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| Essential Oils |  |
| Before You Begin Information presented here is for general educational purposes only. Each one of us is biochemically and metabolically different. If you have a specific health concern and wish my personalized nutritional recommendation, write to me by clicking here. |
Essential oils (or fatty
acids as they are commonly known) are indispensable for optimum functioning
of the body. They provide the basic building blocks for the body's
numerous enzymatic and hormonal functions. They are also precursors to eicosanoids.
Eicosanoids lower blood pressure, raise body temperature, modulate bronchial
passages, and stimulate hormone production. Their production is highly dependent
on dietary fat.
There are 3 essential oil families: omega-3, omega-6, and omega-
9 fatty acids. Both omega-3 and omega-6 posses the strongest
ability to generate eicosanoids. Omega-9s are weaker and not labeled as
essential but are helpful. The common source of omega-9s is olive oil.
The secret to optimum health lies in maintaining
the right balance between the omega-3s and the omega-6s.
Omega-3 Fatty Acid
Eating
deep cold water fish like salmon
and tuna, or taking quality fish oil supplements, provides a reliable source
of omega 3 fatty acid. There are 3 types of essential fatty acid found
in omega-3 fats and oils. They are alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic
acid (EPA), and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
When sugar is ingested, it is broken down into small molecules and is reassembled
as fats called triglycerides. A high triglyceride level is an independent
risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Sugar also raises insulin. When
too much insulin is circulating in the bloodstream, the triglyceride levels
increase tremendously concurrent with bad LDL cholesterol increases, and decreases of good HDL cholesterol . EPA in particular has a strong triglyceride lowering
effect. Having an optimum amount of EPA (from fish oil) on board
is clearly important for anyone with a high triglyceride level.
Unfortunately, some people cannot take a large amount of fish oil (3-6
grams a day) supplement without a "fishy blurp" and smell. Fortunately,
there is an alternative. Flaxseed oil is an
excellent and important alternate source of ALA. In addition,
the body will also convert flax oil's fatty acids into EPA and DHA, but
the conversion ratio is low and takes weeks. While the flaxseed oil is remarkable
in itself, the value of the entire flaxmeal must not be discounted. It is
an excellent source of fiber and contains cancer-opposing compounds called
lignans. Lignans deactivate the more cell-stimulating forms of estrogen
and aid in the modulation of the undesirable side effects of the menstrual
cycle.
Omega-6 Fatty Acid
Now let us take a look at omega-6 fatty acid. An
over consumption of omega-6 fatty
acid is an important cause of premature aging, leading to a variety of chronic
degenerative diseases. However, not all omega-6 fatty acids are
bad. Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA) is an
important beneficial omega-6 fatty acid. Evening Primrose Oil
(EPO) is a good source of linoleic acid. EPO also provides the important
gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), the beneficial omega-6 fat. The common notion,
that omega-3 is a beneficial and omega-6 is a harmful fatty acid, must be
dispelled. Omega-6, just like omega-3, is a much-needed fatty acid in order
to maintain optimum functionality of your body. The problem of the modern
day diet is that we simply consume too much omega-6 fatty acid (from sources
like corn oil, sunflower, and safflower oil) in comparison to omega-3 fatty
acid, causing an imbalance of massive proportions. While a good balance
is approximately 4 to 1, most modern day diets have an
omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio closer to 20 to 1 or greater.
GLA has a strong cholesterol lowering agent. Clearly,
if your cholesterol level is too high, it is important to have the proper
amount of the good omega-6 fatty acid on board for its GLA content. Good
sources of omega-6 fatty acid include evening primrose oil (EPO), borage
oil and black currant seed. The latter two provide 4 times more GLA than
that supplied by EPO, therefore are more potent.
Omega-9 Fatty Acid (commonly from Olive Oil)
Olive oil contains a large
amount of monounsaturated fatty acid. This is a "good"
fatty acid. Just a spoonful of extra virgin olive oil helps the cholesterol
levels go down. Studies have shown that adults who consumed about
5 tablespoons of virgin olive oil daily (or
about 25 ml) for a week displayed higher levels of antioxidant compounds,
in particular phenols, when blood tests were done. Also, there was less
oxidation of LDL cholesterol, otherwise known as "bad" cholesterol. It
has been shown, in prior studies, that oxidation of LDL cholesterol is associated
with the hardening of the arterial walls, which in turn can lead to heart
disease. The findings may explain why the Mediterranean people have lower
rates of heart disease. These people consume a diet rich in olive oil, fruits,
vegetables and grains. Their calorie intake consists of more than one third
monounsaturated fatty acids, which may help to lower total cholesterol
and LDL cholesterol levels.
Though phenols from other sources such as red wine and onions have been
shown to keep cholesterol levels down, little is known about effect
of antioxidants from olive oil. This is why the researchers conducted
a study based on 16 healthy adults.
The study group was instructed to abstain from foods containing phenol,
such as coffee, tea, wine and vegetables, for 4 days. On the 5th day, they
were each given 50 ml of virgin olive oil to consume, either by itself or
with bread. The next day, the group was told to avoid the same phenol-containing
foods, after which they could resume with their regular diet. At the same
time, they were instructed to take 25 ml of olive oil daily for a week and
to avoid high fat foods such as butter, margarine, cooking oil, nuts, baked
foods and eggs. Blood samples taken, before and during the study, revealed
higher levels of antioxidant compounds, including vitamin E and phenols,
after one week. Similarly, levels of oleic acid, the predominant type of
fat in olive oil, as well as monounsaturated fatty acids, were higher. These
changes were associated with a slower LDL oxidation rate.
Conclusion
Our body needs a complete array of fatty acids in proper doses and balance
for optimum health. The modern day diet, high in processed food, contains
far too many omega 6 fats. The ratio of omega-6 fats to omega-3 fatty acids,
in early human history, was about 2-3 to 1. This is the ratio for
optimum health. Sadly, American's dietary ratio falls between 20:1
and 40:1. The reason being, too much omega-6 and not enough omega-3 fatty
acid. Consuming more omega-3 fatty acid will help lower the ratio.
Another way of improving your omega 3 to 6 ratio is to consume meat from
animals that have been raised exclusively on grass type foods and not grain
fed commercial cattle or poultry as well as organic eggs instead of commercial
eggs.
Those who are healthy, should make sure that there are enough omega-3
fatty acids in their bodies to provide the important DHA and EPA (that have
triglyceride modulation properties, together with the right amounts of omega-6
fatty acid) to provide the important cholesterol modulating GLA on board.
A series of properly formulated and balanced essential oil supplementation
capsules, therefore, form the basic foundation of a comprehensive longevity
program. Those with cholesterol challenges
should add more GLA through Borage oil, and those with triglyceride challenges
should add more fish oil. Those who cannot tolerate fish oil should
consider flaxseed oil instead, either in capsule or liquid form. To
get enough omega-9 fatty acid on board, consider using virgin olive oil
in its unheated form during meals.
Oil containing sunflower, corn, soy, safflower and canola
should be avoided due to their polyunsaturated fatty acid content.
These oils have a high proportion of omega-6 fats. We should use virgin
olive oil , coconut oil, and organic butter instead.
| Attention Because of tremendous individual variation, the use of nutritionals should therefore be personalized for your body. One person’s nutrient can be another person’s toxin. If you have a specific health concern and wish my personalized nutritional recommendation, write to me by clicking here. |
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