "You can buy capsules of fish oils in drug stores
and health-food stores, but I advise you not to use them. It is not
clear that they reproduce the benefits of whole fish, and they may
contain certain toxic contaminants. (Page 52)" Book: Weil,
Andrew, M.D. 8 Weeks to Optimum Health. Alfred A. Knoph, Inc., 1997. "But concerns have also been raised about the levels of contamination
in fish oil supplements. Regulators do not currently test the purity of
supplements." WebMD: Fish Oil to Treat Depression? Avoid Trans Fatty Acids ·
Arousal: Trans Fatty Acids (TFAs) Too Much Omega-6 "These days, the modern diet contains far more omega-6,
from oils used in the preparation of foods as well as green, leafy
vegetables and the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 has been calculated to be
as high as 20:1." ILT: Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) Low Fat Diets "To avoid the killer fats that we hear so much about, many
people have turned to low fat diets, decreasing their intake of the
healing fats required for life. Low fat diets, useful for atherosclerosis [a common arterial disease],
can kill you over the long term. Children are especially vulnerable to damage
from low fat diets. To balance the one-sided view on fats, we must talk about
essential fatty acids (EFAs)." The Edelson Center: Essential Fatty Acids: The Healing
Fats "Apart from these essential fatty acids, other
substances are classified as essential, which the human body is unable to
synthesise, and which must be absorbed by way of food. They include certain
amino acids, inorganic elements and vitamins." ILT:
Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) ·
"Healing fats, those
containing unspoiled EFAs, are vital to health. ·
Both EFAs must be obtained
from foods in an appropriate ratio. ·
Hard, hydrogenated, and
overheated (killer) fats
interfere with vital EFA functions. To unfold their health benefits, ·
EFAs must be fresh,
protected from destruction by light, oxygen, and heat, and ·
accompanied by the minerals
and vitamins required for their metabolism in the body. ·
Overheating, refining,
and hydrogenation destroys EFAs and their value to human health. ·
An adequate supply of
healing fats is even more important to health than the avoidance of killer
fats." The Edelson Center: Essential Fatty Acids: The Healing
Fats · Indoor Air
Pollution: Body Voltage: Suggestions: Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) |