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Are You
Deficient?
In this fat phobic era ushering in low-fat and non-fat food
products overcrowding your local grocer, pharmacy and health
food store, the recommendation to supplement your daily diet
with one or two tablespoons of a flax product containing
Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) may be puzzling. However,
MegaOmega™ Organic Sprouted Flax is extremely rich in
special fats designated as essential fatty acids. "Essential"
simply means that we must consume them in our diets and that our
bodies cannot manufacture them from other dietary fats or
nutrients. Research suggests that a lack of essential fatty
acids, found abundantly in MegaOmega™
Organic Sprouted Flax, plays a significant role in the
development of such chronic degenerative diseases as
heart disease,
cancer, and stroke. Experts estimate
that approximately 80 percent of North Americans consume an
insufficient quantity of essential fatty acids. This dietary
insufficiency presents a serious health threat to us. In
addition to providing the body with energy, the essential fatty
acids - linolenic and linolenic acid - function in our bodies as
components of nerve cells, cellular membranes, and hormone-like
substances known as prostaglandins. Prostaglandins and the
essential fatty acids play an important role in keeping your
body healthy and in good working order.
As well as playing a critical role in normal physiology,
essential fatty acids are shown to be therapeutic and protect
against heart disease, cancer, auto immune diseases such as
multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, many skin diseases,
and others.
Causes of EFA Deficiency
The massive switch to polyunsaturated oils used in processed,
refined and fast foods has effectively eliminated the essential
fatty acids from our food supply. In addition, there has been a
tremendous increase in the amount of unnatural fats and oils
added to our food in the form of trans fatty acids and partially
hydrogenated oils. Trans fatty acids result when polyunsaturated
oils are subjected to excessive heat, light or oxygen, or other
refining methods. The term trans literally means that the shape
of the fat molecules are (trans)formed. Hydrogenation is caused
when liquid polyunsaturated fatty acids are infused with
hydrogen. The result is a semisolid or solid fat substance not
duplicated anywhere in nature. Margarine is the ultimate
representation of a hydrogenated fat substance containing both
hydrogenated and trans fatty acids. The important item to
remember is that because these are unnatural substances, our
bodies are not designed or able to process these fats properly
and they cause numerous health problems.
Early in the twentieth century, Americans consumed about 125
grams of fat a day. Today, the consumption is over 175 grams, a
40 percent increase, or about 50 extra pounds a year.
Proportionally our ingestion of saturated fats has remained
relatively stable. Our ingestion of unrefined polyunsaturated
oils rich in the disease preventing essential fatty acids, has
decreased dramatically. Conversely, our ingestion of refined,
adulterated, polyunsaturated oils with no disease preventing
qualities has risen sharply, correlating with the dramatic rise
in many degenerative conditions including
cancer, heart disease, and
stroke. These refined and processed
compounds actually inhibit the body's ability to use the
essential fatty acids that are consumed. And because synthetic
fats have been prevalent in the diet for under a hundred years,
our bodies have not yet had time to evolve to the point where
they can handle these deadly compounds. There are three primary
factors contributing to our current essential fatty acid
deficiency:
- Unavailability of quality oils rich in essential fatty
acids because of mass commercialization and refinement of
fats and oils.
- Transformation of healthful Omega-3 and Omega-6 oils
into toxic compounds (hydrogenated and trans fats).
- Metabolic competition between hydrogenated and trans
fatty acids with the essential fatty acids.
Recognizing Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency
Most health care practitioners will never make the
association between a health problem and essential fatty acid
deficiency because they are not adequately trained in nutrition,
and the laboratory analysis to measure essential fatty acid
deficiency is not widely available. In addition, the symptoms of
essential fatty acid deficiency are not as obvious as with many
other nutrient deficiencies. The consequences of this lack of
knowledge can be deadly. And even if an essential fatty acid
deficiency were recognized, few clinicians would know how to
treat it. The symptoms of essential fatty acid deficiency can be
so vague and broad that they are usually written off as having
some other cause. Surveys suggest that most Americans are
obtaining only about 10 per cent of what they need for optimal
health. This is why everyone, regardless of health status,
should take the essential fatty acid-rich
MegaOmega™ Organic Sprouted Flax.
Recommendations
1. Reduce the amount of saturated fats and total fats in your
diet: There is much research linking saturated fats to numerous
cancers, heart disease, and strokes. The easiest way for most
people to achieve this is to eat less animal products and more
plants. With the exception of nuts and seeds, most plant foods
are very low in fat. And though nuts and seeds do contain high
levels of fat calories, the calories are derived largely from
polyunsaturated (healthy) essential fatty acids.
2. Completely eliminate margarine and other foods containing
trans fatty acids and partially hydrogenated oils The process
used to make trans fats and partially hydrogenated fats
eliminates your body's ability to process these fats and
interferes with your body's ability to utilize healthy essential
fatty acids.
3. Take one or two tablespoons of MegaOmega™
Organic Sprouted Flax daily: Organic, unrefined flax is
considered by many to be the answer to restoring the proper
level of essential fatty acids.
MegaOmega™ Organic Sprouted Flax is unique because it
contains both essential fatty acids - alpha linolenic (Omega-3)
and linolenic (Omega-6) - in appreciable amounts.
MegaOmega™ Organic Sprouted Flax is the richest source of
Omega-3 essential fatty acids. Omega-3 essential fatty acids
have been extensively studied for their beneficial effects on
high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure,
stroke and heart
attack, angina, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory skin
disorders, and inhibiting cancer formation and metastasis.
4. Limit your total fat intake to no more than 30 percent of
calories: Incorporate "healthful" fats in the form of essential
fatty acid-rich MegaOmega™ Organic
Sprouted Flax in your diet while eliminating dangerous
trans, hydrogenated, and saturated fats. Watch for these
"stealth fats" by reading food labels carefully before you
choose.
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to us.
Please tell us what you like
most about MegaOmega™ Organic Sprouted Flax Products
from your own experiences using them. At the beginning
of every month we will pick our favourite entry as the
winner and publish it on this site. In appreciation for
your time, you will receive a free MegaOmega™ Organic Sprouted Flax Product.
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