Fat Facts
http://www.healityourself.com/articlelive/articles/33/1/Fat-Facts/Page1.html
By Steven H Horne
Published on July 16, 2008
I had a lot of unanswered questions and confusion about the whole subject of fats, especially with all the new forms of essential fatty acid supplements that have recently come on the market such as CLA, DHA, etc. So, I did what I always do when I’m having trouble understanding something, I did some research. When I found the information I was looking for, my confusion started to clear, and my next thought was, I’ll bet a lot of other people are confused about this issue, too. So I decided to write this article to share what I’ve learned.
Fat Basics
I had a lot of unanswered questions and confusion about the whole subject of fats, especially with all the new forms of essential fatty acid supplements that have recently come on the market such as CLA, DHA, etc. So, I did what I always do when I’m having trouble understanding something, I did some research. When I found the information I was looking for, my confusion started to clear, and my next thought was, I’ll bet a lot of other people are confused about this issue, too. So I decided to write this article to share what I’ve learned.
I’ll explain the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats, the difference between monunsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats and the difference between omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids. I’ll also explain transfats, conjugated linolic acid (CLA) and other fats and fatty acids, good for us and bad for us. So, if you’ve been confused about fats, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s start with triglycerides.
Triglycerides
The fats we find in foods are found in the form of triglycerides. You’ve probably heard of triglycerides because we have them in our blood. So, when you hear someone talk about having a high level of triglycerides on a blood test, that simply means they have a lot of fat in their blood.
Triglycerides are composed of three fatty acids attached to one molecule of glycerine. When we digest fats, the body breaks the bond the fatty acids have with the glycerine. That’s the job of the lipase (fat digesting) enzymes from the pancreas. The bile secreted from the liver has the purpose of making these fats water soluble so they can be absorbed and transported through the bloodstream. So, for starters, if your pancreas isn’t secreting enough lipase enzymes and/or your liver and gallbladder aren’t providing sufficient bile, you’re not going to get the benefit of the fats you consume. This includes any fat supplement you take, such as flax seed oil or omega-3.
Saturation
Now, you’ve probably all heard that there are three basic kinds of fatty acids—saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. What’s interesting is that I got a clearer understanding of this from a cookbook than I did from any of the more “technical” references I looked at. In Alton Brown’s book, I’m Just Here for the Food, he compares fatty acids to a line of shoppers, each having two hands which can hold shopping bags. The shoppers are arranged in a long line like you’d find at the checkout counter.
Saturated Fats
In fatty acids, the shoppers are carbon molecules and the shopping bags are hydrogen atoms. So, if all the shoppers in the line have a shopping bag in each hand, the fatty acid would be saturated. There’s no more room for any hydrogen atom shopping bags. I don’t have the cute illustrations Alton had in his book, but chemically, it would look something like this:
Each of the C’s represents a carbon molecule (one of our molecular shoppers). Each carbon molecule shopper is tied to the molecule in front of it and the molecule behind it by a chemical bond (represented by the little lines.) Each carbon molecule shopper has two arms, each of which can hold a molecular shopping bag. This is represented by the H’s which are the hydrogen atom shopping bags.
When all the shoppers have a shopping bag in each hand (i.e., all the carbon molecules are holding onto a hydrogen atom) the fat is said to be saturated, because there are no more bonds available for hydrogen atoms.
One completely saturated fatty acid is called steric acid. Steric acid is the primary fatty acid in oils like coconut oil. It is also a primary component of animal fats. A high quantity of steric acid (saturated fatty acids) in any fat will make it solid at room temperature. It also makes the fat more stable in cooking and less likely to go rancid (for reasons we’ll explain shortly).
Steric acid makes good fuel for keeping the body warm (which is why Eskimos can get away with eating a lot of saturated fat), but it isn’t good for other jobs where the body needs different kinds of fatty acids. See, because they are more solid, saturated fats help to harden cell membranes. This is good up to a point, but if cell membranes get too hard, things have a hard time getting in and out of the cell.
Since the brain is composed primarily of fat, it’s good to be a “fat head” because the right kinds of fats make you smart. But, if our diet is too high in saturated fat, then being a “fat head” won’t be a good thing because we’ll also be “hard headed,” meaning it will be hard for ideas to move in and out of our brain. (I’m only partly joking, because I really believe that the wrong kinds of fats will reduce intelligence, while the right kind will increase it.)
Unsaturated Fats
Continuing with our analogy, our line of shoppers don’t like having empty hands. So, when two of the shoppers don’t have a bag, they hold hands with each other instead. In chemical terms, this means that when two carbon molecules don’t have hydrogen atoms attached to them, they form an additional bond with each other. Chemically, this is called a double bond. Any oil where two of the carbon molecule “shoppers” aren’t holding their hydrogen molecule “bag” is unsaturated. Chemically, this looks something like this:
As shown in the above diagram, two of our carbon molecule shoppers don’t have hydrogen molecule shopping bags. So, they form a bond with each other instead, which is represented by the double line between them. They are holding hands with each other instead of holding a hydrogen molecule shopping bag. This always happens in pairs (you don’t find just one shopper missing a bag).
Monounsaturated Fats
In the above diagram, only one pair of carbon molecule shoppers don’t have bags, so there is only one double bond. This makes the fatty acid monounsaturated. (“Mono” meaning one and unsaturated meaning there is room for two more hydrogen atoms.) The primary advantage of monounsaturated fats is their stability for cooking, but they are also liquid, so they won’t harden tissues as much. Oleic acid (illustrated above) is a monounsaturated fatty acid which is found in high quantities in olive oil and canola oil, which is why these oils are typically recommended for cooking by nutritionists.
Polyunsaturated Fats
Now, if there is more than one pair missing hydrogen atoms, the oil is polyunsaturated. (Poly means many.) Polyunsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature. In these fatty acids, there is more than one double bond, so more than one pair of shoppers are holding hands rather than holding a shopping bag. Chemically, this looks something like this:
All the fats we eat are actually a mixture of all three types of fatty acids, in varying proportions. For example, coconut oil is 92% saturated fat (i.e., steric acid), 6% monounsaturated fat and 2% polyunsaturated fat. Olive oil, on the other hand, is considered a monounsaturated fat because it is: 15% saturated, 73% monounsaturated (i.e., oleic acid), and 12% polyunsaturated. Safflower oil is a polyunsaturated fat because it is 10% saturated, 13% monounsaturated and 77% polyunsaturated.
Most nutritionists believe that saturated fats are “bad” and monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are “good.” Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple. Since all fats contain all three types, the body probably needs some of each. Also, recent research is showing that unrefined coconut oil (even though it is saturated) has many health benefits. So, after doing a little more research I’m not ready to jump on the bandwagon and say, “saturated fats are bad for you, period.” There are other factors.
Essential Fatty Acids
Here’s where I really had a breakthrough in my understanding of fats. All essential fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids. That’s why polyunsaturated oils are so important. We need these polyunsaturated essential fatty acids to keep tissues and cell membranes pliable and to perform numerous other functions which saturated and monounsaturated fats can’t perform.
