By Fight Aging Site Team

The good news is that there are ‘good fats’. Most dietary fats consist of Triglycerides (TGs) and lesser amounts of Cholesterol. A triglyceride has 3 fatty acid chains attached to glycerol. Fatty acids are classified as saturated, mono unsaturated or poly unsaturated fatty acids based on double bonds between carbons in the chain

Saturated Fatty Acids have no double bond, are mainly of animal origin, have higher melting point and are solid at room temperature. Mono unsaturated fatty acids have one double bond, are found in liquid oils from plants. Poly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are also found in liquid oils of plant origin and are the best for cardio vascular health.

Essential Fatty Acids cannot be made by the body and have to obtained from dietary sources. They are mainly the Omega 3 fatty acids and Omega 6 fatty acids. The ideal ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 should be around 1:5-10 but modern day diets are very low in Omega 3 fatty acids. The actual ratio is anywhere between 1:20 and 1:50, thereby leading to many chronic disorders.

We shall focus on the Omega 3 fatty acids, called ‘good fats’ due to their profound effects on health. The three main Omega 3 fatty acids are Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA), Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA).

“The n-3 fatty acid recommendation to achieve nutritional adequacy, defined as the amount necessary to prevent deficiency symptoms, is 0.6-1.2% of energy for ALA; up to 10% of this can be provided by EPA or DHA.” [1]

“To achieve recommended ALA intakes, food sources including flaxseed and flaxseed oil, walnuts and walnut oil, and canola oil are recommended. The evidence base supports a dietary recommendation of approximately 500 mg/d of EPA and DHA for cardiovascular disease risk reduction. For treatment of existing cardiovascular disease, 1 g /d is recommended. These recommendations have been embraced by many health agencies worldwide.” [1]

Omega 3 fatty acids are Cardioprotective
“Because of the remarkable cardioprotective effects of omega-3 fatty acids, consumption of food sources that provide omega-3 fatty acids--especially the longer-chain fatty acids (>or=20 carbons) from marine sources--should be increased in the diet to decrease CVD risk significantly.”[2]
“Presently, the weight of the evidence favors recommendations for modest dietary consumption of ALA (2 to 3 g per day) for the primary and secondary prevention of CHD.” [3]

Omega 3 fatty acids improve Insulin Sensitivity
There is overwhelming evidence that switching over to a diet rich in poly unsaturated fats and mono unsaturated fats, improves insulin sensitivity significantly. Therefore the progression to ‘metabolic syndrome’ and Type 2 Diabetes will be significantly curtailed. [4, 5]
Omega 3 fatty acids may reduce defects of insulin receptor signaling and thus improve insulin action by other mechanisms. [6]

Omega 3 fatty acids reduce muscle degradation
Insulin increased glucose and amino acid transport; the increase in glucose transport by insulin was significantly greater after consumption of the high omega-3 fatty acid diet. High Omega 3 fatty acid diets reduce net muscle protein degradation altering the composition of cell membranes and metabolism of muscle protein. [7] This has important implications for preventing age related muscle loss.

Omega 3 fatty acids reduce Inflammatory Mediators
Flaxseed oil contains the 18-carbon omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid, which can be converted after ingestion to the 20-carbon n-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Fish oils contain both 20- and 22-carbon omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and docosahexaenoic acid. EPA can act as a competitive inhibitor of arachidonic acid (AA) conversion to PGE(2) and LTB(4), and decreased synthesis of one or both of these eicosanoids has been observed after inclusion of flaxseed oil or fish oil in the diet 8 . It is now well established that many chronic diseases like atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis and even obesity involve inflammation.

Omega 3 fatty acids are required for a healthy brain as well. They are needed to produce hormones, cytokines and neurotransmitters. A deficiency of Omega 3 fatty acids is known to accelerate degenerative changes in the brain. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an important structural component of the brain and nerves. (The subject of another article).

Inclusion of Omega 3 fatty acids in our diet is very important to ‘Fight Aging and Stay Young’.

References:

1. Gebauer SK et al, Am J Clin Nutr. June 2006; 83(6 Suppl):1526S-1535S
2. Psota TL et al, Am J Cardiol. Aug 2006; 98(4A):3i-18i
3. Mozaffarian D, Altern Ther Health Med. 2005; 11(3):24-30; quiz 31, 79
4. Rivellesse AA et al, Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2002; 967:329-35
5. Ebbesson SO et al, Int J Circumpolar Health. 2005; 64(4):396-408
6. Taouis M et al, Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2002; 282(3):E664-71
7. Clandinin MT et al, Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1993; 683:151-63
8. James MJ et al Am J Clin Nutr. 2000; 71(1 Suppl):343S-8S

Fight Aging Site team has taken maximum care to ensure that the information is authentic. The information has been extracted from published medical trials and text books. The information is not meant to substitute a Physicians advice, nor is it meant to treat any disease. Members are advised to consult a Physician, Dietician, Physiotherapist or Trainer before taking medication or commencing an exercise program.

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