Not all Fats are Bad Fats

There is a lot of hype these days about good fats and bad fats. Most people only know the negative half of the story. It has essentially lead to rampant fat phobia.

A no fat or low fat diet can lead to poor health. There are two types of fats that are essential to our health. These essential fatty acids are cis-linoleic (Omega-6) and alpha-linolenic (omega-3). They are essential because our body cannot manufacture them.

The bad fats can be generally thought of as ones, which have been changed from their natural state. Usually this involves some type of hydrogenation process. This process allows for increased shelf life at the expense of the body's needs.

It's not enough to avoid the bad fats; we must seek out the good fats (omega 3& 6). Our body requires these fats for normal function of every cell, tissue, gland and organ. They are found in small amounts in green vegetables and in large quantities in certain seeds and nuts. Flax seed oil is probably the best source of omega-3, while sunflower and sesame seeds are high in omega-6.

Ideally, the body should be provided with an optimum ratio (1:1) of these two types of oils. With our present lifestyles I would opt on the side of higher supplementation of omega-3 because they are more difficult to find in our diet. A side note to mention is that supplementation of 4 grams of flax seed oil daily will aid in healing and also decrease some of the pain patterns found with injury or trauma to the spine.

A balanced intake of essential fatty acids will help your body perform to optimum standards.