But polyunsaturated fats have a problem. Because their carbon molecules aren’t saturated with hydrogen, their shoppers have free arms which are available to grab things they shouldn’t. That’s what turns oils rancid.
As these free arms grab hold of various chemicals in the environment the oil develops an “off” odor and taste. Polyunsaturated oils, having the most free arms, are the most prone to going rancid. And rancid oils don’t just taste and smell bad, like any spoiled food, they aren’t good for you either.
Hydrogenated Oils and Transfats
The commercial answer to this problem has been the hydrogenation of oils. Hydrogenation simply means that the oil is bombarded with hydrogen in the presence of heat and some chemical reactors, which cause the molecular shoppers who don’t have hydrogen shopping bags to pick up a hydrogen molecule.
The problem is that this process adds hydrogen molecules randomly, rather than in the controlled manner nature does. This results in transfatty acids, which look something like this:
Now, instead of the shopper holding hands on the same side, they have to cross over to the other side. This configuration confuses the body and causes a lot of problems, because it changes the molecular shape of the fatty acid.
I’ll explain the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats, the difference between monunsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats and the difference between omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids. I’ll also explain transfats, conjugated linolic acid (CLA) and other fats and fatty acids, good for us and bad for us. So, if you’ve been confused about fats, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s start with triglycerides.
Triglycerides
The fats we find in foods are found in the form of triglycerides. You’ve probably heard of triglycerides because we have them in our blood. So, when you hear someone talk about having a high level of triglycerides on a blood test, that simply means they have a lot of fat in their blood.
Triglycerides are composed of three fatty acids attached to one molecule of glycerine. When we digest fats, the body breaks the bond the fatty acids have with the glycerine. That’s the job of the lipase (fat digesting) enzymes from the pancreas. The bile secreted from the liver has the purpose of making these fats water soluble so they can be absorbed and transported through the bloodstream. So, for starters, if your pancreas isn’t secreting enough lipase enzymes and/or your liver and gallbladder aren’t providing sufficient bile, you’re not going to get the benefit of the fats you consume. This includes any fat supplement you take, such as flax seed oil or omega-3.
Saturation
Now, you’ve probably all heard that there are three basic kinds of fatty acids—saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. What’s interesting is that I got a clearer understanding of this from a cookbook than I did from any of the more “technical” references I looked at. In Alton Brown’s book, I’m Just Here for the Food, he compares fatty acids to a line of shoppers, each having two hands which can hold shopping bags. The shoppers are arranged in a long line like you’d find at the checkout counter.
Saturated Fats
In fatty acids, the shoppers are carbon molecules and the shopping bags are hydrogen atoms. So, if all the shoppers in the line have a shopping bag in each hand, the fatty acid would be saturated. There’s no more room for any hydrogen atom shopping bags. I don’t have the cute illustrations Alton had in his book, but chemically, it would look something like this:
Each of the C’s represents a carbon molecule (one of our molecular shoppers). Each carbon molecule shopper is tied to the molecule in front of it and the molecule behind it by a chemical bond (represented by the little lines.) Each carbon molecule shopper has two arms, each of which can hold a molecular shopping bag. This is represented by the H’s which are the hydrogen atom shopping bags.
When all the shoppers have a shopping bag in each hand (i.e., all the carbon molecules are holding onto a hydrogen atom) the fat is said to be saturated, because there are no more bonds available for hydrogen atoms.
One completely saturated fatty acid is called steric acid. Steric acid is the primary fatty acid in oils like coconut oil. It is also a primary component of animal fats. A high quantity of steric acid (saturated fatty acids) in any fat will make it solid at room temperature. It also makes the fat more stable in cooking and less likely to go rancid (for reasons we’ll explain shortly).
Steric acid makes good fuel for keeping the body warm (which is why Eskimos can get away with eating a lot of saturated fat), but it isn’t good for other jobs where the body needs different kinds of fatty acids. See, because they are more solid, saturated fats help to harden cell membranes. This is good up to a point, but if cell membranes get too hard, things have a hard time getting in and out of the cell.
Since the brain is composed primarily of fat, it’s good to be a “fat head” because the right kinds of fats make you smart. But, if our diet is too high in saturated fat, then being a “fat head” won’t be a good thing because we’ll also be “hard headed,” meaning it will be hard for ideas to move in and out of our brain. (I’m only partly joking, because I really believe that the wrong kinds of fats will reduce intelligence, while the right kind will increase it.)
Unsaturated Fats
Continuing with our analogy, our line of shoppers don’t like having empty hands. So, when two of the shoppers don’t have a bag, they hold hands with each other instead. In chemical terms, this means that when two carbon molecules don’t have hydrogen atoms attached to them, they form an additional bond with each other. Chemically, this is called a double bond. Any oil where two of the carbon molecule “shoppers” aren’t holding their hydrogen molecule “bag” is unsaturated. Chemically, this looks something like this:
As shown in the above diagram, two of our carbon molecule shoppers don’t have hydrogen molecule shopping bags. So, they form a bond with each other instead, which is represented by the double line between them. They are holding hands with each other instead of holding a hydrogen molecule shopping bag. This always happens in pairs (you don’t find just one shopper missing a bag).
Monounsaturated Fats
In the above diagram, only one pair of carbon molecule shoppers don’t have bags, so there is only one double bond. This makes the fatty acid monounsaturated. (“Mono” meaning one and unsaturated meaning there is room for two more hydrogen atoms.) The primary advantage of monounsaturated fats is their stability for cooking, but they are also liquid, so they won’t harden tissues as much. Oleic acid (illustrated above) is a monounsaturated fatty acid which is found in high quantities in olive oil and canola oil, which is why these oils are typically recommended for cooking by nutritionists.
Polyunsaturated Fats
Now, if there is more than one pair missing hydrogen atoms, the oil is polyunsaturated. (Poly means many.) Polyunsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature. In these fatty acids, there is more than one double bond, so more than one pair of shoppers are holding hands rather than holding a shopping bag. Chemically, this looks something like this:
All the fats we eat are actually a mixture of all three types of fatty acids, in varying proportions. For example, coconut oil is 92% saturated fat (i.e., steric acid), 6% monounsaturated fat and 2% polyunsaturated fat. Olive oil, on the other hand, is considered a monounsaturated fat because it is: 15% saturated, 73% monounsaturated (i.e., oleic acid), and 12% polyunsaturated. Safflower oil is a polyunsaturated fat because it is 10% saturated, 13% monounsaturated and 77% polyunsaturated.
Most nutritionists believe that saturated fats are “bad” and monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are “good.” Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple. Since all fats contain all three types, the body probably needs some of each. Also, recent research is showing that unrefined coconut oil (even though it is saturated) has many health benefits. So, after doing a little more research I’m not ready to jump on the bandwagon and say, “saturated fats are bad for you, period.” There are other factors.
