A second article concerning fats was published in today’s Independent. Titled “Low-fat diets: Not fit for purpose“, the author discusses the lack of evidence behind the promotion of a low-fat diet, and charts the rise in obesity against the lowering of fat consumption. I think it’s really unfortunate that the author chose not to distinguish between types of polyunsaturated fats: those in the know understand that there is an optimum ratio of omega-3:omega-6 polyunsaturated fats in the diet and that the problem is that we are eating waaay too much omega-6’s. We should have about equivalent intakes of both types (that’s a 1:1 ratio). I do think it useful that he highlights the benefits of saturated fats in the diet: indeed lauric acid, as found abundantly in butter and coconut oil, is highly beneficial for the human organism. Yay butter! Boo margarine!

My personal experience bears testimony to this current research: I grew up in a household where tiny rations of butter were scraped onto bread, and margarine was routinely used in baking. As for oil, a drop of sunflower or canola oil was used to fry onions, but there was certainly no sign of olive oil, oily fish or flax seed oil. My brother and sister and I all suffered terrible hay fever. My sister has struggled with ezcema all her life and my brother developed asthma in his late teens. When I converted the vegetarianism at the age of 14, I had no concept whatsoever or eating well. I basically gave up meat, then moved out of my mother’s house and survived on whatever my meagre restaurant skivvy’s salary could provide me. Basically, bread, ramen noodles, margarine, peanut butter, and probably some healthier stuff like fruit in between the beer-drinking sessions. Needless to say, I also developed ezcema, had terribly itchy and dry skin, fine, sparse hair and incredibly dry eyes, especially when my hay fever kicked in around May. As I ‘grew up’ I improved my diet and paid great attention to eating well and getting fit. But, it was not until I read Udo Erasmus’ book “Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill” that I realised how I’d been punishing my body. I began taking flax seed oil and eating plenty of avocadoes, butter, and occasionally oily fish (yes, in contrary to my veggeir principles). I don’t think that I need to tell you that I no longer have bad skin or hair.

so, if you’re still not getting a regular dose of omega-3’s (and I mean daily), then what the heck are you waiting for?

These fatty acids (medium chain) also have antimicrobial, antitumor and immune-system-supporting properties, especially 12-carbon lauric acid, a medium-chain fatty acid not found in other animal fats. Highly protective lauric acid should be called a conditionally essential fatty acid because it is made only by the mammary gland and not in the liver like other saturated fats.⁶⁵ We must obtain it from one of two dietary sources—small amounts in butterfat or large amounts in coconut oil. (http://www.greenpasture.org/products/butter_oil/properties)

Stevia is a plant native to Central and South America. It is known for it’s sweetening properties.  I was surprised to find it on the shelf as it is supposedly banned for use in food in the EU due to concerns about the possibly carcinogenic metabolic by-products of its breakdown.  I bought a small bottle of 20% concentrate, with alcohol and water.  I tasted some straight and found that it does taste sweet – not sugary though – and that the concentrated product does have a funny aniseed-y aftertaste.  I put two or three drops in my coffee and must say that it did sweeten it, but not in a sugary way.  I dunno.  I love honey, not sugar.  I am not sure if stevia can replace the complex and subtle sweetening of a good honey, but it’s handy to have on hand.

Overall, it’s nice to come across an ever-increasing range of healthy products here on the Costa Blanca.

What can transform someone from being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and chronic fatigue syndrome to a state of total mental and physical wellbeing? As James Boschman discovered, omega-3 fatty acids can work those wonders and more. Within three weeks of incorporating flax seed — the highest known vegetable source of omega-3s — into his diet, he was sleeping normally and, in his words, “not crazy anymore,” as the omega-3 fatty acids leveled out the wild fluctuations in his brain.

After experiencing flaxseed’s amazing abilities for himself, Boschman spent the next 15 years researching omega-3 fatty acids and eventually began the flaxseed packaging and distribution company Randolph & James Flax Mills Ltd. During his Winter 2005 lecture on essential nutrition, he brought this unique and delicious flaxseed and his wealth of knowledge to share at the First Annual Arizona Choices Exposition in Tucson, Ariz., and all those attending the lecture learned what a little dietary flaxseed could do for this modern mental illness epidemic.

