ESSENTIAL FATTY-ACIDS

bdamaster60

Hey there folks just saw someone post a topic on good fats and bad fats and thought i'd share this little article.
Source: http://www.facebook.com/dcurtfitness

Essential Fatty Acids (EFA)

There exists two fatty acids that are essential to the body (meaning your body does not/cannot produce it naturally, therefore it must derive from food intake or supplementation). the first of these being omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) and the second; omega 6 (linoleic acid).

In order to reap the full benefits of both, they must first be converted into their long-chain metabolites, for omega 3 this means ALA converting into Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) and for omega 6 to convert into Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA).

To ensure you fulfil the criteria of both, a considerable quantity of healthy fats (meaning from a variety of sources; monounsaturated, polyunsaturated & saturated). It is worth noting that the conversion into these longer chain metabolites is somewhat limited, so in order to further ensure you get enough of each, supplementation is recommended.

Food Sources for each & their relative Omega 3/6 constituents:

Cashew: 0% Omega 3, 6% Omega 6
Walnut: 5% Omega 3, 55% Omega 6
Safflower: 0% Omega 3, 75% Omega 6
Chia seed: 30% Omega 3, 40% Omega 6
flaxseed: 58% Omega 3, 14% Omega 6
Pumpkin: 15% Omega 3, 50% Omega 6
Grape: 0% Omega 3, 71% Omega 6
Sunflower: 0% Omega 3, 65% Omega 6
Hemp: 20% Omega 3, 60% Omega 6
Wheat germ: 5% Omega 3, 50% Omega 6
Evening Primrose: 0% Omega 3, 81% Omega 6
Corn: 0% Omega 3, 59% Omega 6
Sesame: 0% Omega 3, 45% Omega 6
Canola: 7% Omega 3, 30% Omega 6
Natural Peanut Butter: 0% Omega 3, 30% Omega 6
Almonds: 0% Omega 3, 17% Omega 6
Pistachio: 0% Omega 3, 19% Omega 6
Olive oil: 0% Omega 3, 8% Omega 6
Kukui: 29% Omega 3, 40% Omega 6
Soybean: 7% Omega 3, 50% Omega 6
Rice Bran: 1% Omega 3, 35% Omega 6
Salmon: 30% Omega 3, 0% Omega 6
Borage oil: 0% Omega 3, 34% Omega 6

eggs & Enriched Omega Margarine are also good sources of both.

What you should be able to deduce & should become apparent from the previous list of values are:

1. That Omega 6 & GLA is very abundant in a lot of food sources, so quite often in most diets there isn't really a deficiency.

2. That Hemp, Kukui, chia, flaxeed and pumpkin are the gold mine food sources in order to satisfy both Omega 3/6 intake simultaneously.

3. That Omega 3 deficiencies are quite apparent, especially in diets low on white fish intake. In order to compensate for this, eat more fish or supplement with Fish oil, salmon oil or krill oil, BUT be sure they are comprised of good EPA/DHA values.

I recommend anything above 400:200 (EPA:DHA) Controlled labs Oximega is a great cheap pick-up ($17 for 120 capsules 800:400 EPA:DHA ratio), other noteworthy brands are Nordic Naturals & Natures Way. Sure you can up the quantity of cheaper fish oils but just remember quality is everything when it comes to fish oils (differences in refinement/extraction etc).

Benefits of Omega 3, more specifically EPA/DHA:

• Increases Insulin sensitivity.
• Decreases Inflammation protein breakdown.
• Provides Joint & Ligament protection (Lubrication)
• Increases Thermogenesis & thus decreases BF (due to its relationship with enzymatic activity in the muscle cells micro
environment (FABP/IMTG).
• Decreases body fat mass.
• Provides further bio-availability for amino acid uptake.
• Improves cardiovascular health.
• Reduces blood pressure & cholesterol levels (More HDL (Good lipids), less LDL (Bad Lipids).
• Increased Neurotransmitter functionality.
• Repair & restoration of damaged cell membranes.
• Has a relationship with endogenous hormones such as contributing to the production of prostaglandins, it also builds Eicosanoids, which are signalling molecules for various growth factors (IGF-1, HGH etc).
• Aids & Contributes to increased cell membrane permeability (ability to transport nutrients in and out of cells).


