Did you know that your brain is 50% fat? If we deprive ourselves of beneficial fats, we deprive the brain of the nutrients it needs to function. Deficient EFA's lead to an impaired ability to learn and recall information. Do you suppose there is a correlation between the past 30 years of low fat and no fat diet fads, to the increase in Alzheimers, dementia, and Attention Deficit Disorder?
What are essential fatty acids or EFA's? They are the building blocks of fats and oils. EFA's are essential for rebuilding and producing new cells in the body. They are called essential because they are not made by the body and MUST be obtained from the diet.
What do essential fatty acids do? They improve the skin and hair with anti-viral effects. EFA's may prevent arthritis by decreasing inflammation. They lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels; and improve artery integrity. EFA's aid in the transmission of nerve impulses and the functioning of the brain.
How do we increase the EFA's in our diet or with supplements? Essential fatty acids, particularly the omega-3's, are found in deep water fish, fish oil, flax oil, and walnut oil. The omega-6's are found in raw nuts, seeds, legumes, unsaturated vegetable oils, borage oil, grape seed oil, evening primrose oil, sesame oil, and soybean oil. It is best to have a ratio of 4/1...omega-3's/omega-6's for adequate prostaglandins. Prostaglandins regulate: inflammation, pain, swelling, blood pressure, heart/gastrointestinal/kidney functions, blood clotting, allergic response, steroid and hormone production.
What causes a deficiency of essential fatty acids? Excessive consumption of omega-6 oils, trans-fatty acids, or hydrogenated oils. Hydrogenated oils are found in most refined and processed foods, breads, cakes, candies, canned soups, cereals, cookies, doughnuts, processed cheese, and snack foods. Hydrogenated oils are in margarine, canola, corn, safflower, sesame, sunflower, and walnut oils. Hydrogenated oils are associated with: low birth weight, low quality breast-milk, abnormal sperm, decreased testosterone in men, prostate and heart disease, obesity, suppression of the immune system, cancers, and raised LDL/lowered HDL cholesterol levels.
What destroys essential fatty acids? Heat! Worse, it causes free radicals. So be careful not to heat good oils such as flax oil. However, olive oil is fine for cooking at lower temperatures.
Improve your brain...take a fish or flax oil supplement daily!
No comments:
Post a Comment