Feb 25 2008
FAT FACTS: Your Brain on Essential Fatty Acids
Fat Facts: Your Brain on Essential Fatty Acids
Joanne Feaster, NMD
The human body is amazing in its ability to access from foods what it needs for adequate brain cognitive functioning and development. We obtain fats from our foods, especially from the conversion of carbohydrates; however there are some fats that the human body is not able to create from carbohydrates, and neither are homosapiens able to make on their own. These fats are called Essential Fatty Acids(EFA’s).
Humans and other animals rely strictly on sources of EFA’s from their diet
Two of the most important EFA’s are:
Linoleic Acid (Omega-6)
And
Alpha Linoleic Acid (Omega -3)
Each are found in the following food sources:
Omega-6 Omega-3
Seed and vegetable oils fish and flax seed oils
Corn, safflower, sunflower green leafy vegetables
Borage and primrose oil grass fed animal meats
Even as these EFA’s are Essential, the body must still break them down into smaller components in order for them to be useful to the body in the very important and essential biological events that take place every day, in every cell of the body.
The breakdown products of EFA’s are EPA, DHA and GLA.
Omega-3’s aren’t able to convert sufficiently to EPA and DHA, so it is even more important to have sufficient quantity in the diet of your EFA’s.
Facts on Fats: Why are they so Essential to human life as we know it?
Omega-3 A significant portion of brain matter consists of Omega-3; The
major preferred brain food = DHA
Omega-3’s outnumber Omega-6’s
Of major importance to our evolution…
(our ancestors ate a lot of Healthy Fats!)
Major players in our hormone signaling systems!
The source for cell membrane structure ;ie. 45% in nerve synapses for healthy nerve function. A healthy ratio of 3’ and 6’s is critical.
For other cell structures in the body an imbalance could lead to compromise of different organ systems, heart, lungs, gastrointestinal tract
Omega-6 More diverse than Omega-3
Danger! An overabundance may lead to cancer
(Too much vegetable oil in those French fries)
How Do I know if I am lacking in healthy fats?
Just think of all of the organ systems of the body that are composed of the cell:
Skin: Dermatits; dry skin
Neurological and growth inhibition (especially children)
Fetal and Newborn abnormalities
Neurological degeneration: retinal/visual function; Alzheimer’s
Parkinson’s disease
Reproductive organs: reproductive failure
Other things to consider: the deficiency may not be in the diet, but may be a deficiency in the body’s ability to produce a key enzyme needed to break down EFA’s: D-6 Desaturase
EFA’s are necessary to prevent, reverse or ameliorate the many health imbalances that are in part due to the scarcity of EFA’s in the diet.
Adding EFA’s to your daily nutrition can improve your health, lifespan and the evolution of generations to come!!
Dr. Joanne Feaster is a Naturopathic Physician with medical practices in
Naturopathic Medicine : The Safe Alternative for Healthy Aging for Life.