Good Fats for Good Health
You’ve probably been told that dietary fats are the “bad guys” when it comes to nutrition. Not all fats are bad, however. Certain fats are vital to health. The
Angie Picarello
fats I am referring to are (aptly) called essential fatty acids. EFAs are made up of acidic compounds called oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, and arachidonic acid, all of which are contained (primarily) in vegetable oils. Omega- 3 fatty acids are another type of EFA and they are found mainly in fish. All EFAs are vitamin-like substances that have a protective effect on the body. The reason these fats are called “essential” is because your body cannot manufacture them; you must obtain them from the foods you eat. EFAs are the “good guys” in our nutrition story.
To understand why EFAs are beneficial, as well as why other fats are harmful, it helps to look at the structure of fats and their utilization by the body. The Chemical Composition of Fats Fats are constructed of fatty acids that are made up of chains of carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms attached. Fat will also have an acid group at one end of the carbon/hydrogen chain. Think of this configuration as a nutritional charm bracelet. The carbon forms the chain and the hydrogen and the acid group hang off the bracelet like charms hung at differing intervals. The lengths of these chains vary according to the type of fat.
Fats found in meat (for example) usually have chains that are 16 (or more) carbons long. Some carbon chains are much shorter, with six, eight, 10, or 12 carbon atoms. When a fatty acid carries the maximum number of hydrogen atoms, it is loaded or “saturated.” You can tell if fat is of the saturated variety when it becomes solid at room temperature. Saturated fats are found in meats, dairy products, and lard. Your body can manufacture saturated fats, but the extra you take in can lead to a lot of arterial clogging problems and coronary heart disease. Saturated fats are bad news, for both health and bodybuilding purposes. But not all fats are bad. Other fatty acids are “unsaturated” and there are two types - monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Monounsaturated fatty acids lack two hydrogen atoms. This type of fat is found in foods such as olive oil, olives, avocado, cashew nuts, and swordfish. Polyunsaturated fatty acids lack four or more hydrogen atoms and are found in fish and most vegetable oils.
Unsaturated fats contain essential fatty acids. EFAs have very specific roles to play in maintaining health. Cellular health EFAs protect the integrity of cell walls, making them flexible enough so that important materials - nutrients and hormones - can be exchanged from inside and outside the cell wall. Without adequate EFAs, cell walls become too rigid, and materials cannot easily pass in and out. EFAs help mobilize cholesterol (a type of fat) and other fats from the body. Even though not an EFA, cholesterol is needed for health. It is involved in the synthesis of vitamin D for use by the body; it helps make myelin, the coating around nerves; it synthesizes bile, a substance involved in the digestion and absorption of fats; and it helps manufacture hormones. All are indispensable functions within the human body.
In the body, cholesterol molecules attach to EFAs and are ferried through the bloodstream. As a result of this linkage, cholesterol can be changed into bile salts, which are required in the digestion of fats. Unless this happens, the body cannot properly dispose of cholesterol. When EFAs are unavailable, the cholesterol molecules latch onto saturated fat molecules and can end up as plaque on the inner wall of the arteries. Prostaglandin EFAs are needed to produce prostaglandin. These are hormone-like substances that regulate nearly every system in your body, including your cardiovascular, immune, endocrine, central nervous, digestive and reproductive systems.
When EFAs are in ample supply, your entire body functions better. In addition, immunity to disease and infection is greatly increased. EFA Deficiencies Signs of an EFA deficiency are dry, flaky skin and stiff, painful joints. These symptoms may indicate that your heart, brain, liver, and internal organs are EFAdeficient as well. The Real World One woman in my program lost a substantial amount of body fat but she was disturbed with the texture of her skin and hair. When I asked about her EFA intake, she admitted to not taking her safflower oil (one of the permissible EFAs on this program).
I encouraged her to start using it in her diet, and just one week later, she reported marked improvement in her skin and hair texture. Another case involved a competitive female bodybuilder who complained that her hair was falling out, her skin had become extremely dry, and her joints were stiff. After a complete analysis of the results of a blood test, I discovered that she was suffering from an EFA deficiency. This deficiency was aggravated by a restrictive diet in which she kept her calories and fats far too low. I put her
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on one tablespoon of flaxseed oil and six capsules of Evening Primrose Oil a day (a natural source of gamma-linolenic acid and linoleic acid).
Two weeks later, her hair stopped falling out and her skin was smooth and glowing. Not only that, her joint stiffness disappeared all together! EFAs and PMS EFA’s can alleviate symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Physical symptoms include fluid retention, weight gain, swollen ankles, legs, and fingers. Add painful breasts, headaches and backaches, skin problems and food cravings. Mental symptoms of PMS are depression, tension, irritability, lethargy, weeping, tantrums, and lack of concentration. How Much Fat? Stay away from saturated fat. Each day, add one teaspoon of an EFA source to your diet. This will guard against an EFA deficiency. The best sources are: Parrillo Evening Primrose Oil™, Safflower oil, Flaxseed oil, Canola oil, Linseed oil and Hain All-Blend.
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