(WFN) Fat is the most widely discussed and perhaps misunderstood nutrient in the American diet. It is the topic of many magazine articles, news shows, and documentaries. Fat is usually portrayed as something to stay away from at all costs.
While it is true that excess fat can contribute to many disorders and diseases, not including enough of certain types of fats in the diet can also be detrimental to our health. The truth of the matter is many people are not eating enough healthy fat.
The fats in our foods are made up of different fatty acids that have various functions in our bodies. They are classified as either saturated or unsaturated.
Saturated fats come from animal sources, such as beef and butter, but are also found in some plant sources (palm and coconut oils). Unsaturated fats are found mainly in plant sources. Fish is the only animal source for unsaturated fats.
Trans fatty acids are another type of fat created in food processing, but can also be found in small amounts in meat and dairy products. Trans fatty acids major sources are cakes, cookies, chips, and other commercially made snacks and fried foods.
Saturated fats raise blood cholesterol (LDL or bad cholesterol), which is the major risk factor for heart disease and stroke (1). Trans fatty acids not only increase LDL cholesterol, but also lower your HDL cholesterol (your body’s good cholesterol) (2). HDL cholesterol helps the body dispose of your LDL – bad – cholesterol, thereby decreasing your risk of heart disease.
All unsaturated fatty acids lower LDL cholesterol and some increase HDL cholesterol. Unsaturated fatty acids can also be broken down into monounsaturated fatty acids (olive oil, canola oil, avocados, nuts and seeds) and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids can be further broken down into Omega-6 fatty acids (borage, corn, safflower, soybean, and sunflower oils) and Omega-3 fatty acids (flaxseed, rapeseed, evening primrose oils, walnut, micro-algae and fish oil).
Both Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids have important functions in the body, though some types of each are more beneficial than others. 9 A Day-Plus contains borage oil, flaxseed oil, and micro-algae oil (a high source of DHA fatty acid). Spirulina, for example, is a blue-green microalgae with a long history as a food supplement as it is high in protein and other nutrients.
For the uninitiated, borage, (Borago officinalis L.) also known as the “starflower,” is an annual herb that grows throughout the Mediterranean region, as well as Asia Minor, Europe, North Africa, and South America. It has wonderful medicinal properties. The seed oil from borage is desired as source of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA, 18:3, cis 6,9,12-octadecatrienoic acid), for which borage is the highest known plant-based source. Naturopathic practitioners uses of borage for regulation of metabolism and the hormonal system, and consider it to be a good remedy for PMS and menopause symptoms such as the hot flash. Borage is sometimes indicated to alleviate and heal colds, bronchitis, and respiratory infections in general for its anti-inflammatory and balsamic properties. It even makes a terrific healthy herbal tea.
Eczema patients supplemented with borage oil have demonstrated a significant reduction in symptoms, some up to 90% (3). Other studies utilizing borage oil for rheumatoid arthritis found borage oil to be an effective treatment for this type of arthritis. Other researchers found borage oil to actually prevent and reverse nerve damage. Borage oil has also been shown to decrease LDL cholesterol, increase HDL cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, and may reduce the growth of some tumors.
Flaxseed oil has been found to reduce the risk of heart disease, protect against stroke, and lower blood pressure (4). Other studies show flaxseed oil to act as an anti-inflammatory, helping those with arthritis. Flaxseed may also have anti-tumor effects (5).
Micro-algae DHA (docosahexanoic acid) oil is 9 A Day-Plus’ vegetarian source for DHA. DHA is normally found in fish. DHA is important for the development of brain and eye function, and has been found to protect against heart disease (6).
- R.P. Mensink, Effects of the individual saturated fatty acids on serum lipid and lipoprotein concentrations, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (supplement) 57 (1993):711S-714S.
- A. Ascherio and coauthors, Trans-fatty acids intake and risk of myocardial infarction, Circulation 89 (1994):94-101; W.C. Willett and coauthors, Intake of trans fatty acids and risk of coronary heart disease among women, Lancet 341 (1993):581-585.
- M. Andreasi and coauthors. Meta-analysis of placebo-controlled studies of the efficacy of Epogam in the treatment of atopic eczema. Relationship between plasma essential fatty acid changes and clinical response, British Journal of Dermatology, 121 (1989):75-90.
- Iso H, Sato S, Umemura U, et al. Linoleic acid, other fatty acids, and the risk of stroke, Stroke 33 (8) (2002):2086-2093.
- Thompson LU, Rickard SE, Orcheson LJ, Seidl MM. Flaxseed and its lignan and oil components reduce mammary tumor growth at a late stage of carcinogenesis, Carcinogenesis 17 (1996):1373-1376.
- AP Simopoulus. Essential fatty acids in health and chronic disease, American Journal of Nutrition (1999):560-569. Horrocks LA, Yeo YK, Health benefits of docosahexaenoic acid, Pharmacol Res 40 (3) (1999):211-225.
To learn more about how to naturally add these healthy-elements into your diet – visit: www.TrueHealthyProducts.com
