Essential Fatty Acids

Fatty acids are the building blocks of fats in the same way as amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Many can be manufactured in the body from other fatty acids and by the conversion of sugar in the liver.

Those that can't and therefore must be provided in the diet are called "essential fatty acids".

Essential fatty acids are divided into two groups, namely Omega-3 and Omega-6. All essential fatty acids are naturally polyunsaturated, and the 3 or 6 in the name tells you that the first double bond on the molecule is 3 or 6 carbons from the end.

Essential fatty acids that MUST be included in the diet include the following:

Linoleic acid (LA) (omega-6)

Arachidonic acid (AA) (omega-6)

Gamma linolenic acid (GLA) (omega-6)

Dihomogamma linolenic acid (DGLA) (omega-6)

Alpha linolenic acid (LNA or ALA) (omega-3)

Eicosapentenoic acid (EPA) (omega-3)

Docosahexanoic acid (DHA) (omega-3)

Whilst the Omega-6 essential fatty acids are abundant in all sorts of vegetable oils and meats, the omega-3's are much harder to come by. They can be found in oily fish (salmon, mackerel, trout) as ell as some seeds and nuts, including walnuts, flax seeds and pumpkin seeds. Unfortunately, however, most of us are not including enough of these items in our diet - if we are including any at all!

A recent study discovered that, in the USA, 25% of adults tested had so little Omega-3 essential fatty acids in their blood that they were undetectable.

Hang on, 25 percent of the population in the country with the biggest incidence of depression, other psychiatric "illness", aggression, murder and childhood "behavioural issues" have absolutely NONE of the fat which makes up 50% of the brain and covers every nerve fibre - could there be a correlation here?

You bet there is!

Lack of Omega-3 essential fatty acids have been directly linked to ALL of the above, as well as birth weight of babies, low gestational age at birth (prematurity), incidence of Ischemic heart disease and longevity.

What is worse is that lack of these essential fatty acids in your blood strongly suggests that you are eating the wrong kind of fats, as well as omitting the right ones.

What can you do about it.

Firstly, you can try to add into your diet the foods that contain Omega-3 essenial fatty acids, listed above, to which can be added grass-fed beef (grain-fed beef has NO omega-3 content). In doing this, bear in mind that some Governments, such as the UK are now recommending that you eat no more than 200g of sea-fish a week, due to the levels of the toxins dioxin and mercury in fish, especially fish livers, where toxins concentrate.

Secondly, and this goes for most people, you should add a high-quality omega-3 supplement to your diet. Be sure that the fish oil used to produce it is from sources that filter out all the toxins (we only know of one manufacturer that uses this expensive process, but charges no more for their oil than others), is PURE Omega-3 and is not diluted with other oils, e.g. vegetable oils.

Essential qualities of Omega-3 essential Fatty acids

Make sure it is PURE Omega-3

Check it is undiluted

Ask if dioxin has been removed

Pregnancy warning.

By the time most mothers come to term, their bodies are completely exhausted of the Omega-3 essential fatty acids DHA and EPA, which are the main building blocks of the baby's brain and nerves. For a healthy baby, and to help prevent premature birth you MUST include these supplements in your diet, taking note of the required qualities above.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are one of the three main types of foods, known as macronutrients, along with proteins and fats. The Western diet is high in carbohydrates, both raw and refined. In fact, many health professionals and weight loss "experts" say we should eat more carbohydrates and less protein and fat.Unfortunately, it's not quite that simple. Unlike people, carbohydrates are not all created equal. You may already be familiar with the concept of simple carbohydrates, like fruits and the equally accepted concept of "complex" carbohydrates such as rice, pasta and potatoes.

Although this is one way to differentiate, we believe there is a much more important method, which has massive implications for health, weight-management and disease prevention.

Simple carbohydrates

Fruit and vegetable sugars

Sucrose (sugar)

"Complex" carbohydrates

Starchy foods (like potatoes)

Grain and grain products (pasta, bread)

Rice

But before we get to that (click here if you can't wait), let's start with the basics.

Carbohydrates are generally simple compounds and contain only carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. They are all eitehr a single sugar (or monosaccharide) or a chain of conected sugar molecules (or polysaccharides). Simple sugars include fructose, glucose and sucrose, whilst examples of polysaccharides include starch and gums. The difference between simple sugars is purely the position of the oxygen atom on the ring of carbons.

In the body, all carbohydrates are broken down (and/or chemically converted) to their simplest form - glucose, which is the "fuel" of preference in the body and is required day and night, awake or asleep for brain function. Sugar levels therefore have to be regulated so that, even when food is not present, the brain gets the glucose it needs. When the body loses control of blood sugar, major problems occur, which will quickly lead to death if not corrected. The inability of the body to control blood sugar in known as diabetes.

Diabetes is increasing in the UK and USA at an incredible rate and is already blamed for using over 10% of all health care resources. Recent estimates suggest that within the next 20 years or so, this will increase to 30% of ALL health care costs. Clearly something has to be done about this.

In fact, it's really quite simple, but requires a change in approach from the authorities and a recognition that fat intake isn't the only important thing in weight control (diabetes is closely associated with obesity).

Glycaemic index (glycemic index if you are in the USA)

Glycaemic index is the term used to determine how quickly carbohydrates release their sugar into the blood. Some carbs release their sugar very quickly and cause blood sugar to "spike" sharply, whilst others release their sugar more slowly, elevating sugar to a lesser degree but for a longer time.

This is important, because the body regulates the level of blood sugar through a complicated series of chemicals and hormones, the principle one of which is insulin. High blood sugar stimulates release of lots of insulin, which makes the liver convert sugar to fat. (and you thought it was fat intake that counted....read on)

Diabetes is caused by the repeated release of increasing amounts of unsulin as the tissues get used to it and begin to respond to it less and less, creating insulin resistance. This is the first step to diabetes, in which the pancreas (where insulin is made) "gives up" and stops insulin production altogether. The result is a total loss of control of blood sugar - diabetes. (click here for more information on diabetes, how to prevent it and natural treatments)

Glycaemic index (GI) is explained in more detail here, but it should be clear from even the bief explanation above that it can have a major impact on health. Not only can diabetes be caused by consumption of too much high GI foods, it is this and NOT over consumption of fats that is responsible for the increasing level of obesity seen in the Western world, especially obesity in children.

Conversely, it is quite possible to minimise both your weight and your chances of developing diabetes by keeping a close eye on the GI of what you eat. People who eat a low GI diet, especially a low-grain diet stand a significantly reduced risk of these, and other diseases.Carbohydrates have come in for a bashing lately, mostly because of the Atkins diet. This radical diet proposes cutting out carbs together and replacing them with protein. Whilst this can be effective in radically reducing weight, it can also be very dangerous.

As a rule, diets are a bad idea anyway, as they are usually followed by a return to your previous regimen which quickly leads to weight gain. The only way to consistently lost and keep off weight is to change what you eat - permanently. Click here to find out more about weight control.