Essential Fatty Acids
Here’s where I really had a breakthrough in my understanding of fats. All essential fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids. That’s why polyunsaturated oils are so important. We need these polyunsaturated essential fatty acids to keep tissues and cell membranes pliable and to perform numerous other functions which saturated and monounsaturated fats can’t perform.
But polyunsaturated fats have a problem. Because their carbon molecules aren’t saturated with hydrogen, their shoppers have free arms which are available to grab things they shouldn’t. That’s what turns oils rancid.
As these free arms grab hold of various chemicals in the environment the oil develops an “off” odor and taste. Polyunsaturated oils, having the most free arms, are the most prone to going rancid. And rancid oils don’t just taste and smell bad, like any spoiled food, they aren’t good for you either.
Hydrogenated Oils and Transfats
The commercial answer to this problem has been the hydrogenation of oils. Hydrogenation simply means that the oil is bombarded with hydrogen in the presence of heat and some chemical reactors, which cause the molecular shoppers who don’t have hydrogen shopping bags to pick up a hydrogen molecule.
The problem is that this process adds hydrogen molecules randomly, rather than in the controlled manner nature does. This results in transfatty acids, which look something like this:
Now, instead of the shopper holding hands on the same side, they have to cross over to the other side. This configuration confuses the body and causes a lot of problems, because it changes the molecular shape of the fatty acid.
The Omega Factor
There are many different fatty acids. The difference is based on which carbon molecule “shoppers” aren’t holding hydrogen “bags.” In other words, the location of the double bonds, where hydrogen molecules are missing, determines the nature of each fatty acid. All fatty acids can be burned for fuel, but the body needs certain configurations of unsaturated fatty acids for specific purposes.
Unsaturated fatty acids fall into three basic categories: Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9. The number following the “Omega” is derived by counting the position of the first set of double bonds where hydrogen molecules are missing.
Omega-9 fatty acids aren’t considered essential (although the body needs them), because the body can make them from Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids (if they are present in the diet). Oleic acid is the basic Omega-9 essential fatty acid and is found in olive oil (virgin or extra virgin), olives, avocados, peanuts, sesame oil, and nuts like almonds, pecans pistachios, cashews, macadamias, etc. Monounsaturated oleic acid lowers heart attack risk and arteriosclerosis, and aids in cancer prevention.
The polyunsaturated fatty acids are considered essential because the body can’t manufacture them. The basic Omega-6 essential fatty acid (EFA) is linoleic acid. The most common form of this is alpha-linoleic acid, which the body converts to gamma linoleic acid (GLA). Linoleic acid is found in all vegetable oils and many other foods.
Most Americans get plenty of Omega-6 in their diets, but many people have problems converting it to GLA because their diets are rich in sugar, alcohol, and transfatty acids (which we’ll discuss shortly). Smoking, stress, viral infections, diabetes, and even the aging process can also inhibit this conversion process. This is why supplementation with GLA can sometimes be helpful.
On the other hand, most Americans get too little Omega-3 EFA (linoleic acid). The principle form of Omega-3, alpha linolenic acid (ALA) will convert into eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and then into docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in a healthy body. EPA in combination with GLA (from Omega-6) is used to make eicosanoids that mediate inflammation, improve immune response and otherwise promote good health. Without the EPA from Omega-6 the EPA tends to be converted to eicosanoids that lower immune response, increase inflammation, raise blood pressure and have other undesirable effects.
Deficiencies of Omega-3 EFA have been linked to decreased mental abilities, loss of memory, learning disabilities like ADHD, PMS problems, tingling sensations in the nerves, poor vision, the increased tendency to form blood clots, reduced immune activity, high blood pressure, an increase in inflammatory disorders like arthritis, and cardiovascular disease. Since the vast majority of North Americans are deficient in Omega-3 EFA this provides a clue as to why these health problems are so common.
Omega-3 is found in flaxseed oil, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts, sesame seeds, avocados, some dark green leafy vegetables (kale, mustard greens, collard greens, etc.), deep ocean fish (mackerel, sardines, anchovies, albacore tuna, etc.) and wild salmon (but not farm-raised salmon).
Good and Bad Fats
When it comes to identifying the ”good guys” and the “bad guys” in the movies, it’s pretty clear that the one’s wearing the “white hats” are usually the good guys, while the villains are the ones with the “black hats.” In the world of fats, it isn’t so easy. There’s been a lot of confusion on the subject.
Unsaturated fats (polyunsaturated or monounsaturated, depending on who you read) are considered to be the “white hats” of the fat world. However, polyunsaturated fats go rancid quite easily, and because they are liquid at room temperature, they don’t work for certain cooking applications.
Thus, hydrogenation of fats was born. Hydrogenation is a process that is used to add hydrogen molecules to some of those carbon “shoppers” who don’t have a hydrogen “shopping bag” in their hand.
Partially Hydrogenated
If an oil were completely hydrogenated, then we would simply have saturated fat (steric acid), but the process is halted when the fat reaches the desired state of “hardness.” Most commercial cooking oils, and all margarine and shortening products, are composed of partially hydrogenated fats. (To say that another way, they are partially saturated fats.) The problem is that in nature these hydrogen molecules are added in a controlled way, while in the hydrogenation process they are added randomly. This results in many unnatural compounds, which scientists are still studying. However, the growing condenses is that many of these compounds are harmful to our health.
That’s bad enough, but heating any oil above 300 degrees causes fatty acids to start to become mutogenic (cancer causing). At 320 degrees transfatty acids begin to form and at 392 degrees a lot of transfatty acids are formed. Transfatty acids (TFAs) are an alteration of the molecular structure of the fatty acid which makes it difficult for the body to utilize it properly.
Transfatty Acids & Refined Oils
TFAs are now considered a major cause of cardiovascular disease. They are also implicated in diabetes, cancer and inflammatory diseases like arthritis. Enough evidence has accumulated that TFAs are harmful to human health that the FDA now requires labels to provide information on transfatty acid content in foods.
Processed oils aren’t bad just because they contain transfatty acids, either. Fresh oils pressed from nuts and seeds contain vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Because these other nutrients decrease shelf life, they are “refined” out of processed oils, just like nutrients are “refined” out of sugar and white flour.
The extraction process itself can involve heat and/or chemicals which alter fats, but that’s just the beginning. Hydrogenation(as we’ve just seen) partially saturates these fats, but creates transfatty acids and unnatural forms of fatty acids.
The alteration of the natural oil continues as processed oils are “de-gummed” to remove phosopholipid like lecithin and minerals like iron, copper, calcium and magnesium.
Sodium hydroxide (found in Drano) is added to remove free fatty acids (fatty acids which are not attached to glycerine molecules). This removes more minerals and phospholipids. Oils are then bleached and deodorized to remove beta-carotene, aromatic oils (which give natural oils flavor and odor), and any remaining free fatty acids. These processes involve heat, which of course, adds more transfatty acids.
The bottom line is a very shelf-stable, tasteless oil product, that cooks without smoking, but has lost most of its nutritional value. As a result we obtain very few EFAs from processed oils. This is why some form of supplementation is needed by many people.
