Omega Fatty Acids
Are You Afraid of Fat? Many people are! Have you ever purchased the low or no fat version of a food? Did you know that fat is simply replaced by sugar in these products? Examples: Low or No Fat product (calories) 2 Tablespoons Reduced Fat Peanut Butter (187) Small, low fat blueberry muffin (131) Fat free vanilla frozen yogurt (100) Full Fat regular product (calories) 2 Tablespoons Regular Peanut Butter (191) Small, regular blueberry muffin (138) Whole milk vanilla frozen yogurt (104) Calories Saved 4 7 4
All Fat is Not Bad. Some kinds of fats are healthy and good for you Avoid the fats that are unhealthy and increase your risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic diseases Your Body MUST have fat. Therefore. Give it Healthy Fats! Fats are needed to help the intestines absorb fat soluble vitamins create energy (1 gram of fat provides 9 calories of energy) help regulate body temperature form healthy cells (cell membrane is made of fat) protect vital organs and hold them in place
So how do I know if it is a healthy fat? Simple. Is it a natural fat or a processed fat? Natural fats are primarily from animal protein (beef, pork, chicken, etc), or nuts, or fruit (avocado, olives, etc) in their unaltered form! Processed fats have been changed hydrogenated to make fully or partially hydrogenated trans fat Hydrogenation is a chemical process in which hydrogen atoms are added to a liquid vegetable fat to change it to a solid (example: margarine)
Avoid Hydrogenated Trans Fats Biggest culprits are processed foods Frozen foods, especially pizza, desserts, pot pies, breaded fish sticks Prepackaged soup cups Cake and biscuit mixes Microwave popcorn Chips and crackers Cookies and candy Margarine for each teaspoon of margarine consumed each day, risk of heart disease was found to be raised by 10% Long-term margarine consumption by women was associated with a 67% increased risk of heart disease
Fill Up on the Essential Fatty Acids - These are the Good Guys! Essential means that you must consume foods containing these fats your body cannot make them Some of the most important essential fatty acids are the omega fatty acids Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9 are all essential fatty acids Omega fatty acids reduce inflammation, keep your skin healthy, are necessary for brain development and function, fight cancer, prevent arthritis, and more! Most Americans consume 16-30 times as much omega-6 as omega-3 (16:1 or 30:1) Americans use a lot of vegetable oils, which contain high levels of Omega-6
Why is High Omega-6 and Low Omega-3 a Problem? While necessary for you, too much omega-6 can cause inflammation and pain For the best health results try for just a little more omega-6 than omega-3 A more balanced 4:1 or less ratio reduces risk of dying from heart disease by 70% Also reduces inflammation, colon and breast cancer risk, and more! Did you know? Trans-fats interfere with how omega fatty acids are metabolized and make them less available to the body. Another reason to avoid trans fats!!
How do I know if I need more fatty acids? 99% of people in the United States do not get enough omega-3 fatty acids so you probably need more! Some signs of omega fatty acid deficiency Dry skin and hair Depression and/or anxiety Fatigue Dry eyes and dry mucous membranes Brain fog
How to get more Omega-3 Number one food source of omega-3 fatty acids: cold water fish such as SALMON Why? Contains omega-3 as EPA and DHA the specific forms of these fats as they are used by your body How much do you need? Ideally, eat cold water fish at least twice a week HOWEVER fish are polluted with heavy metals, PCB and toxins Women who are, or plan to be, pregnant should minimize intake of fatty fish
Why Fish OIL isn t the best choice either Omega-3 fats are carried on triglycerides (a type of fat) Triglycerides are inefficient carriers so high dosage level required High levels of triglycerides themselves are considered a risk for heart disease Require high level of processing: frozen for transport, thawed, and subjected to high heat, pressing, chemical solvents, and distillation Can be contaminated with heavy metals and other toxins, just like fish Processing, spiking with artificial levels of EPA/DHA, and triglycerides make the oil unstable and rancid Fish burps Likely to cause inflammation and damage, not relieve it
Here s what consumers have to say about fish oil: 40% of consumers who are interested in omega-3 supplements would prefer NOT to take as a fish oil Biggest turnoffs: bad taste bad aftertaste fishy burps bad smell large capsule size NutraIngredietnts.com. The Yuck Factor? US Survey reveals consumer demand for omega-3s minus the fish. Available at: http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/consumer-trends/the-yuck-factor-us-survey-reveals-consumer-demand-for-omega-3s-minus-thefish/?utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter%2bdaily&c=4b%2bherxccwjqprfxct44zq%3d%3d
Tableted omega-3 from salmon A tablet form of omega-3 from salmon is an ideal way to get omega-3 Omega-3 bound to phospholipids, not triglycerides Efficient transport; well-absorbed allows for smaller dosage Phospholipids are very healthy for the body, especially the brain Minimal processing no heat, pressing or chemical solvents Very sustainable fish are wild-farmed Healthy environment in natural ocean water No danger of over-fishing the wild salmon population From the head, not the body of the fish where the toxins are concentrated - very clean and pure Solid form not an oil so no problems with rancidity or aftertaste
Vectorization
What about fish farms? Three common sources of fish Inland fish farms Hole in the ground; very dirty; fish fed artificial diets Wild caught salmon Sustainability concerns Wild-farmed salmon Ocean water clean, natural diets Managed population so no danger of overfishing Nothing is wasted fillets are for food, heads are for supplements
What about other sources like KRILL or FLAX?
Who Can Benefit from Phospholipid Omega-3? Children especially kids with ADD/ADHD Pregnant women Developing fetal brain needs omega-3 and phospholipids, not triglycerides and heavy metals People with Diabetes (fish OIL has been shown to have adverse effects on blood sugar levels) History of heart disease or high blood pressure Concerns about brain function Fatigue or other symptoms of fatty acid deficiency Allergies, Asthma, or any inflammatory problem