Re: omega 3 and 6 fatty acids

On Aug 18, 1:22 pm, Linda Vee <lvelasq...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Vegetable oils should be called vegetarain oils because most don't
come from vegetables.

Are you saying that canola plants, safflower plants, and soy plants
are animals? LOL

No. I am just saying grains and seeds aren't vegetables in the sense
of carrots and broccoli.

If vegetable oils are damaged, they become unpalatable. Anti-oxidants
extend the shelf life of oils.

Rancid oils are unpalatable, it's true; that's why bottled oils are
"deodorized", which is a process that often involves partial
hydrogenation, causing trans fats to be present in oils labeled "trans
fat free". We eat plenty of rancid oils when we eat bottled cooking
oils; we just don't taste them. And if antioxidants are added to
those oils, that doesn't mean that the feel-good type of antioxidants
like vitamin E are the ones being added. BHA, BHT, and similar things
are antioxidants too. Many oil manufacturers tell us proudly that
they add vitamin E as a preservative, but vitamin E just isn't that
great a preservative. It's sensitive to heat, light and oxygen, and
significant losses have been found after relatively short times of
food storage, so after the heat of cooking, there isn't enough viable
vitamin E to do anyone's health any good.

Vitamin E in vegetable oils only serves as a preservative and not as
a nutritional supplement.

I haven't seen any evidence that commercial vegetable oils are a
health hazard.

I agree that it may be better in some cases to get the oil directly
from the food such as walnuts and almonds, but meal preparation
frequently needs the pressed oil.

Sure, but do we really need to eat those things that include that
pressed oil if it's bad for us? And if the research the other poster
referred to is correct, we don't need fats at all. I'll go look into
that now....

He's not claiming that. His claim is that humans don't need essential
fatty acids (omega 6 and omega 3) and that coconut oil is healthy
despite the high concentration of saturated fatty acids.

What are the recommended ratios based on, I wonder. Do you know?

The ratios depend on the biological function being studied. One rat
study showed that a 4 to 1 ratio was optimal for learning.

OK. So they're based mostly on rat studies in which they feed
different groups of rats different ratios and then test whatever
biological function is being studied. That's a good start, but I'd
rather see human studies.

I was only referencing one study that examined the ratio itself. There
are other studies that use human subjects.

Note the following:

AHA Statement
11/18/2002

New guidelines focus on fish, fish oil, omega-3 fatty acids

DALLAS, Nov. 18 - Healthy people should eat omega-3 fatty acids from
fish and plant sources to protect their hearts, according to updated
American Heart Association recommendations published in today's
Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

"Omega-3 fatty acids are not just good fats; they affect heart health
in positive ways," says Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., R.D., lead author
of the report. They make the blood less likely to form clots that
cause heart attack and protect against irregular heartbeats that cause
sudden cardiac death.

The comprehensive report examines the health benefits of omega-3 fatty
acids in the context of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk reduction
and considers the recent Environmental Protection Agency and the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance about the presence of
contaminants in certain species of fish.

Since 2000, the American Heart Association's dietary guidelines have
recommended that healthy adults eat at least two servings of fish per
week, particularly fish such as mackerel, lake trout, herring,
sardines, albacore tuna and salmon. These fish contain two omega-3
fatty acids - eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (EPA and
DHA). A third kind, alpha-linolenic acid, is less potent. It comes
from soybeans, canola, walnut and flaxseed and oils made from those
beans, nuts and seeds.

People who have elevated triglycerides may need 2 to 4 grams of EPA
and DHA per day provided as a supplement. Even the 1gram/day dose
recommended for patients with existing CVD may be more than can
readily be achieved through diet alone. These people should consult
their physician to discuss taking supplements to reduce heart disease
risk. Patients taking more than 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids from
supplements should do so only under a physician's care. The FDA has
noted that high intakes could cause excessive bleeding in some people.

Depending on their stage of life, consumers need to be aware of both
the benefits and risks of eating fish. Children and pregnant and
nursing women may be at increased risk of exposure to excessive
mercury from fish but also are generally at low risk for CVD. Thus,
avoiding potentially contaminated fish is a higher priority for these
groups, says Kris-Etherton.

For middle-aged and older men, and postmenopausal women, the benefits
of eating fish far outweigh the risks within the established
guidelines.

"This is hopeful news as we have found that the effects of omega-3
fatty acids on heart disease risk is seen in relatively short periods
of time," Kris-Etherton says. "The research shows that all omega-3
fats have cardioprotective benefits, especially those in fish."

Although the mechanisms responsible for omega-3 fatty acids' reduction
of CVD risk are still being studied, research has shown:

Decreased risk of sudden death and arrhythmia.
Decreased thrombosis (blood clot).
Decreased triglyceride levels.
Decreased growth of atherosclerotic plaque.
Improved arterial health.
Lower blood pressure.
Co-authors are William S. Harris, Ph.D., and Lawrence J. Appel, M.D.,
M.P.H.

--
Ron

.

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