Unsaturated fatty acids fall into three basic categories: Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9. The number following the “Omega” is derived by counting the position of the first set of double bonds where hydrogen molecules are missing.
Omega-9 fatty acids aren’t considered essential (although the body needs them), because the body can make them from Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids (if they are present in the diet). Oleic acid is the basic Omega-9 essential fatty acid and is found in olive oil (virgin or extra virgin), olives, avocados, peanuts, sesame oil, and nuts like almonds, pecans pistachios, cashews, macadamias, etc. Monounsaturated oleic acid lowers heart attack risk and arteriosclerosis, and aids in cancer prevention.
The polyunsaturated fatty acids are considered essential because the body can’t manufacture them. The basic Omega-6 essential fatty acid (EFA) is linoleic acid. The most common form of this is alpha-linoleic acid, which the body converts to gamma linoleic acid (GLA). Linoleic acid is found in all vegetable oils and many other foods.
Most Americans get plenty of Omega-6 in their diets, but many people have problems converting it to GLA because their diets are rich in sugar, alcohol, and transfatty acids (which we’ll discuss shortly). Smoking, stress, viral infections, diabetes, and even the aging process can also inhibit this conversion process. This is why supplementation with GLA can sometimes be helpful.
On the other hand, most Americans get too little Omega-3 EFA (linoleic acid). The principle form of Omega-3, alpha linolenic acid (ALA) will convert into eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and then into docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in a healthy body. EPA in combination with GLA (from Omega-6) is used to make eicosanoids that mediate inflammation, improve immune response and otherwise promote good health. Without the EPA from Omega-6 the EPA tends to be converted to eicosanoids that lower immune response, increase inflammation, raise blood pressure and have other undesirable effects.
Deficiencies of Omega-3 EFA have been linked to decreased mental abilities, loss of memory, learning disabilities like ADHD, PMS problems, tingling sensations in the nerves, poor vision, the increased tendency to form blood clots, reduced immune activity, high blood pressure, an increase in inflammatory disorders like arthritis, and cardiovascular disease. Since the vast majority of North Americans are deficient in Omega-3 EFA this provides a clue as to why these health problems are so common.
Omega-3 is found in flaxseed oil, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts, sesame seeds, avocados, some dark green leafy vegetables (kale, mustard greens, collard greens, etc.), deep ocean fish (mackerel, sardines, anchovies, albacore tuna, etc.) and wild salmon (but not farm-raised salmon).
Good and Bad Fats
When it comes to identifying the ”good guys” and the “bad guys” in the movies, it’s pretty clear that the one’s wearing the “white hats” are usually the good guys, while the villains are the ones with the “black hats.” In the world of fats, it isn’t so easy. There’s been a lot of confusion on the subject.
Unsaturated fats (polyunsaturated or monounsaturated, depending on who you read) are considered to be the “white hats” of the fat world. However, polyunsaturated fats go rancid quite easily, and because they are liquid at room temperature, they don’t work for certain cooking applications.
Thus, hydrogenation of fats was born. Hydrogenation is a process that is used to add hydrogen molecules to some of those carbon “shoppers” who don’t have a hydrogen “shopping bag” in their hand.
Partially Hydrogenated
If an oil were completely hydrogenated, then we would simply have saturated fat (steric acid), but the process is halted when the fat reaches the desired state of “hardness.” Most commercial cooking oils, and all margarine and shortening products, are composed of partially hydrogenated fats. (To say that another way, they are partially saturated fats.) The problem is that in nature these hydrogen molecules are added in a controlled way, while in the hydrogenation process they are added randomly. This results in many unnatural compounds, which scientists are still studying. However, the growing condenses is that many of these compounds are harmful to our health.
That’s bad enough, but heating any oil above 300 degrees causes fatty acids to start to become mutogenic (cancer causing). At 320 degrees transfatty acids begin to form and at 392 degrees a lot of transfatty acids are formed. Transfatty acids (TFAs) are an alteration of the molecular structure of the fatty acid which makes it difficult for the body to utilize it properly.
Transfatty Acids & Refined Oils
TFAs are now considered a major cause of cardiovascular disease. They are also implicated in diabetes, cancer and inflammatory diseases like arthritis. Enough evidence has accumulated that TFAs are harmful to human health that the FDA now requires labels to provide information on transfatty acid content in foods.
Processed oils aren’t bad just because they contain transfatty acids, either. Fresh oils pressed from nuts and seeds contain vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Because these other nutrients decrease shelf life, they are “refined” out of processed oils, just like nutrients are “refined” out of sugar and white flour.
The extraction process itself can involve heat and/or chemicals which alter fats, but that’s just the beginning. Hydrogenation(as we’ve just seen) partially saturates these fats, but creates transfatty acids and unnatural forms of fatty acids.
The alteration of the natural oil continues as processed oils are “de-gummed” to remove phosopholipid like lecithin and minerals like iron, copper, calcium and magnesium.
Sodium hydroxide (found in Drano) is added to remove free fatty acids (fatty acids which are not attached to glycerine molecules). This removes more minerals and phospholipids. Oils are then bleached and deodorized to remove beta-carotene, aromatic oils (which give natural oils flavor and odor), and any remaining free fatty acids. These processes involve heat, which of course, adds more transfatty acids.
The bottom line is a very shelf-stable, tasteless oil product, that cooks without smoking, but has lost most of its nutritional value. As a result we obtain very few EFAs from processed oils. This is why some form of supplementation is needed by many people.
Fatty Acid Supplements
The chart below gives a simple breakdown of some of the major fatty acids we’ve been discussing. The first division is whether the fatty acid is saturated or unsaturated, which refers, as we discussed earlier, to whether all the carbon atoms in a chain are holding hydrogen atoms. We used the analogy of carbon molecule “shoppers” standing in a line holding hydrogen molecule “shopping bags.”
The four different fatty acids listed under saturated are differentiated by their length, in other words, how many carbon atoms are in the chain. Lauric acid is the shortest with only 12 “shoppers” in the chain. Myrstic acid is longer with 14 carbon molecules in a line, while palmitic has 16 and stearic acid has 18. So, the length, not just the amount of saturation, is important in distinguishing fatty acids.
Besides the distinction of being monounsaturated or polyunsaturated, unsaturated fatty acids also fall into three more categories: Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9. This distinction is made by the position of the unsaturated bonds.
Fatty acids have two ends, an omega end, which is oil soluble, and a delta end, which is water soluble. To determine whether a fatty acid is an omega-3, -6 or -9, you start at the omega end of the fatty acid and count the number of carbon molecule shoppers in the line until you reach the first pair of shoppers who are holding hands instead of holding hydrogen molecule shopping bags.
If you remember from our previous discussion, the shoppers who are holding hands instead of shopping bags are called a double bond. So, if the first double bond is three carbon molecules down the line, it is an omega-3 fatty acid. If the first double bond is six carbon molecules down the line, then it’s an omega-6 and so forth.