Benefits of Omega 6, more specifically GLA:

• Decrease adiose reformation after usage
• Decrease inflammation
• Improve skin health
• Improve nerve functioning
• Increase calcium absorption leading to stronger bones
• Improve Cholesterol levels & hence decrease Blood Pressure
• Decrease joint pain and swelling
• Boost the efficiency of the Immune System.

Fat/EFA Intake Recommendations:

Absolute: 0.7g (lower end) - 1.2g (Upper end) per kg of Bodyweight.

Essential Fatty Acids: 10%~ of total caloric value from EPA/DHA/GLA Combined, EFA's should account for approximately 25-30% of your total Daily Fat intake.

Recommended ratios of EPA:DHA for athletes/BBers would be about 2:1 or 3:1 in favour of omega 3 due to the fact the normal ratio within bodily tissue is 4:1 in favour of Omega 6. Around 3-5g of High quality EPA/DHA sources per day is advisable.

Other noteworthy facts:

- Both Omega 3 & 6 are derivative from polyunsaturated fat sources.
- An Omega is more than one double or triple valence bond per molecule.
- Essential nutrients such as vitamin E, B complex vitamins & ZMA will increase uptake & absorption of Omega's.
- When essential fatty acids are exposed to heat, light & air, many of its benefits are rendered useless & it's bio-availability
decreased; Don't fry them, keep them concealed and covered.
- A synergistic relationship between Omega 3 & 6 is observable according to studies, Get both in your diet!
- Omega 3's and 6's compete for absorption.

A personal rant for any Keen readers:

Upon much review it seems a recurring phenomena that fats are the most neglected aspect seen within diets, majority of the time it isn't usually a matter of not having enough quantity but rather the adequate and variety in sources needed.

This is why it's important not to take dieting protocols like IIFYM out of context, that stable base of optimal food choices should still be of utmost priority because fact of the matter is that yes that your macros summate to a certain caloric intake & hence energy balance BUT there are countless differences amongst proteins, fats and carbs & it's important to recognise and understand that.

To extrapolate upon this I will use fats as an example & try to keep it as simple as possible, as most of you know fats are split into Saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated & trans-saturated categories each with a different molecular/chemical structure (whilst in a way similar there are variabilities such as type & amount of bonds, changes in the side chains etc).

With that said there is still quite the misconception that exists that protein, fats and carbs are all black and white, what I mean by that is that as long as you meet your macros, you have nothing to
worry about. I really urge everyone out there to try and get away from that sort of mentality, in expanding upon my earlier statement not only are fats split into categories, but sub-strands and sub-categories also exist. i.e

Saturated fats: Lauric acid, palmatic acid, stearic acid, myristic acid & more

Polyunsaturated fats: Linoleic acid, alpha-linoleic acid, arachidonic acid & more

Monounsaturated fats: oleic acid, erucic acid, nervonic acid & more

As discussed earlier with the ALA/AL acids, there are existing differences between the two when it comes to how they are
processed in the body/what roles/benefits they provide and also how readily they are absorbed.

The same is to be said for all strands of fats, they are all different, with different purposes, thus fat intake really shouldn't be an all black and white approach, but rather a holistic one, whereby food choices are critical in order to capitalise on the various properties
they have.

Hope you guys enjoyed the article, Now that I'm free for the holidays, the focus will be on getting a lot more write-ups and
information out there to you guys. I still want to cover a bit more on fats, more specifically looking at other beneficial fats, which are a must have in any diet/supplementation; CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), MCT (Medium Chain triglyceride's), ALA (Alpha-lipoic Acid) & Sesamin.