Nutritional News
Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s)
Essential fatty acids are another important
contributor to our health. They are called
“essential” because your body cannot
function properly without them; your body
cannot produce them on its own and
therefore required to be supplied by your
diet. The two essential fatty acids are
omega-3 (alpha-linoleic acid) and omega6 (linolenic acid).
Deficiencies in these fatty acids lead to
decreased immune function, depression,
mood swings, and memory loss as well as
hair and skin problems. Documented
benefits from adequate intakes of essential
fatty acids include reduced incidence of
heart disease and stroke and relief from
symptoms associated with ulcerative colitis,
menstrual pain and joint pain.
Omega-6 fatty acids compete with
omega-3 fatty acids for use in the body
and therefor excessive intake of omega-6
fatty acids can inhibit omega-3. It’s
important that you are getting these
essential fatty acids in the right ratio.
Omega-6 fatty acids are found in foods
such as leafy vegetables, seeds, nuts,
grains and vegetable oils (corn, safflower,
soybean and sunflower). If your diet
provides adequate amounts of this fatty
acid then there is not too much planning
required. Your body needs Omega-3 fatty
acids daily and may require a little more
planning to ensure you’re getting the
adequate amounts. Omega-3 fatty acids
are derived from linolenic acid. The
principal omega-3 is alpha-linolenic acid
(ALA), which is then converted into
eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and
docosahexaenonic acid (DHA) by the
body.
This makes ALA the only essential omega3 fatty acid and concentrated amounts
can be found in foods such as flax seeds,
walnuts, pumpkin seeds and canola oil.
The recommended daily amount of
essential fatty acids vary widely between
experts but all can agree that everyone is
different and has different needs. Your
healthcare provider is a good person to
discuss your personal needs however a
good “rule of thumb” you can use is that
essential fatty acids can make up 3% to
6% of your daily caloric intake. Of this
percentage, it is also recommended that
you consume 2 to 4 times more omega-6
fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids.
Cooking, Processing & Storage
Omega-3 fatty acids are very susceptible
to free radical damage such as oxidation,
light or heat. In order to reduce the
effects of damage, foods that are rich in
omega-3 should be stored in the
refrigerator or freezer in a sealed
container. This includes foods such as fish,
dairy, eggs and meat but also plant foods
like nuts and seeds. High temperatures
can strip foods of their essential fatty
acids which is why raw nuts are a better
choice than roasted. Smaller seeds such
as flax or chia can be difficult to chew
and therefor easier for the body to digest
if they are ground. Keep in mind that
grinding seeds will reduce their shelf life so
storage in a sealed container becomes
even more important.
Effects of Low Fat Diets
Your body requires a certain amount of
the right fat to function and when you
don’t get enough it works to manufacture
the fat for you – typically from
carbohydrates. Your body begins to
crave carbohydrates, which usually leads
to over-eating. Simply put consuming
foods that are rich in essential fatty acids
will turn down the genes that produce fat
and turn up those that burn it.
Resources:
Pcrm.org
Erasmus – Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill, 1999
Veganhealth.org
Fitday.com
Volu me
6│I ssue
8
│
Jun e ,
2016
Fun Food Facts!
When the 2 EFA’s were discovered
in 1923, they were designated
“vitamin F” but in 1929, research on
rats showed that they are better
classified as fats rather than
vitamins
Did You Know?
Flaxseeds are the most
concentrated source of
alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).
One teaspoon of flaxseed
oil contains 2.5g of ALA
and one tablespoon of
ground flaxseeds contains
1.6g of ALA.
If flaxseeds are not
ground, they will not be
digested by the body.
Ground flaxseeds an d
flaxseed oil should be
stored in an air tight
container in the
refrigerator.
Cooking with flaxseed oil
will damage the ALA so it’s
best to use it on salads or
warm toast in place of
butter.
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