Monounsaturated Fatty Acids
Omega-9 essential fatty acids aren’t considered essential because the body can make them out of omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. Oleic acid is the basic Omega-9 fatty acid. It is a monounsaturated fatty acid and is 18 carbon molecules long. It is found in foods like olive oil (virgin or extra virgin), olives, avocados, peanuts, sesame oil, and nuts like almonds, pecans pistachios, cashews, macadamias, etc. Studies have shown that oleic acid lowers heart attack risk and arteriosclerosis, and aids in cancer prevention. An omega-9 fatty acid, oleic acid, was pictured earlier.
Omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids
The polyunsaturated fatty acids are considered essential because the body can’t manufacture them. The basic Omega-6 essential fatty acid (EFA) is linoleic acid. Here’s an example of an Omega-6 essential fatty acid.
The most common form of linoleic acid is alpha-linoleic acid, which the body converts to gamma linoleic acid (GLA). Linoleic acid is found in all vegetable oils and many other foods. There is, however, a special form of linoleic acid known as conjugated linoleic acid or CLA. Oddly enough, CLA is actually a naturally occurring transfatty acid. The structure of this is shown below. Notice that the double bonds are different from regular linoleic acid shown above. The red arrows point to the double bonds.
CLA is found in grass-fed meat and dairy products. CLA is converted to GLA and is more likely to be converted into good prostaglandins (the kind that reduce inflammation) than regular linoleic acid. When animals are allowed to graze on grass they will produce up to 500% more CLA. Animals fed commercial feed and grains in feed lots don’t produce as much CLA.
CLA appears to be a very healthy form of linoleic acid, in spite of its transfatty structure. Possible benefits of CLA include increasing metabolic rate and stimulating thyroid activity, decreasing abdominal fat, balancing adrenal hormones, enhancing muscle development, lowering triglycerides and cholesterol, enhancing the immune system and reducing food-induced allergic reactions.
GLA Supplements
Supplementation with GLA has proven helpful for a wide variety of conditions. While it’s true that most Americans get plenty of Omega-6 in their diets, many have problems converting it to GLA. This is because their diets are rich in sugar, alcohol, and transfatty acids. Smoking, stress, viral infections, diabetes, and even the aging process can also inhibit this conversion process.
GLA supplementation has been used for a wide variety of health problems, but some of its best uses are:
GLA is found in evening primrose oil, black currant oil and borage oil, all of which are found in NSP’s Super GLA blend. These oils also contain linoleic acid (Omega-6) and linolenic acid (Omega-3) in varying amounts. The percentages of these fatty acids in each oil are shown in the table below:
GLA Omega-3 Omega-6
Evening Primrose Oil 8-10% trace 72-73%
Borage Oil 20-24% trace 35-37%
Black Currant Oil 15-18% 13% 47%
Getting the Most from GLA
Supplementation with GLA doesn’t always work. There are several reasons for this. First, the body can’t use essential fatty acids properly if fat metabolism is impaired. The body has to be able to digest the fats, absorb them and metabolize them in the liver and other tissues. Secondly, the body converts GLA into other substances called eicosanoids. These are little chemical messengers (a primitive form of hormones) which are produced by every cell in the body.
Some of these eicosanoids reduce inflammation, enhance immune function, lower blood pressure and otherwise exert beneficial effects on the body. Others do the opposite, increasing inflammation, reducing immune function and increasing blood pressure. Borrowing an analogy from Star Wars (I’m a sci fi fan), GLA is like a young Jedi knight who can stay on the light side or turn to the dark side of the eicosonoid force.
On the “dark side,” GLA is converted to arachidonic acid, which is then converted into eicosanoids like series 4 leukotrienes and lipoxins (which are pro-inflammatory) and series 2 prostaglandins and thromboxanes (which are pro-inflammatory, raise blood pressure, constrict arteries to raise blood pressure. promote blood clotting and do other dastardly deeds). On the “light side” GLA is converted to series 1 prostaglandins and thromboxanes (which reduce inflammation, reduce cell proliferation, reduce blood clotting, dilate blood vessels to reduce blood pressure and do other good deeds). If we want to get the benefits from any Omega-6 supplement (evening primrose oil, borage oil, black current oil or Super GLA Oil, we have to keep it working on the “light side” of the eicosanoids force.
So, what is it that turns our healthy GLA and linoleic acid (Omega-6) to the “dark side?” The evil doers are high insulin levels and transfatty acids, coupled with a lack of another good guy to guide them, Omega-3 essential fatty acids. So, to get the best results with GLA or CLA supplements reduce refined carbohydrates and “bad” fats in the diet and make certain you get a good ratio of Omega-3 and Omega-6
The four different fatty acids listed under saturated are differentiated by their length, in other words, how many carbon atoms are in the chain. Lauric acid is the shortest with only 12 “shoppers” in the chain. Myrstic acid is longer with 14 carbon molecules in a line, while palmitic has 16 and stearic acid has 18. So, the length, not just the amount of saturation, is important in distinguishing fatty acids.
Besides the distinction of being monounsaturated or polyunsaturated, unsaturated fatty acids also fall into three more categories: Omega-3, Omega-6 and Omega-9. This distinction is made by the position of the unsaturated bonds.
Fatty acids have two ends, an omega end, which is oil soluble, and a delta end, which is water soluble. To determine whether a fatty acid is an omega-3, -6 or -9, you start at the omega end of the fatty acid and count the number of carbon molecule shoppers in the line until you reach the first pair of shoppers who are holding hands instead of holding hydrogen molecule shopping bags.
If you remember from our previous discussion, the shoppers who are holding hands instead of shopping bags are called a double bond. So, if the first double bond is three carbon molecules down the line, it is an omega-3 fatty acid. If the first double bond is six carbon molecules down the line, then it’s an omega-6 and so forth.
Monounsaturated Fatty Acids
Omega-9 essential fatty acids aren’t considered essential because the body can make them out of omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. Oleic acid is the basic Omega-9 fatty acid. It is a monounsaturated fatty acid and is 18 carbon molecules long. It is found in foods like olive oil (virgin or extra virgin), olives, avocados, peanuts, sesame oil, and nuts like almonds, pecans pistachios, cashews, macadamias, etc. Studies have shown that oleic acid lowers heart attack risk and arteriosclerosis, and aids in cancer prevention. An omega-9 fatty acid, oleic acid, was pictured earlier.
Omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids
The polyunsaturated fatty acids are considered essential because the body can’t manufacture them. The basic Omega-6 essential fatty acid (EFA) is linoleic acid. Here’s an example of an Omega-6 essential fatty acid.
The most common form of linoleic acid is alpha-linoleic acid, which the body converts to gamma linoleic acid (GLA). Linoleic acid is found in all vegetable oils and many other foods. There is, however, a special form of linoleic acid known as conjugated linoleic acid or CLA. Oddly enough, CLA is actually a naturally occurring transfatty acid. The structure of this is shown below. Notice that the double bonds are different from regular linoleic acid shown above. The red arrows point to the double bonds.
