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What are Essential Fats? Scientists have given
essential fats (a.k.a. essential fatty acids or EFAs)
their name because the body must have them to survive,
but cannot synthesize them from any other substance we
eat, so a direct food source is required. Hence, the
name essential.
There are many kinds of fats, but only two kinds of
essential fats: omega 3 (n-3 or w3) and omega 6 (n-6
or w6), both of which are unsaturated fats. Each EFA
is turned into several derivatives by the body, provided
enough n-3 and n-6, in the right ratio, and made with
health in mind, are supplied. All other fats, such as
omega 9 (monounsaturated), omega 7, and saturated fat,
are non-essential because the body can produce
them from sugars and starches.
Where do Essential Fats come from? Sources of
n-3s are flaxseeds and green leafy vegetables. The n-3 derivatives
EPA and DHA are found in high fat, cold water fish such
as albacore tuna, sardines, Atlantic halibut and salmon,
coho, pink and king salmon, Pacific and Atlantic
herring, Atlantic mackerel, and lake trout. Small
amounts of EPA and DHA n-3s are also found in oysters
and other shellfish.
N-6 is found in sesame and sunflower seeds and other
seeds and nuts. Land animal meats and fish are sources
of the n-6 derivative arachidonic acid (AA). The fish
listed above are preferred sources of n-3 and n-6
derivatives, because they are the richest sources, and
contain both, with more n-3s.
Why do we need Essential Fats? Just as a member
of a large family has many roles, essential fats serve
many functions in the complex workings of the human
body. Taken in the right amounts and ratios, and taken
from the right sources, essential fats:
- Increase energy, performance, and stamina.
EFAs help build muscle, prevent muscle break down,
and speed recovery from fatigue;
- Strengthen the immune system. EFAs make
hormone-like eicosanoids that regulate immune and
inflammatory responses. N-3s have anti-inflammatory
effects and can slow autoimmune damage;
- Lower most risk factors for cardiovascular
disease. EFAs (especially n3s)lower abnormally
high levels of blood pressure, triglycerides, Lp(a),
fibrinogen, tendency to clot formation, and
inflammation;
- Improve brain function: mood, intelligence ,
behavior, and vision. Our brain is over 60% fat,
and EFAs are important components of the entire
nervous system. They are necessary to make the
neurotransmitter serotonin. Depression and other
brain diseases show decreased levels of n-3;
- Regulate organs and glands. Liver and
kidneys, adrenal and thyroid glands, and the
production of male and female hormones need EFAs;
- Speed recovery and healing. EFAs are
necessary for cell growth and division. They form
all cell membranes and regulate vital cell activity;
- Support healthy child development. For
nervous system development, a growing fetus needs
optimum EFAs from the mother's body. Mothers become
depleted of EFAs during pregnancy, and need optimal
EFA intake for their health and their children's
optimum development;
- Improve digestion. Poorly digested foods
tie up the immune system and can cause gut
inflammation, leaky gut, and allergies. N-3s improve
gut integrity, and decrease inflammation and
"leaky gut";
- Decrease infection. EFAs have anti-fungal,
anti-yeast, and anti-microbial properties, helping
to protect against infections;
- Keep bones strong. EFAs aid in the
transport of minerals that keep bones and teeth
strong, helping to prevent osteoporosis;
- Aid in weight reduction. EFAs help keep
mood and energy up and suppress appetite, thereby
aiding in weight loss;
- Protect genetic material. EFAs regulate
gene expression, and n-3s inhibit tumor growth;
- Ease PMS. Studies indicate that n-6 (GLA)
intake was voted, by women, among the top three most
effective PMS treatments. N-3s may be even more
effective;
- Produce beautiful skin, hair, and nails.
Some of the first signs of EFA deficiency are dry,
flaky skin, dull hair, and brittle nails. N-3s can
help skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and
acne. Also, GLA (n-6 derivative) administration is
useful for some patients with atopic eczema.
By now, it may be clear that everybody needs
essential fats.
Since 1900, n-6 consumption has increased by about 20
times what it used to be because of an increase of
certain vegetable oil use in food preparation, while n-3
consumption is now only 1/6th of what it used to be.
That means that while both n-3s and n-6s are required by
every cell, we get too much n-6 and far too little
n-3. For this reason, research shows that n-3s help
in more than twice as many degenerative diseases than do
n-6s.
More recently (the last 20 years), 'low' fat, 'no'
fat, and 'fake' fat diets have been depriving people of
both essential fats. Deficiency leads to
deterioration of every cell, tissue, gland, organ and
organ system and, by extension, to symptoms of
deficiency that accompany loss of health.
Essential fats are easily damaged by light, air,
heat, metals, water, and time. Of all the essential
nutrients, essential fats are by far the most abused
because they are perishable, chemically unstable foods. Almost
all supermarket oils, including the oils used in
processed foods, have been damaged by destructive
processing techniques, including refining,
bleaching, overheating, and/or partial hydrogenation (a
process which produces deadly trans fats).
