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Get your healthy
fats the easy way
Why I now recommend the
"multi-EFA" to all my clients
Source: Ann Louise Gittleman
Date Published: March 2001
Do you take a multi-vitamin
every day? If so, you might be surprised to learn that it may not be
enough for optimum health. Mounting research suggests that getting the
right amount of essential fatty acids is as important as getting your
daily vitamins. To help meet daily needs for essential fats, I now recommend
a "multi-EFA" to all my clients as part of their regular supplementation
program.
The benefits are usually
noticeable within weeks of starting supplementation – one of the
first things people usually notice is a reduction in the dryness and
itching of the skin.
The EFAs are absolutely necessary
to support an amazing variety of cellular processes. They maintain the
integrity of cell walls and membranes, generate energy, produce hormones
and help with normal brain, nerve, and eye function. They also aid in
combating numerous health concerns like elevated triglyceride and cholesterol
levels, high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis, mental disorders,
diabetic neuropathy, menstrual and menopausal discomforts, eczema, psoriasis,
and even cancer.
Interestingly, noted researcher
Hugh Sinclair observed the vital connection between fats and disease
almost 50 years ago. His remarks published in the prestigious medical
journal, the Lancet, cited an imbalance in fat metabolism as
the underlying cause behind a number of diseases occurring worldwide.
According to Sinclair, the modern diet – loaded with processed
foods and hydrogenated fats or trans fats while being practically void
of EFAs – was the primary culprit.
In addition to the health
challenges produced by diets high in saturated and trans fats, we have
also been experiencing most recently the disastrous results of the no-to-low
fat diet trend that reigned supreme for the last two decades of the
20th Century. Just consider the case of my client, Claudia, for example.
Like many 25-year-old women of her generation she wanted to lose weight
and look good. So, she swore off all fats – even the good ones.
Then, it was only a matter of time before the inevitable fat-free symptoms
occurred. Claudia complained about straw-like hair, split ends, and
cracked nails. But when she broke out in a terrible case of eczema,
Claudia knew she needed expert help. After getting her back on track
with the right fats from the essential fatty acids, things turned around
– and fast. In fact, Claudiašs eczema cleared up just five days
after incorporating a combination of borage oil with fish and flax seed
oil into her daily diet.
What the no-fat diet advocates
didn't tell us was that omitting the essential fats would lay the stage
for hair and skin conditions like dandruff, psoriasis, dryness, hair-thinning,
and the eczema that Claudia experienced. No-fat diets can also aggravate
joint problems, inflammation, PMS, depression, and other mental health
disorders. For these reasons, the protocols in many of my books throughout
the years, have focused on the importance of including a combination
of EFAs in the diet program.
The Fabulous Four
Clearly, a healthy balance of the EFAs is critical to total health both
the inside and out. In fact, each essential fatty acid plays a distinct
and valuable role in the optimal functioning of the entire body. Just
as you need the right combination of vitamins and minerals on a daily
basis, your body also needs the right balance of EFAs for proper metabolic
functions. The EFAs include alpha linolenic acid (ALA); gamma linolenic
acid (GLA); eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (EPA and
DHA). Let's take a look at each one.
ALA
Alpha linolenic acid, predominantly found in flax seeds, has shown great
promise in helping the body in cancer prevention, the improvement of
male fertility, the protection against heart disease, and in the improvement
of immune function. ALA can also be converted in the body to other essential
fatty acids (EPA and DHA) which are well-known for their positive effect
on brain function, cardiac arrhythmia, and high blood triglycerides.
However, flax seed provides
distinct benefits in addition to its ALA content. Researchers in Toronto,
Canada found that as little as 25 grams of flax seed daily (that's about
2 tablespoons of ground flax) slowed down tumor growth in patients with
breast cancer. The benefits of ground flax for cancer seem to be due
to the high lignan content of the seeds. My own clients have been using
high-lignan flaxseed oil for years as a great remedy for peri-menopausal
and menopausal symptoms. Lignans are a class of anti-viral and cancer-fighting
phyto-nutrients that act as strong anti-oxidants to normalize estrogen
metabolism. Many women report that their hot flashes, night sweats,
and vaginal dryness disappear after a couple of weeks of taking 2 tablespoons
of high-lignan flaxseed oil.
GLA
Gamma linolenic acid is recognized for its abilities in a variety of
areas. It is a PMS soother, arthritis alleviator, and major beautifier.
GLA is also very effective especially for cramping, irritability, headaches
and sun burn because of its anti-inflammatory properties. Although GLA
can be synthesized from the raw material linoleic acid, found in vegetable
oils, there are numerous dietary and lifestyle factors which disrupt
this conversion. For example, consumption of sugar, alcohol, trans fats,
and lack of minerals and vitamins can prevent the GLA transformation.
The richest source of preformed
GLA is borage oil (20-24% GLA) followed by black current seed oil (15%
GLA) and evening primrose oil (8-10% GLA). I can personally attest to
the therapeutic benefit of GLA from borage oil with regard to rheumatoid
arthritis and morning stiffness. My 76-year-old mother witnessed a remarkable
turn-around in her morning stiffness thanks to borage oil supplementation.
After giving her 3 grams of GLA daily for three weeks, my mom reported
that she was able to get out of bed in the morning without the stiffness
that had plagued her for the past few years. She also finds walking
and writing easier since starting supplementation with borage oil.
EPA and DHA
Research with EPA and DHA has shown great promise in a variety of areas
including hypertension, high blood triglycerides, irregular heart beat,
Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and infant brain development.
The latest research from Harvard Medical School shows that both of these
fatty acids found in fish oils greatly improve bipolar disorder or manic
depression. Both EPA and DHA are deficient in individuals suffering
from aggression, dementia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD). The best dietary sources include fatty fish like salmon, sardines
and mackerel.
The "Multi-EFA"
While there are food choices that can help you get the balance of EFAs
you need every day, this may be inconvenient or difficult if you are
leading a hectic lifestyle. Busy people have a tendency to eat a lot
of pre-packaged foods, ŗconvenience" foods, and/or fast foods,
all of which are deficient in essential fats and typically contain higher
amounts of saturated and trans fats. And, there are those of us who
are simply not flax or fish lovers, so getting all of your EFAs from
food may not be as easy as it sounds. The easiest way to boost your
daily intake of healthy fats is to look for a "multi-EFA"
combination which typically contains a blend of borage, fish, and flax
seed oils supplying a balance of GLA, ALA, EPA and DHA. For a maintenance
dosage a good rule of thumb is two to four capsules daily of a multi-EFA
combination. For those with specific disease conditions, higher dosages
of individual EFAs can be taken as a therapeutic supplement in addition
to the multi-EFA. The bottom line is that a daily dose of good fats
is a vital component of overall health and well-being. Essential fatty
acids should be a part of your basic supplementation program along with
your multivitamin and mineral tablet.
About Ann Louise Gittleman,
MS, CNS
Ann Louise Gittleman, MS, CNS, is one of the foremost nutritionists
in the United States. The former Nutritional Director at the Pritikin
Longevity Center, she currently consults with a broad spectrum of professional
organizations and is the author of the best-selling books: Eat Fat,
Lose Weight, Super Nutrition for Women, Super Nutrition for Menopause,
The 40/30/30 phenomenon, and Why Am I Always So Tired?
This article has been written expressly for FATSforHEALTH.com and published
here with permission from the author.
To order "Eat Fat, Lose Weight" online, visit www.amazon.com
or www.barnes&noble.com
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