Red Deer Life - March 5, 2006

Today's column is a bit of a shocker, it's an idea that's really difficult to grasp. Dietary fat is critical to weight loss, athletic performance, longevity and overall good health. But of course there is a catch, there is always a catch. Not all fat is created equal, the pizza you had last night is not going to ensure the best performance in today's workout but had that pizza been substituted for a hearty plateful of broiled fish we might be looking at a new story.

Next to air and water fat is the next most vital component to a healthy body. Now if you've flipped through any health or diet magazines essential fatty acids (EFAs) are becoming kind of a buzz topic. Let this column be the one that pushes you to let that buzz transfer to that mental list we keep, the "items of importance" list.

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are just that, essential in that our body cannot make them; we must acquire them from our daily food intake. The EFAs we are most concerned about in particular are the Omega-3 fatty acids and the Omega-6 fatty acids. These fats are derived mainly from fish and some vegetables, nuts, seeds and oils. Generally I've found these are not high on the dietary list here in land locked Alberta. Moreover to maintain a significant intake of fatty acids these items need to be consumed daily and more beneficial would be more than one time per day.

Omega-3s are responsible for a variety of things. The largest role they play is in buffering production of acid within our bodies. Maintaining body pH has a very pronounced effect on cellular integrity and the efficiency of our body's energy systems. It's the role of acid buffer that provides the most significant improvement to athletic performance and the greater feeling of well being. There have been studies showing positive results in cholesterol reduction, and even slowing the growth of tumors. They aid in the control of inflammation in such afflictions as arthritis and fibromyalgia and even help in preventing osteoporosis and diabetes. Health Canada has even allowed manufacturers to apply "heart healthy" to product labels because of evidence showing a reduction of heart disease in people who regularly supplement omega-3s.

Omega-6 EFAs are most well known for their ability to reduce the body's ability to store body fat and promote the body's ability to burn fat for energy. Omega-6s must still be acquired from our daily diet but our body can assemble them from omega-3s. A little more readily available then omega-3s as they are found with some abundance in many vegetables, oils, nuts and seeds.

These are really only small sample of the benefits afforded to our bodies by EFAs so stock up on your green vegetables, nuts and cold water fish next time through the grocery store. Or if these are not high on your favorite food lists consider an EFA supplement to be money well spent.