Eating the Right Fats for Health, Part Three

[Parts one and two are helpful, but not necessary. These articles originally appeared in Equilibrium.]

Conclusion: Fats that Heal

In this final installment in my series on dietary fats, I want to provide as much information as possible about some of the various healthy fats, their benefits, and their recommended intakes.

Ideally, we want to try to reduce our intake of saturated fats, eliminate all hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, and avoid all fried foods. If we can follow these simple suggestions, we will have space in our diet to include healthy fats without consuming substantially more calories. In fact, by eliminating the bad fats and increasing the good fats, even if calories remain the same, we are likely to feel much healthier.

Fish Oils and DHA

Diets high in fat (the bad fats) increase the risk of type II diabetes, which equates to poor insulin sensitivity. Poor insulin sensitivity means that our tissues no longer respond to normal levels of insulin, so the body initially secretes more insulin to get nutrients into cells. Over time, insulin production becomes sharply reduced. The resultant condition is now known as insulin resistance, a disease state that precedes the onset of type II diabetes.

Replacing some of the bad fats in our diets with fish oil capsules, or other omega-3 fatty acids, can improve our insulin sensitivity and thereby reduce the risk of diabetes. Fish oil is the best way to achieve this improvement in insulin status, and the results are due to its active omega-3 constituents, DHA and EPA. Fish oil is a more efficient way to get DHA, since the conversion of alpha-linolenic acid (from flax oil, for example) to DHA is roughly 25 to 35 percent at best.

DHA offers a variety of other health benefits:

* Improved brain function in adults (especially memory)
* More complex brain development in the fetus and infant
* Retinal health (the highest concentrations of DHA in the body are found in the retina)
* Proper nerve cell function
* A reduction in the inflammation caused by arthritis (reduced arachidonic acid)
* A reduction in LDL cholesterol (bad) and an increase in HDL cholesterol (good)

There are also possible benefits for a variety of neurological disorders:

* Some studies have shown an improvement in ALS symptoms with DHA treatment
* Some seizure disorders seem to be connected to low levels of DHA
* Children suffering from cerebral palsy have very low levels of DHA

To get the benefits of DHA, begin with a daily dosage of six capsules of fish oil or one tablespoon of flax oil. The optimal dosage can only be achieved with fish oil capsules (about 20 a day), but even a lower intake will improve health. For those who choose flax oil, you can take as many as two tablespoons a day as long as the diet is balanced with omega-6 fatty acids and monounsaturated fats. Flax oil is also available in capsules for those who can tolerate the taste of the oil.

Flax Oil and the Omega-3 Fatty Acids

In addition to the conversion of the alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, one of the two primary essential fatty acids) in flax oil to DHA, omega-3 fatty acids in flax seed and its oil offer other health benefits as well. Most importantly, flax oil allows us to increase the omega-3 content of our diet, achieving a better balance with the omega-6 fatty acids so prevalent in our diets. Too much omega-6 fat in the diet can impair the body's ability to manufacture DHA from ALA, so attempting the keep the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio around 1:3 is crucial.

ALA is also the raw material for the creation of EPA in the body. Like DHA, EPA is important in the creation of the slightly anti-inflammatory 3 series prostaglandin, PGE3. PGE3 can reduce the inflammation of arthritis, as well as it supporting immune function in the body.

EPA, through its effects on one variety of the body's messengers (the eicosanoids), influences inflammation, immune function, blood vessel health, and blood viscosity (clotting ability). Further, EPA can be converted by the body into DHA when needed, making it an essential lipid for overall health.

Another benefit of flax oil is the lignan content, which isn't particularly related to its fatty acid content but is certainly influenced by it. High lignan flax oil has shown some benefits in reducing breast cancer risk and as part of a holistic treatment program for beast cancer patients and survivors. It is thought that the lignans bind to estrogen receptors, thereby displacing actual estrogen and reducing its potential cancer-causing abilities. The EPA and DHA produced by the body from the ALA in flax oil no doubt aid that process.

