How Can Fat Be Essential?

How Can Fat Be Essential?

By Garry Gamber

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���� Did you know that some fats are essential to the body?� Yes, there are some fats that our body cannot produce which means that we must get them from our food.� Perhaps you've heard of omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids.� These are both considered essential and must be supplied by the foods we eat.

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���� What do they do?� Well, the omega-3 fatty acid, for example is used for the production of healthy cell membranes and for the production of a class of hormones called prostaglandins.� You know how aspirin and acetominophen are anti-inflammatories?� So are the prostaglandins that our bodies produce from omega-3 fatty acids.

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���� Now, we need the omega-3's and the omega-6's to be in the proper combination to be most effective to us.� Empirical evidence shows that the proper ratio is about 4:1 between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.� What do you suppose our average diet gives us?� About a 20:1 and up to a 40:1 ratio; not even close to the optimal ratio.

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���� Why is the balance so out of whack?� Well, our normal diets are rich in omega-6 fatty acids.� We get them from meats, dairy products, and processed foods.� We eat a lot of those foods on average.� We get omega-3 fatty acids from certain vegetable oils such as flaxseed, canola, and soybean.� And we get omega-3 fatty acids from cold-water fish such as mackerel, sardines, salmon, and tuna.

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���� Eat more fish!� You've heard that said before, and now you know why.

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���� Especially the salmon.� It is especially rich in the beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.� Salmon , or any of the other omega-3 rich fish (but what tastes better than good salmon?) should be consumed at least once a week.

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���� In order to get the omega-6 vs. omega-3 ratio in order, decrease your consumption of the saturated fat from meats and dairy products and increase your consumption of fish such as salmon.

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���� Do you know how else you will benefit from increased consumption of omega-3 fatty acids?� Your cholesterol level will improve.� You see, the essential omega-3 fatty acids have the ability to help decrease your total cholesterol and your LDL cholesterol level.� The LDL cholesterol is the so-called bad cholesterol.� So you will improve your cholesterol levels by adding a better balance of omega-3 fatty acids to your diet.

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���� Not surprisingly, the omega-3 fatty acids can be heart healthy.� Several diseases show improvement when patients increase their intake of these essential fats.� Check out Dr. Ray Strand's important book for citings of clinical studies of� omega-3.� The book is titled, "What Your Doctor Doesn't Know About Nutritional Medicine May Be Killing You."� It's a wonderful book and should be a standard reference volume in your nutrition library.

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���� Eat well, take appropriate supplements, and stay healthy.

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Garry Gamber is a public school teacher and entrepreneur. He writes articles about real estate, health and nutrition, and internet dating services. He is the owner of www.Anchorage-Homes.com and www.TheDatingAdvisor.com.