Fatty Acids Weight Loss Diet Nutrition Tips Guide

The Good And Bad Fatty Acids

By Tracy Kerr-Walshe

Researchers are finding that good fatty acids act like helping hands, regulating all sorts of inter-cellular processes by bringing nutrients in and getting excrements out more efficiently.

In recent years, they’ve also been linked to cancer and heart disease prevention! Foods like nuts, oils and salmon are recommended additions to every daily diet - in moderation, of course.

Unsaturated fatty acids (or FAs), monosaturated FAs and polyunsaturated FAs are the healthy fats that our body needs to function properly. These good fatty acids raise your High Density Lipoprotein, which grabs your bad cholesterol (Low Density Lipoprotein) like a quarterback and runs down to your liver for a touchdown (aka breaking down the cholesterol and excreting it)!

Essential Fatty Acids

Essential fatty acids support many systems - immune, nervous, reproductive and cardiovascular - helping them to repair cell membranes, absorb minerals and spit out waste. These strong acids also produces prostaglandins, which fight inflammation and infection, while regulating blood pressure, heart rate, growth and fertility.

When you think of unsaturated fatty acids, think liquid. Olive oil, canola oil and safflower oil are some you may want to use when cooking.

Monosaturated And Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids In Your Food

Monosaturated fatty acids (palmitoleic acid and oleic acid) found in nuts, avocados, olive oil, grapeseed oil, oatmeal, popcorn, whole grain wheat and cereal, play a major role in assisting HDL to transport LDL. These fatty acids thereby lower the risk of coronary heart disease and arteriosclerosis, while aiding in cancer prevention.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids include soy, vegetable oil, sunflower, soybeans, mayonnaise and margarine. However, small amounts should be used, as high amounts have been linked to oxidization and free radical production, leading to cancer.

Lack Of Good Fatty Acids In Your Diet

Deficiencies of good fatty acids can be very troublesome. If you get sick a lot, have a hard time remembering things, suffer from hypertension or irregular heartbeats, menopausal discomfort, itchy legs or tingling nerves, you may have an Omega-3 (linolenic acid) deficiency.

Seen as heart-healthy and brain-healthy, much has been reported recently regarding "Omega-3" fatty acids found in salmon, mackerel, enriched eggs, flaxseed and walnuts. One tablespoon of uncooked flaxseed oil can give you the minimum Omega-3 / linolenic acid requirement needed throughout the day.

Reducing Risk Of Heart Disease

The Iowa Women’s Healthy Study found that eating nuts more than four times a week effectively reduced the risk of heart disease. In addition, a 2004 study from ten European countries found that modest intake of about 16gm of nuts and seeds had a reduced incidence of colon cancer in women.

Omega-3 fatty acids are said to form cell walls and facilitate inter-cellular processes. They’ve also been linked to the prevention of colon Cancer, reducing the risk of type I diabetes and having anti-inflammatory effects. In one study, men on high fish diets with high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids had an 80% decreased risk of sudden cardiac death.

Lower Risk Of Diabetes

In a ground-breaking study, Jill Norris PHD of the UCDHSC School of Medicine found: "Our study suggests that higher consumption of total omega-3 fatty acids is associated with a lower risk of diabetes autoimmunity in children at an increased genetic risk of type 1 diabetes."

By now it’s widely known that trans fatty acids - used to increase the shelf life of cookies, crackers, fried food, pastries, margarines and other snack food -- are bad for you and in fact increased LDL in the body.

Phasing Out Trans Fats In Commercial Food

Trans fatty acids are considered so dangerous now that the Pan American Health Organization has created a "Trans Fat Free Americas Task Force" to phase out the use of trans fats in the commercial food industry. Kraft, Mcdonalds, Burger King, Kellogg, Nestle and Pepsi are some of the companies interested in eliminating trans fats from their products.

If you browse and review recent news articles for "essential fatty acids," you’ll see they’re linked with everything from skin care, cancer prevention and dieting to aging gracefully, treating ADHD and combating depression.

New research constantly suggests the connection between good fatty acids and a healthy life. Your first instinct may be to avoid anything with fat, but never forget that moderation should be the pinnacle of any healthy diet.

Please Note: All information given on this site is for general information purposes and is not to replace any medical opinion or medical diagnosis given by a qualified medical doctor, a dietitian/nutritional expert or any other medical expert, as individual circumstances may vary. Please see your medical doctor, before any action is taken to alleviate symptoms.

This Article was about Fatty Acids.

About the Author:
Tracy Kerr-Walshe is an author of articles on nutrition, healthy food, diet and weight loss including Protein Diets, Organic Foods, Healthy Snacks, Effective Weight Loss, Full Body Detox, Juice Fasting.
Keep a lookout for more of her articles coming soon.