How can we change the fat content of our body? To increase the amount of w3 EFAs in our fat tissue, which is desirable for both beauty (they make skin soft and velvety) and health (they decrease our risk of
The fatty acids profile of body fat can vary greatly as a direct consequence of differing contents of saturated, monounsaturated, and essential fatty acids (EFAs) in different diets. The percentages of linoleic acid (LA, 18:2w6) and alpha-linolenic acid (LNA, 18:3w3)
Plants make enzymes that ‘insert’ a double bond into (desaturate) fatty acids at positions w3 and w6 to make w3 and w6 fatty acids, but humans do not produce these enzymes. This means that LA and ALA are not essential
To unfold some of their functions, LA and ALA must first be converted into EFA derivatives, or into prostaglandins. These conversions require vitamins B3, B6 and C and the minerals magnesium and zinc. Other vitamins and minerals may also modify
In ways that are poorly understood and require further study, EFAs seem to be involved in electron and energy transport. EFAs are involved in the transport (esterification) of cholesterol. ALA and its derivatives can lower elevated blood fats (serum triglycerides)
EFAs are part of all cell membranes. They help hold proteins in the membrane by the electrostatic attractive forces of their double bonds, and thus they are involved in the traffic of substances in and out of our cells via
Much is still unknown about the functions of EFAs in our body. Of the two, LA has been studied far more extensively than ALA. Both are difficult to work with, because they are easily destroyed, but ALA is five times
In our frenzy to avoid killer fats, we can easily forget the fats that heal – those fats that we must obtain from foods in order to be healthy. The key components of healing fats are the essential fatty acids
Impressive work is being done with vitamins, minerals and EFAs in the treatment of degenerative diseases. Much is being learned, and people are being relieved of degenerative afflictions that resist treatment with drugs, surgery, and radiation.
Gaps in Knowledge
Although
Since deficiencies are widespread, we might well ask why this is so. Without going into a long explanation, let us examine what happens when whole wheat grain is turned into white flour. The following table shows the percentages of essential