Let's start out by establishing right away that being fat is not a good idea. The extra poundage that so many Americans carry around
with them - aside from making it hard to buy bathing suits - may contribute to clogged arteries, high blood pressure, serious heart disease and even some forms of cancer.
On the other hand, eating fats-especially the right kinds of fats in the right amounts-is not only good, it is essential. According to
The Omega
Diet, by Artemis P. Simopoulos, MD., and Jo Robinson,
"Monounsaturated fatty acids, the type found in olive oil and canola oil, help protect your cardiovascular system. They also reduce the risk of certain metabolic disorders such as 'insulin resistance' and diabetes, and are linked with a lower rate of cancer."
Although the authors noted this some five years ago, and even suggested then that "this good news is beginning to reach the public," it is only now that officialdom seems to have caught on. For evidence,
consider the Food and Drug Administration's (FDAs) November 1 approval of a qualified health claim for monounsaturated fat from olive oil and reduced risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).
The claim reads, "Limited and not conclusive scientific evidence suggests that eating about 2 tablespoons (23 grams) of olive oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to the
monounsaturated fat in olive oil To achieve this possible benefit, olive oil is to replace a similar amount of
saturated fat and not increase the total number of calories you eat in a day. One serving of this product [Name
of food] contains [x] grams of olive oil."
"With this claim, consumers can make more informed decisions about maintaining healthy dietary
practices," said Dr. Lester M. Crawford, acting FDA commissioner. "Since CHD (coronary heart disease) is the number one
killer of both men and women in the U.S., it is a public health priority to make sure that consumers have accurate and useful
information on reducing their risk."
This claim is the third qualified health claim FDA has announced for conventional food since the process for establishing such claims took effect last year. Among these claims was
this one, announced on September 8: "Supportive but not conclusive research shows that consumption of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. One serving of [name
off ood] provides [x] grants of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids." ,
EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) are the two best known of the so-called essential fatty acids. Why essential? Because, as noted in
The Omega-3 Phenomenon, the body cannot produce them, and they, therefore, must be obtained from either the diet or supplementation. Authors Donald
O. Rudin, M.D. and Clara Felix (with Constance Schrader) say, "The amount of essential fatty acids (EFA) needed is
small. But even though it is small, the average person still doesn't get an adequate amount."
Loma R. Vanderhaeghe, B.Sc., and Karlene Karst, B.Sc., RD., coauthors of
Healthy
Fats for Life, offer an explanation of why EFAs are so important: "The three main functions of
EFAs," they say, "are to regulate cellular processes, influence membrane function and integrity, and produce
hormones."
Among the cellular processes that are affected are the following: regulation of enzymes; regulation of cell signaling
pathways; attachment of proteins to fatty acids; regulation of gene expression; gene activation; receptor function and activation; membrane
permeability; ion channels (the transport system for potassium and sodium); transport properties; oxidation of fats; communication from the cell membrane to the nucleus of the cell; and lipid signaling.
With regard to cell membrane integrity, say Vanderhaeghe and Karst, "EFAs are
integral components of cell membranes, determining fluidity and other physical properties as well as affecting the structural functions such as the maintenance of enzyme activity. Cell membranes built with EFAs are less rigid and more fluid (as opposed to membranes built with
saturated fats."
Finally, the authors report, "Some of the most potent effects of
essential fatty acids are related to their conversion into a series of eicosanoids, or hormones. These agents of
intracellular communication control the balance of virtually every system in the body, including the mechanisms for inflammation, blood clotting and blood vessel dilation. They include, but are not limited to, anti-inflammatory and inflammatory Prostaglandins (POE series 1, 2, 3) and other immune system respondents, such-as thromboxanes, leukotrienes and hydroxy fatty acids."
Strict vegetarian consumers who want to get in on the goodness of these good fats can do so by increasing their use of such foods as green leafy vegetables, plant oils (canola, flaxseed and soy), and nuts (walnut oil and walnuts). Those who are willing to eat omnivorously, however, will probably have better results with fish, particularly herring,
salmon, mackerel, sardines and tuna, say James V. Donadio and Joseph P. Grande, authors of a study that appeared in the May 2004 edition of Seminars in Nephrology.
The researchers also had kind words for two products that are available as pharmaceutical-grade fish-oil concentrates, Omacor (Pronova Biocare, Oslo, Norway) and Coromega (Euro- pean Reference Botanical Laboratories, Carlsbad, CA).
One more point to keep in mind when considering EFAs, say Simopoulos and Robinson: "There are two families of
EFAs, 'omega-6' fatty acids and 'omega-3' fatty acids." They argue that the "body functions best when your diet contains a balanced ratio of
EFAs, yet the typical Western diet contains approximately 14 to 21 times more omega-6 fatty acids than ornega-3s." And, they
warn, "This imbalance is now being linked with a long list of serious conditions and diseases."
References:
The Omega
Diet, by Artemis P. Simopoulos, MD., and Jo Robinson News release, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), November 1, 2004
The Omega-3 Phenomenon, by Donald 0. Rudin, M.D., and Clara Felix (with Constance Schrader)
Healthy
Fats for Life, by Loma R. Vanderhaeghe, B.Sc., and Kariene Karst, B.Sc., RD.
"The Role of Fish OH/Omega-3 Fatty Acids in the Treatment of IgA Nephropathy," by James V. Donadio and Joseph P. Grande, Seminars in Nephrology, May 2004
Article excerpt Whole Foods Magazine