Omega-3 deficiency is a major cause of mental illness in North America, according to Boschman. Food manufacturers don’t use ingredients high in omega-3 fatty acids because they grow rancid quickly. Since money ranks ahead of good nutrition, they use hydrogenated oils, which have a long shelf life but also create trans fats in the foods as a byproduct of the hydrogenation process. Research links trans fats to cancer, heart disease and a number of other chronic diseases, making them the “number one killer in North America today,” says Boschman.

As a result of our processed-food-rich diets, we’re consuming large amounts of omega-6 fatty acids and little or zero omega-3 fatty acids, which is a recipe for feeling “stressed out,” as too many people often are. Stress, caused by events like someone cutting in front of you in traffic, turns on the production of adrenaline from omega-6 fatty acids, according to Boschman. Think of it as an “on button.” The problem is that we need omega-3 fatty acids to turn off the stress response, which is precisely why there are so many high-strung people in our omega-3-deficient society. They simply lack the “off button” required to stop their bodies’ responses to everyday stressors.

However, omega-3 deficiency is linked to much more than angry drivers yelling out their windows. Boschman believes that the lack of the essential fatty acid in pregnant women might be a cause of both postpartum depression and the development of symptoms popularly diagnosed as ADHD, Tourette’s syndrome and even mental retardation in the delivered child. During pregnancy, almost all of a woman’s omega-3 reserves are used to form the brain of the developing fetus. If she doesn’t increase her intake of the essential fatty acid accordingly, postpartum depression can occur. Additionally, if her body lacks enough omega-3 to form the fetus’ brain sufficiently, and the child is not given proper omega-3 through diet or supplements during the first two years of life, then Boschman believes one of three brain disorders will occur, depending on the severity of the deficiency:

* ADHD (relatively less deficient)
* Tourette’s syndrome
* Mental retardation (severely deficient)

In this sense, these three brain disorders are part of the same continuum, all with the same root and the same necessary preventative measure.

However, all flaxseed is not created equal, says Boschman. The higher the latitude where the crop is grown, the higher the seeds’ omega-3 content. Randolph & James Flax Mills Ltd. packages and distributes organic flaxseed grown north of the fifty-third parallel, which is then milled and packaged one bag at a time so less peroxidation occurs. This way, you eat flaxseed that smells and tastes fresh. Randolph & James is also the only manufacturer that tests for E. coli and other biological contaminants, according to Boschman. These safety measures guarantee you high-quality, delicious and safe flaxseed every time.

Boschman ended his lecture by opening up a new bag of Randolph & James Flax Mills Ltd. flaxseed for his lecture attendees to sample. What a flavor! You could actually taste its fresh and wholesome nature. Randolph & James Flax Mills Ltd. doesn’t have a website, but you can order many of their products online through other companies. Just type the company’s name in any search engine.

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And I’ll copy it in here in case it gets moved:

A single omega-3 fish oil capsule taken daily could help keep some people with heart failure out of hospital, a study released yesterday revealed.

A second trial, however, found that statins – conventional medicines prescribed for many healthy people with high cholesterol at risk of heart disease – have no effect once the arteries have narrowed to the point where heart failure occurs.

Both results were revealed yesterday in Munich at the European Society of Cardiology meeting and published online by the Lancet. Italian researchers investigated the potential of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on patients with chronic heart failure – which occurs when the heart struggles to pump blood around the body because of narrowing arteries.

Professors Luigi Tavazzi and Gianni Tognoni from the ANMCO research centre in Florence found that more patients who were given the omega-3 survived than those who received a placebo. In the omega-3 group, 955 died (27%), whereas among those given a placebo, 1,014 (29%) died. More in the placebo group were also admitted to hospital. Experts said the difference was enough to recommend omega-3 for patients with heart failure.

Statins did not prove useful in a trial where 2,285 patients were given 10mg a day of rosuvastatin while 2,289 received a placebo. The researchers found there was no significant difference between deaths and hospital admissions.

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