In 1994, a Harvard School of Public Health press release
warned the consumers on the dangers of eating trans
fatty acids found in margarines, commercially baked
goods, and deep-frying oils. On June 23, 1999, they
again announced a press release on the most recent trans
fat research. It was titled: "Harvard review of
evidence verifies that eating trans fats
increases risk of heart disease". Head author,
Alberto Ascherio, revealed that "...if trans
fats were replaced by unsaturated vegetable oils, we
would expect to see at least 30,000 fewer persons die
prematurely from CHD (coronary heart disease) each
year." That number was based on the United States
alone!
The n-3 essential fat alpha-linolenic acid (LNA) is
damaged 5 times more quickly than the n-6. This makes it
a manufacturer's nightmare, unless great care is taken
to protect it during manufacture, storage (and home use
too). Unfortunately, fish oils are destroyed 5 times
more rapidly than even LNA. This is why fish oils smell
and taste fishy (which is rancidity) and why eating
fresh fish at the sushi bar to get the health-benefiting
EPA and DHA is preferable to capsules of EPA or DHA-rich
oils.
Where do we get Undamaged Essential Fats? Oils
made with health in mind come from organically grown
seeds. They are pressed under protection from
heat, light, and oxygen; packaged in tightly sealed
brown glass bottles; placed in a light-excluding
box; and stored in the fridge. Oils made with
this care - the highest possible quality - are only
found in health food stores.
What is Udo's Choice Perfected 3, 6, 9 Oil Blend?
Made with exceptional care, this Oil Blend was developed
for people who want one product that gives them all the
good fats they need, without any of the bad fats they
should avoid.
How should we use Essential Fats? Used in the
right amounts and ratios, essential fats confer
invaluable health benefits. 1 to 5 Tbsp/day of Udo's
Choice Perfected 3, 6, 9 Oil Blend will make skin soft
and velvety. For serious conditions, seek advice of a
nutritionally trained health care professional.
Udo's Choice Oil Blend is compatible with all foods and
can be used with cold, warm, and hot (once off the
heat source) foods but must not be used for
frying, baking, or other high temperature cooking.
Favorite uses are in salads, protein shakes, yogurt,
juices, soups, on steamed vegetables, rice, and pastas,
and with balsamic vinegar for dipping.
Sealed Udo's Choice Oil Blend bottles can be kept for up
to eight months refrigerated and for over two years in
the freezer (oil shrinks when frozen so the glass
bottles will not break). For freshness, the oil is best
used within eight weeks of opening the bottle.
What makes Udo's Choice Oil Blend unique? Udo's
Choice Perfected (Ultimate) 3, 6, 9 Oil Blend is a certified
organic blend of guaranteed GMO-free, unrefined
edible oils. This unique blend delivers a reliable
source of the n-3 and n-6 essential fatty acids that are
essential to life. Based on 13 years of practical
experience with fats and oils, this formula is a 2:1:1
ratio of n-3: n-6: n-9, a combination most therapeutic
for the n-3-deficient, n-6-rich diets, as well as 'low'
and 'no' fat diets, common today. The Perfected Oil
Blend includes oils from fresh flax, sesame and
sunflower seeds, as well as oils from evening primrose,
rice germ and oat germ.
This blend is rich in GMO-free lecithin, which provides
the building materials for healthy cell membranes. The
formula includes medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) which
are easy to digest and assimilate, and tocotrienols
(from rice). MCTs are used directly by our cells as an
energy source without increasing fat deposits. Vitamin E
and rosemary oil (March 2000), both potent antioxidants,
are added to increase freshness and to act as scavengers
of free radical molecules in the body.
Carefully chosen, the seeds used to make Udo's Choice
Perfected 3, 6, 9 Oil Blend are pressed at a temperature
of less than 120°F (or 50°C) and, even more important,
in the absence of light and oxygen. Nitrogen-flushed,
amber glass bottles packaged in a box and found only in
the fridge or freezer, protects this Oil Blend from
potential damage by heat, light and oxygen, and helps to
ensure maximum freshness and stability.
Along with the invaluable health benefits blended
essential fats confer when taken internally, external
application has also proven to be of benefit for nice
skin. In the January 2000 issue of the UK fashion
magazine, Tatler, alternative health guru, Leslie
Kenton, explains "I cover my face and body
religiously with Udo's Choice Oil."
The Udo's Choice Perfected Oil Blend won the Gold Alive
Award each year it was entered, each time in a different
category (1996, 1997, 1999).
Udo's Choice (Certified Organic) Perfected 3, 6, 9
Oil Blend Ingredients:
- organic flax seed oil;
- organic sunflower seed oil;
- organic sesame seed oil;
- rice and oat germ oils;
- medium chain triglycerides (MCTs);
- organic evening primrose oil;
- lecithin (guaranteed GMO-free);
- vitamin E;
- antioxidants (tocotrienols); and
- rosemary oil (March 2000).
Naturally Occurring "Minor Ingredients":
- 65mg of phytosterols/tablespoon (lower cholesterol
and normalize immune function);
- lignans (beneficial phytoestrogens from flax);
- carotene; and
- tocotrienols and other seed specific antioxidants.
- hundreds of other oil-soluble, health-benefiting
phytonutrients
Available in 8.5oz. (250ml) and 17oz. (500ml) bottles
or in bottles of 90 and 180 capsules (1000 mg. capsules).
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©Udo Erasmus and Usha Menard. Use of educational
material without permission is strictly prohibited. Last
updated May 12, 2000. |
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