CLA is found in grass-fed meat and dairy products. CLA is converted to GLA and is more likely to be converted into good prostaglandins (the kind that reduce inflammation) than regular linoleic acid. When animals are allowed to graze on grass they will produce up to 500% more CLA. Animals fed commercial feed and grains in feed lots don’t produce as much CLA.
CLA appears to be a very healthy form of linoleic acid, in spite of its transfatty structure. Possible benefits of CLA include increasing metabolic rate and stimulating thyroid activity, decreasing abdominal fat, balancing adrenal hormones, enhancing muscle development, lowering triglycerides and cholesterol, enhancing the immune system and reducing food-induced allergic reactions.
GLA Supplements
Supplementation with GLA has proven helpful for a wide variety of conditions. While it’s true that most Americans get plenty of Omega-6 in their diets, many have problems converting it to GLA. This is because their diets are rich in sugar, alcohol, and transfatty acids. Smoking, stress, viral infections, diabetes, and even the aging process can also inhibit this conversion process.
GLA supplementation has been used for a wide variety of health problems, but some of its best uses are:
- Reducing inflammation in chronic inflammatory diseases, (such as arthritis, food and respiratory allergies, burning hands and feet, autoimmune disorders, eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis),
- Helping to repair damage in nerve and brain disorders (such as bipolar mood disorder, multiple sclerosis (MS), nerve damage, neuralgia, neuritis, neurosis, epilepsy, senility and Parkinson’s disease)
- Easing female reproductive problems (breast lumps, enlarged breasts, cystic breast disease, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, PMS, leukorrhea, post partum weakness and menopause)
- Helping detoxification from chemicals, pesticides and heavy metals
- Resolving appetite problems (craving for fats, failure to thrive in infants and weight gain)
GLA is found in evening primrose oil, black currant oil and borage oil, all of which are found in NSP’s Super GLA blend. These oils also contain linoleic acid (Omega-6) and linolenic acid (Omega-3) in varying amounts. The percentages of these fatty acids in each oil are shown in the table below:
GLA Omega-3 Omega-6
Evening Primrose Oil 8-10% trace 72-73%
Borage Oil 20-24% trace 35-37%
Black Currant Oil 15-18% 13% 47%
Getting the Most from GLA
Supplementation with GLA doesn’t always work. There are several reasons for this. First, the body can’t use essential fatty acids properly if fat metabolism is impaired. The body has to be able to digest the fats, absorb them and metabolize them in the liver and other tissues. Secondly, the body converts GLA into other substances called eicosanoids. These are little chemical messengers (a primitive form of hormones) which are produced by every cell in the body.
Some of these eicosanoids reduce inflammation, enhance immune function, lower blood pressure and otherwise exert beneficial effects on the body. Others do the opposite, increasing inflammation, reducing immune function and increasing blood pressure. Borrowing an analogy from Star Wars (I’m a sci fi fan), GLA is like a young Jedi knight who can stay on the light side or turn to the dark side of the eicosonoid force.
On the “dark side,” GLA is converted to arachidonic acid, which is then converted into eicosanoids like series 4 leukotrienes and lipoxins (which are pro-inflammatory) and series 2 prostaglandins and thromboxanes (which are pro-inflammatory, raise blood pressure, constrict arteries to raise blood pressure. promote blood clotting and do other dastardly deeds). On the “light side” GLA is converted to series 1 prostaglandins and thromboxanes (which reduce inflammation, reduce cell proliferation, reduce blood clotting, dilate blood vessels to reduce blood pressure and do other good deeds). If we want to get the benefits from any Omega-6 supplement (evening primrose oil, borage oil, black current oil or Super GLA Oil, we have to keep it working on the “light side” of the eicosanoids force.
So, what is it that turns our healthy GLA and linoleic acid (Omega-6) to the “dark side?” The evil doers are high insulin levels and transfatty acids, coupled with a lack of another good guy to guide them, Omega-3 essential fatty acids. So, to get the best results with GLA or CLA supplements reduce refined carbohydrates and “bad” fats in the diet and make certain you get a good ratio of Omega-3 and Omega-6
Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids
The basic Omega-3 EFA is linolenic acid. Most Americans get too little Omega-3 EFA (linoleic acid). The principle form of Omega-3, alpha linolenic acid (ALA) will convert into eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and then into docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in a healthy body. EPA in combination with GLA (from Omega-6) is used to make eicosanoids that mediate inflammation, improve immune response and otherwise promote good health. Without the EPA from Omega-6 the EPA tends to be converted to eicosanoids that lower immune response, increase inflammation, raise blood pressure and have other undesirable effects.
Deficiencies of Omega-3 EFA have been linked to decreased mental abilities, loss of memory, learning disabilities like ADHD, PMS problems, tingling sensations in the nerves, poor vision, the increased tendency to form blood clots, reduced immune activity, high blood pressure, an increase in inflammatory disorders like arthritis, and cardiovascular disease. Since the vast majority of North Americans are deficient in Omega-3 EFA this provides a clue as to why these health problems are so common.
Omega-3 is found in flaxseed oil, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts, sesame seeds, avocados, some dark green leafy vegetables (kale, mustard greens, collard greens, etc.), deep ocean fish (mackerel, sardines, anchovies, albacore tuna, etc.) and wild salmon (but not farm-raised salmon).
By way of review, remember that all essential fatty acids are polyunsaturated, which means they have more than one pair of double bonds. If you’ll recall the shopping bag analogy we’ve been using, this means that more than two pairs of carbon atom “shoppers” are holding hands with each other instead of holding onto a hydrogen molecule “shopping bag.”
These long changes of carbon molecules have two ends—an omega end and a delta end. What determines whether the fatty acid is an Omega-6 or an Omega-3 fatty acid is the location of the first double bond, that is, how may carbon molecules away from the omega end of the fatty acid do we find the first double bond. An example of an Omega-3 fatty acid chain is shown below.
The reason Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids are essential to the body is because the body is capable of adding more double bonds farther down the line, but can’t add them closer to the omega end. One of the primary uses for these essential fatty acids is to make eicosanoids, chemical messengers used by every cell of the body. Making these eicosanoids requires lengthening the carbon molecule chains from 18 to 22 carbon molecules long, and desatrurating them (i.e., removing more hydrogen atoms).
These eicosanoids are the most primitive of all hormones—autocrine hormones. These autocrine hormones are released into the fluids surrounding the cells and rapidly taken up by neighboring cells. Because they last only a few seconds, they have only recently come to the attention of scientists. These eicosanoids or autocrine hormones include: prostaglandins, leukotrienes, lipoxins, thromboxanes and cyclooxygenases (COX-1 and COX-2).
The chart above shows how the body converts Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids into these messengers. Ideally, there should be a ratio of about 1:1 to 4:1 between Omega-6 and Omega-3. That means for every “dose” of Omega-3 essential fatty acids we should be getting one to four “doses” of Omega-6. Unfortunately, the average person is getting a ratio of between 10:1 and 25:1. That’s not good, and here’s why.
