Facts About Fats

by Leon Tan, B. Sc. (Nutrition) USA

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS Our body creates body fat from food, sugars, proteins, or fats. But there are two fats it cannot make. Linoleic acid (Omega 6) & alpha-linolenic acid (Omega 3) and these are called Essential Fatty Acids (EFA). They must be obtained from our food.

EFA are essential because they are necessary raw materials for building the structure of our:

• brains
• eyes
• ears
• testis
• ovaries
• adrenals
• muscles
• membranes of every cell

How Deficiency in EFA Damages Health

Deficiency in EFA leads to abnormal lipid levels & atherosclerosis because EFA help to regulate the levels of saturated fatty acids in the body. EFA deficiency has also been linked to eczema, psoriasis, hair loss, reduced immune function, behavioural difficulties, poor healing, miscarriages, circulatory disorders, growth retardation in children, muscle weakness, impairment of vision, impaired learning abilities, spread of rheumatic and arthritic disorders, deteriorating motor condition, and glandular atrophy, which in turn leads to infertility and weight disorders.

The Impact of Today’s Food Degradation & Processing

Since the 1850’s, because of food degradation and processing, the amount of intact Omega 3 fatty acids in our diet has declined to a chronically low level. On the contrary, in the modern diet, there is an Omega 6 overdose due to the inclusion of excessive amounts of “vegetable oils” such as corn oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, virgin olive oil, sesame oil, peanut oil. and soya bean oil, plus margarine and shortenings, in the preparation of all foods.

The ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acids in our diets has increased to about 20:1, a very unhealthy situation. The Omega 6 overdose coupled with Omega 3 deficiency leads to multi-organs involvement resulting in chronic inflammation & destruction of small arteries (micro vasculitis) of the heart, brain, gut, kidneys, eyes (retinopathy, cataracts), nerve trunks, and the whole body (accelerated-aging). The widespread inflammations of the small arteries in the body together with calorie overdose are directly linked to insulin-resistance syndrome. The above phenomena are commonly known as Metabolic Syndrome or Syndrome X that involves multi organs diseases.

This figure clearly shows that the end results of the conversions of these essential oils are Prostaglandins (PGs) which are hormones that our body depend on for many important functions. Prostaglandins (PGs) are divided into 3 categories, namely Prostaglandins 1 <PG1), Prostaglandins 2 (PG2) and Prostaglandins 3 <PG3). In a general sense, PG1 and PG3 families are good PGs and the PG2 family is the bad PG. The PG1 and PG3 families counteract the bad effects of the PG2 family. Researchers have found that most of the ill effects of chronic diseases such as heart attacks, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and inflammatory conditions including autoimmune diseases are caused by or aggravated by the PG2 family. As you can see in Figure 1, Omega 6 promotes the production of inflammatory PG2. However Omega 3 inhibits the synthesis of PG2 because they preferentially grab most of your Delta-5 Desaturase to make EPA.

Trans Fat’s Health Havoc

The conversion of liquid oils to solidified fats through the hydrogenation process further adds insults to the injuries. Trans fats block PG1 and PG3 production, and by default, PG2 substances are produced unopposed. PG2 family causes reactions such as increased blood clotting, elevation of blood pressure, increased cholesterol and worsening other heart attack risk factors. PG2 also increases inflammatory activity which leads to tissue destruction associated with everything from trauma to autoimmune diseases. PG2 family chemicals also cause a decrease in our natural killer cells which are necessary for our body to fight off cancer. Because of this fact, tumours increase in size under the influence of PG2.

Where are Trans Fats Found?

Trans fats are present in a wide range of foods. This is because the hydrogenated vegetable fats are a mainstay in the food industry – it is a cheap bulking agent perfect for padding out expensive processed products, with a long shelf life and a luxurious ‘mouth feel’. They can be found in many brands of biscuits, cakes & cake mixes, chips, chocolates, doughnuts, artificial creamer, processed foods, ice creams, even breakfast cereals. When you are out shopping, always inspect the list of ingredients before you buy any product, look in particular for:

• Hydrogenated vegetable oil
• Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil
• Vegetable shortening
• Margarine

If any of these are listed, leave the product on the shelf.