How Can Fat Be Essential?

How Can Fat Be Essential?

By Garry Gamber

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Eat well, take appropriate supplements, and stay healthy.

*****************************

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.

---

Eating Outside Your Box

One way to combat the boredom many people complain accompanies eating healthy is to "eat outside your box," by experimenting with new foods and cuisines and by... Read More

What on Earth is an Enzyme?

Enzymes are the workers in our body that make everything function, by enabling chemical reactions. All living cells contain enzymes. They are hard to visualize, since they... Read More

Gift Basket Idea for Senior Citizens

Evidence for the importance of fruit and vegetable intake to health and quality of life with aging is widely recognized. Consuming fruits and vegetables can reduce an... Read More

The Magic in Food: LOVE

Remember the old adage, you are what you eat? The simplest magical ritual that you can do is to cut open a fruit or vegetable and eat... Read More

Healthy Eating for Executives on the Run

For the executive, maintaining the much-needed balance between career, family, and health can often be a challenge and yet without this balance in our lives it is... Read More

Fruits for Summer: Summer Skin Care

Summer is the time when we sweat highly and beating the heat is always high on our agenda. So, we move on to aerated drinks or other... Read More

4 Important Facts You Should Know About Whey Protein

Are you concerned about taking care of your body before and after strenuous activities or workouts? Do you try to avoid supplements that contain additives and possible... Read More

How to Pick a Trainer ?

Quick Overview- I think the most important thing for people starting a workout program is to keep moving, so I highly recommend starting with a basic walking... Read More

The Cholesterol Myth

Cholesterol. What images come to mind when you see this word? Is it positive or negative? Is it health, or is it heart disease?If what came to... Read More

Fat Burning Compatible Foods

Fat burning compatible foods seem to be a popular topic around the gym these days. We also hear a lot about negative calorie foods which are considered... Read More

(Fitness) Health Thoughts, Living on the Health Minimum Wage?

Random thoughts taken from valuable sources, what many nutrition experts consider to be the most important nutrients and health habits a person should have to help them... Read More

Building Better Bones

"It is a bone-deep change you are going into, my beloved," counsels Grandmother Growth. "You must open to your very marrow for this transformation. No cell is... Read More

5 Tips To Lower Your Cholesterol

Cholesterol has been around for thousands of years. It's a natural function of the human body. Unfortunately, most people aren't even aware they have high cholesterol until... Read More

Balanced Diet: Know More on Healthy and Nutritional Balanced Diet!

In this fast paced world, good nutrition may sound very simple but it is indeed really difficult to practice it. We eat too many processed foods or... Read More

Protein and Endurance Sports

Endurance Sports are like music concerts. They start at a low key, setting a steady rhythm and culminate into a crescendo that enthralls the spectator and the... Read More

Ever Hear of This Fruit?

I want to tell you about the most healthful and most delicious tropical fruit that you'd ever want to taste. It's called the mangosteen, and the reason... Read More

The Sneak Attack of Trans- Fats

If you are like most people, you are probably confused about trans fats. What are they? Which foods have them? What is the health risk?The truth is,... Read More

Understanding Amino Acids and their Importance in Diet

The importance of protein in a healthy diet is well known to nutritional scientists, and widely understood by the general population. Indeed, every bodily system is directly... Read More

Improve Your Eating Habits%0E

1. Water. If you're thirsty you're already dehydrated. The majority of us don't tend to drink enough during the day. If you drink a lot of tea... Read More

Blueberry Picking Techniques

First of all you have to have a bucket. You will soon want to have a few with you as the berries are so good that you... Read More

Ocular Nutrition and Eye Health Food

Understanding ocular nutrition and eye health can be one of the ways to support your vision. As early as in our 30's, our eyes and vision can... Read More

TsuNoni - Green Tea Meets Noni

East Meets WestAsian cultures have realized the medical benefits of green tea for centuries. Those who drank it lived longer, healthier lives. Now science has discovered the... Read More

Finding Your Reason Why to be Healthy

The most incredible thing you can do for yourself is have a big enough reason why that will totally light up your life and will remind yourself... Read More

The Four Cornerstones of Nutrition

What is nutrition? We hear so many reports today on different foods containing them, but the reporters rarely provide any context in which the informaiton can be... Read More

Organic Eating - Why Bother?

Originally, all foods were "organic" ? grown and prepared without pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, hormones, irradiation to prevent spoilage, and microwave cooking.Our food these days, whether of... Read More

Pineapples: The Healing Fruit Of The Tropics (Includes A Recipe For Pina-Banana Orange Smoothie)

For a natural and tasty way to improve your health and boost your healing capacity, add fresh pineapple and pineapple juice to your diet. Pineapples are nutritionally... Read More