As shown in the chart, Omega-6 (linoleic acid) is converted to GLA. This is done by an enzyme which removes 2 hydrogen atoms. This creates GLA (gamma linoleic acid). Another enzyme adds 2 more carbon molecules to the chain. Using our analogy, it lets two more carbon molecule “shoppers” butt into the line. This creates DGLA (dihomo-gamma linoleic acid).
Now, here’s where Omega-3 becomes important. DGLA normally prefers to be converted into series 1 prostaglandins and thromboxanes. These are good guys, reducing inflammation and keeping us healthy. However, an enzyme called delta-5-desaturase can covert DGLA to arachodonic acid (AA). We don’t want that to happen, because then eicosanoids, which will increase inflammation and have other harmful effects, will be produced instead.
Delta-5-desaturase is the same enzyme that converts Omega-3 to EPA (eicosapentanoic acid), which is a good thing. However, if it doesn’t have enough Omega-3, it gets bored with having nothing to do and starts converting DGLA to AA. So, to keep our DGLA on the “strait and narrow” we need to have ample amounts of Omega-3 to keep it busy.
Supplementing Omega-3
So, where do we get Omega-3? It’s found primarily in green leaves. That’s right, Omega-3 is in those dark green leafy vegetables all of us are supposed to be eating (but few of us are). This is why just about everyone needs to supplement their diet with Omega-3 and the best way to do that is with flax seeds and flax seed oil.
Flax seed has an ideal ratio of Omega-6 and Omega-3, so it will ensure that you are getting the fatty acids you need. Because it is polyunsaturated, it isn’t very shelf stable and goes rancid very easily. So, you need to keep it refrigerated and take it raw.
Just one tablespoon of flax seed oil will provide the minimum requirement of both Omega-6 and Omega-3 for an adult. Of course, you could swallow this in gel caps (but that’s a lot of gel caps). You can also take it straight if you like swallowing spoonfuls of oil (don’t knock it—a lot of children do). As for me, I prefer to incorporate the oil into my food.
For instance, I let butter sit in a dish until it reaches room temperature and then I blend it with flax seed oil to make soft spread butter. You can use anywhere from 1/2 to 1 cup of flaxseed oil per cup of butter (depending on how soft you want the spread to be). The flavor of this soft spread butter is great!
You can also use flax seed oil to make salad dressings, or in place of olive oil in hummus or other foods that aren’t cooked. Flax seed oil can be mixed half and half with real maple syrup to use over pancakes and waffles (look Ma, no butter!). You can also use it straight on baked potatoes or in place of butter in your oatmeal.
Deficiencies of Omega-3 EFA have been directly linked to decreased mental abilities, loss of memory, learning disabilities like ADHD, PMS problems, tingling sensations in the nerves, poor vision, the increased tendency to form blood clots, reduced immune activity, high blood pressure, an increase in inflammatory disorders like arthritis and cardiovascular disease. On the other hand, daily supplementation with flax seed oil may help prevent the following problems: dry skin, cellulite, constipation, colitis, ulcers, hypoglycemia, diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, calcium deficiencies and reproductive and immune system problems.
Wow, what a difference adding a little of the right kind of oil makes in people’s health! Maybe we should start promoting flax seed oil as lubrication for the wheels of health. Of course, it wouldn’t hurt to eat those green leafy veggies, either.
Fish Oils
Now, what about fish oils? Aren’t fish supposed to be great sources of Omega-3? Actually, any wild animal or deep ocean fish is going to have a reasonable amount of Omega-3 fatty acids. However, the amount of Omega-3 in any animal food depends on how much Omega-3 is in its diet, since animals can’t make Omega-3 any more than we can. That’s why farm-raised salmon and non-grazing animals can be deficient in Omega-3, too.
When I raised chickens and gathered my own eggs, I used to marvel at the deep orange color of the yolks. I now know that this is partly due to a higher content of Omega-3 fatty acids in my free ranging chickens (because of the greens they were getting in scratching around the yard). If you buy eggs where the hens are fed flax seeds, the yolks are darker (and the eggs taste better), too.
Other Sources of Omega-3
Omega-3 is also found in hemp seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts, sesame seeds and avocados. Now, as for the deep ocean fish (and the fish oil supplements like Super Omega-3 EPA) they don’t actually contain that much linolenic acid (your basic Omega-3 fatty acid). What they do contain is more of the fatty acids our body converts Omega-3 into, i.e., EPA and DHA. That’s because animals, including fish, make these same conversions.
Just like our ability to convert Omega-6 (linoleic acid) into GLA and DGLA can be inhibited by poor nutrition, so can our ability to convert Omega-3 (linolenic acid) into EPA and DHA. This is because the same enzymes are involved. It works like this.
Both linoleic and linolenic acid are 18 carbon molecules long. In each case, the body starts by using the delta-6-desaturase (a desaturating enzyme) to remove 2 hydrogen molecules from the fatty acid making the fat less saturated. In other words, it takes two shopping bags away from the shoppers.
Next, elongase adds two more carbon molecules to the chain, so that the chains are now 20 instead of 18 molecules long. (E-long-ase, get it? See chemistry doesn’t have to be that mystical.) Using our analogy, it helps two more shoppers butt into the line.
Alcohol, diabetes, deficiencies of B6, magnesium, zinc and excess saturated fats and transfatty acids will all inhibit these enzymes.
Delta-5-desaturase, which is involved in creating EPA, is inhibited by deficiencies of vitamin C, niacin and zinc.
By the way, eicosanoids are 22 carbon molecules long, so the final conversion of essential fatty acids to these chemical messengers requires two more shoppers to butt into line. (So, if these carbon molecules were really shoppers, they’d be really ticked at this point. Fortunately, it’s only an analogy.)
I hope these articles have helped you better understand the nature of fatty acids. As a final bit of information, here’s a chart showing where different fatty acid supplements and oils fit in the “family tree” of fatty acids.
Deficiencies of Omega-3 EFA have been linked to decreased mental abilities, loss of memory, learning disabilities like ADHD, PMS problems, tingling sensations in the nerves, poor vision, the increased tendency to form blood clots, reduced immune activity, high blood pressure, an increase in inflammatory disorders like arthritis, and cardiovascular disease. Since the vast majority of North Americans are deficient in Omega-3 EFA this provides a clue as to why these health problems are so common.
Omega-3 is found in flaxseed oil, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts, sesame seeds, avocados, some dark green leafy vegetables (kale, mustard greens, collard greens, etc.), deep ocean fish (mackerel, sardines, anchovies, albacore tuna, etc.) and wild salmon (but not farm-raised salmon).
By way of review, remember that all essential fatty acids are polyunsaturated, which means they have more than one pair of double bonds. If you’ll recall the shopping bag analogy we’ve been using, this means that more than two pairs of carbon atom “shoppers” are holding hands with each other instead of holding onto a hydrogen molecule “shopping bag.”
These long changes of carbon molecules have two ends—an omega end and a delta end. What determines whether the fatty acid is an Omega-6 or an Omega-3 fatty acid is the location of the first double bond, that is, how may carbon molecules away from the omega end of the fatty acid do we find the first double bond. An example of an Omega-3 fatty acid chain is shown below.