The health benefits of flax oil and ALA are extensive:

* All the benefits of fish oil (though not as efficiently)
* Production of EPA, a substance crucial to several bodily systems
* Reduced symptoms of depression
* Reduced hyperactivity in children
* Reduced aggression in children and adults
* Decreased severity of neuropathy
* Reduction in the negative effects of arachidonic acid (see last month's article)

As noted above, begin with one tablespoon of flax oil a day (or 14 capsules), working up to two tablespoons if needed. However, when consuming higher levels of EPA (from fish or flax oil), it is important to increase antioxidant intake as well, especially vitamin E. For those taking flax oil, this may not be as big a concern since flax oil often has vitamin E added to prevent spoilage. But when taking high dosages of fish oil, it is important to take at least 400 i.u. of vitamin E each day to prevent the fatty acids from being damaged by free radicals in the blood.

GLA and the Omega-6 Fatty Acids

Linoleic acid (LA) is the other essential fatty acid. It must be acquired from our diet because our bodies cannot synthesize it from other substances. LA is the primary omega-6 fatty acid, a group of lipids important to our health, but far too prevalent in our diets.

LA is converted in the body to a variety of substances, some of them incredibly beneficial and others that are healthy in moderate doses but toxic at higher doses. Most importantly, LA is converted into another prostaglandin, the series 1 variety, PGE1. PGE1 is highly anti-inflammatory and can provide significant relief for arthritis pain, matching many prescription drugs in its efficacy without any of the troubling side effects.

One of the substances derived from LA is gamma linoleic acid (GLA), a very important lipid. Like LA, GLA is converted to PGE1 in the body, and some research suggests it is converted more efficiently than LA.

There has been promising research with alcoholics taking GLA, especially because alcohol abuse tends to flush EFAs, including GLA, from the brain and body. Women who suffer from PMS also seem to respond to GLA therapy. In addition, research has shown that about 20 percent of those suffering from multiple sclerosis receive some benefit from taking GLA. It appears that PGE1 functions as powerfully in the brain as it does throughout the rest of the body.

Omega-6 fatty acids are found in most vegetable oils, as well as in most grain-based fats. GLA is most concentrated in borage oil but is also found in evening primrose oil and black currant oil. Six capsules of borage oil a day have been shown to provide pain relief and greater flexibility to those suffering from osteoarthritis, as well as the autoimmune disease, rheumatoid arthritis.

Monounsaturated Fats

In terms of heart health, the best fat, without question, is monounsaturated fat. Years of research demonstrate that a diet high in monounsaturated fat reduces LDL cholesterol, increases HDL cholesterol, and reduces triglycerides. These factors all lead to a marked reduction in heart disease risk.

Another benefit of monounsaturated fat may be an increase in sex hormone production. The sex hormones are all synthesized from cholesterol in the blood, which is one reason why cholesterol is essential to our health. Some researchers speculate that the reason testosterone levels in men increase with their intake of monounsaturated fats is the increase in HDL, which shuttles LDL back to the liver to be metabolized in the production of energy, and possibly into sex hormones as well.

Natural testosterone production in men begins to decrease in the early thirties. Higher testosterone levels in aging men are associated with increased heart health, lower incidence of depression, better blood lipid profiles, and better muscle-to-fat ratios. Men and women over thirty should be consuming monounsaturated fats for heart health anyway, and if a side benefit is improved hormone levels, all the better.

The best source for the mono fats is olive oil. Other good sources include almonds, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, avocados, castor oil (yuck!), and high oleic safflower oil. The mono oils are best for cooking and should be used to replace butter whenever possible.

A Plan for Health

If you can follow these recommendations, you will be well on your way to better health and, quite possibly, a slimmer waist.

* Never eat fat and carbohydrates (sugar, starch, refined grains) in the same meal
* Avoid trans-fatty acids (hydrogenated oils) and fried foods
* Consume at least one tablespoon of flax oil a day
* Consume at least one tablespoon of olive oil a day
* Replace sugary snacks with almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and other healthy nuts (not peanuts, which are too high in omega-6 fats and present an allergy risk for many people)
* Always select low-fat cuts of meats, and include fish in the diet as much as possible
* Consider taking at least 6 grams of fish oil each day
* Consider taking borage or evening primrose oil (six grams a day) if you have arthritis