Do you remember the low-fat/no-fat craze? Food manufacturers advertised an abundance of processed foods as being non-fat or low-fat and consumers ate it up. This is still going on to some degree and is greatly misleading to the public. Just because a food is low in fat does not mean it is healthy. In fact, we need fat in our diets to stay healthy. It is the type of fat that we are consuming and the ratio of each of those fats that is important to our health and longevity.
So, what should we eat, and in what proportion? Let’s start with the essential fats (EFAs). These fats are essential because we cannot make them in our bodies from any other food source, and therefore we need to get them in our diet. These are the omega 3 and omega 6 fats. Omega 3 fats, also known as linolenic acid, can be found in fish, flax and other marine oils. Omega 6 fats, also known as linoleic acid, can be found primarily in vegetable oils such as safflower, sunflower, corn, sesame, soybean, palm and canola oil. A subgroup of the omega 6 category is called gamma linolenic acid (GLA) which is found in evening primrose oil (EPO), borage oil and black current seed oil (BCSO).
In an effort to avoid saturated fat because of the perceived effect on cholesterol and blood lipids, Americans are consuming larger quantities of vegetable oils. Because of this, our ratio of omega 6 fats to omega 3 fats have gone up considerably. A healthy ratio for these fats is 2-4:1 omega 6 to omega 3 fats. On average, we are consuming a 20:1 ratio of these fats.
When the ratio of the omega 6 to omega 3 fats goes up we are predisposed to more chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, type II diabetes, clotting disorders, cancer, depression and various inflammatory and rheumatological disorders. Omega 6 fatty acids via enzyme activity can be converted to arachidonic acid which can promote inflammatory pathways. Omega 3 fatty acids are converted to DHA and EPA via the same enzymes as the omega 6 fats. These essential fats compete for the same enzymes to make their biochemical conversion which ultimately either inhibits or promotes inflammation.
If you are consuming an overabundance of omega 6 fats, you are more likely to convert those fats to arachidonic acid which promotes inflammation. However, if you consume your omega 6 fats in the GLA form of EPO, borage and BCSO, you will be less likely to convert those omega 6 fats to arachidonic acid. Consuming an adequate amount of omega 3 fats will, by competitive inhibition of the omega 6 conversion pathways, lead to the production of more EPA and DHA which results in less systemic inflammation.
The bottom line is to keep the essential fats in a proper ratio of 2-4:1 omega 6 to omega 3. Read the back of each bottle of essential fats that you purchase and make sure that you have this ratio. Some oils that I recommend are Udo’s Oil and Body Bio Balance Oil. Both can be found online. Take 2-4 tablespoons per day. These oils taste pleasant and can be mixed with salad dressings or put in a smoothie. I also recommend 2-4 capsules of high-quality fish oil and 3-6 capsules of evening primrose oil. These can be purchased at your local health food store.
The roles that essential fats play in our health are too numerous to mention, however, here is a short list of some of the main functions that a balanced presence of these oils can promote:
When it comes to diet and keeping your essential fats balanced, you need to avoid overindulging in foods that are rich in omega 6 fats. These are a lot easier to find in our foods than omega 3 fats. Other than cooking with some of the omega 6 oils listed above, you will tend to find an abundance of them in processed foods. This is another reason why avoiding processed food is essential to good health. When you cook, use olive oil, coconut oil or butter. Use salad dressings with olive oil rather than canola oil.
Keep your cells healthy and get adequate sources of essential fats in your diet – you will notice the difference.
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