The reason Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids are essential to the body is because the body is capable of adding more double bonds farther down the line, but can’t add them closer to the omega end. One of the primary uses for these essential fatty acids is to make eicosanoids, chemical messengers used by every cell of the body. Making these eicosanoids requires lengthening the carbon molecule chains from 18 to 22 carbon molecules long, and desatrurating them (i.e., removing more hydrogen atoms).
These eicosanoids are the most primitive of all hormones—autocrine hormones. These autocrine hormones are released into the fluids surrounding the cells and rapidly taken up by neighboring cells. Because they last only a few seconds, they have only recently come to the attention of scientists. These eicosanoids or autocrine hormones include: prostaglandins, leukotrienes, lipoxins, thromboxanes and cyclooxygenases (COX-1 and COX-2).
The chart above shows how the body converts Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids into these messengers. Ideally, there should be a ratio of about 1:1 to 4:1 between Omega-6 and Omega-3. That means for every “dose” of Omega-3 essential fatty acids we should be getting one to four “doses” of Omega-6. Unfortunately, the average person is getting a ratio of between 10:1 and 25:1. That’s not good, and here’s why.
As shown in the chart, Omega-6 (linoleic acid) is converted to GLA. This is done by an enzyme which removes 2 hydrogen atoms. This creates GLA (gamma linoleic acid). Another enzyme adds 2 more carbon molecules to the chain. Using our analogy, it lets two more carbon molecule “shoppers” butt into the line. This creates DGLA (dihomo-gamma linoleic acid).
Now, here’s where Omega-3 becomes important. DGLA normally prefers to be converted into series 1 prostaglandins and thromboxanes. These are good guys, reducing inflammation and keeping us healthy. However, an enzyme called delta-5-desaturase can covert DGLA to arachodonic acid (AA). We don’t want that to happen, because then eicosanoids, which will increase inflammation and have other harmful effects, will be produced instead.
Delta-5-desaturase is the same enzyme that converts Omega-3 to EPA (eicosapentanoic acid), which is a good thing. However, if it doesn’t have enough Omega-3, it gets bored with having nothing to do and starts converting DGLA to AA. So, to keep our DGLA on the “strait and narrow” we need to have ample amounts of Omega-3 to keep it busy.
Supplementing Omega-3
So, where do we get Omega-3? It’s found primarily in green leaves. That’s right, Omega-3 is in those dark green leafy vegetables all of us are supposed to be eating (but few of us are). This is why just about everyone needs to supplement their diet with Omega-3 and the best way to do that is with flax seeds and flax seed oil.
Flax seed has an ideal ratio of Omega-6 and Omega-3, so it will ensure that you are getting the fatty acids you need. Because it is polyunsaturated, it isn’t very shelf stable and goes rancid very easily. So, you need to keep it refrigerated and take it raw.
Just one tablespoon of flax seed oil will provide the minimum requirement of both Omega-6 and Omega-3 for an adult. Of course, you could swallow this in gel caps (but that’s a lot of gel caps). You can also take it straight if you like swallowing spoonfuls of oil (don’t knock it—a lot of children do). As for me, I prefer to incorporate the oil into my food.
For instance, I let butter sit in a dish until it reaches room temperature and then I blend it with flax seed oil to make soft spread butter. You can use anywhere from 1/2 to 1 cup of flaxseed oil per cup of butter (depending on how soft you want the spread to be). The flavor of this soft spread butter is great!
You can also use flax seed oil to make salad dressings, or in place of olive oil in hummus or other foods that aren’t cooked. Flax seed oil can be mixed half and half with real maple syrup to use over pancakes and waffles (look Ma, no butter!). You can also use it straight on baked potatoes or in place of butter in your oatmeal.
Deficiencies of Omega-3 EFA have been directly linked to decreased mental abilities, loss of memory, learning disabilities like ADHD, PMS problems, tingling sensations in the nerves, poor vision, the increased tendency to form blood clots, reduced immune activity, high blood pressure, an increase in inflammatory disorders like arthritis and cardiovascular disease. On the other hand, daily supplementation with flax seed oil may help prevent the following problems: dry skin, cellulite, constipation, colitis, ulcers, hypoglycemia, diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, calcium deficiencies and reproductive and immune system problems.
Wow, what a difference adding a little of the right kind of oil makes in people’s health! Maybe we should start promoting flax seed oil as lubrication for the wheels of health. Of course, it wouldn’t hurt to eat those green leafy veggies, either.
Fish Oils
Now, what about fish oils? Aren’t fish supposed to be great sources of Omega-3? Actually, any wild animal or deep ocean fish is going to have a reasonable amount of Omega-3 fatty acids. However, the amount of Omega-3 in any animal food depends on how much Omega-3 is in its diet, since animals can’t make Omega-3 any more than we can. That’s why farm-raised salmon and non-grazing animals can be deficient in Omega-3, too.
When I raised chickens and gathered my own eggs, I used to marvel at the deep orange color of the yolks. I now know that this is partly due to a higher content of Omega-3 fatty acids in my free ranging chickens (because of the greens they were getting in scratching around the yard). If you buy eggs where the hens are fed flax seeds, the yolks are darker (and the eggs taste better), too.
Other Sources of Omega-3
Omega-3 is also found in hemp seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts, sesame seeds and avocados. Now, as for the deep ocean fish (and the fish oil supplements like Super Omega-3 EPA) they don’t actually contain that much linolenic acid (your basic Omega-3 fatty acid). What they do contain is more of the fatty acids our body converts Omega-3 into, i.e., EPA and DHA. That’s because animals, including fish, make these same conversions.
Just like our ability to convert Omega-6 (linoleic acid) into GLA and DGLA can be inhibited by poor nutrition, so can our ability to convert Omega-3 (linolenic acid) into EPA and DHA. This is because the same enzymes are involved. It works like this.
Both linoleic and linolenic acid are 18 carbon molecules long. In each case, the body starts by using the delta-6-desaturase (a desaturating enzyme) to remove 2 hydrogen molecules from the fatty acid making the fat less saturated. In other words, it takes two shopping bags away from the shoppers.
Next, elongase adds two more carbon molecules to the chain, so that the chains are now 20 instead of 18 molecules long. (E-long-ase, get it? See chemistry doesn’t have to be that mystical.) Using our analogy, it helps two more shoppers butt into the line.
Alcohol, diabetes, deficiencies of B6, magnesium, zinc and excess saturated fats and transfatty acids will all inhibit these enzymes.
Delta-5-desaturase, which is involved in creating EPA, is inhibited by deficiencies of vitamin C, niacin and zinc.
By the way, eicosanoids are 22 carbon molecules long, so the final conversion of essential fatty acids to these chemical messengers requires two more shoppers to butt into line. (So, if these carbon molecules were really shoppers, they’d be really ticked at this point. Fortunately, it’s only an analogy.)
I hope these articles have helped you better understand the nature of fatty acids. As a final bit of information, here’s a chart showing where different fatty acid supplements and oils fit in the “family tree” of fatty acids.