Our lifeblood is in the source of essential fatty acids or bioactive lipids we nourish our bodies with. All essential fatty acids (EFAs) are just that – essential to our health and survival.Our brains are 60% lipid. We cannot biosynthesize EFAs, they must be ingested, and in a preferred proportion of the two families, ω6 and ω3 EFAs. EFAs include polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs) and comprise two levels:
1) Lower OrderPUFA essential fatty acids include Linoleic acid or LA (w6) and Alpha Linolenic acid or ALA (w3)
2)Higher order HUFAs include dihomo gamma linolenic acid (DGLA), arachidonic acid (AA), EPA, and DHA classified as eicosanoids that form a wide range of lipid metabolites includingprostaglandins, leukotrienes, prostacyclins, thromboxanes, resolvins, maresins, lipoxins and protectins.
To optimize health balanced amounts of pure, undamaged EFAs need to be consumed in the diet:
Were you looking for olive oil and avocado oil in the lineup of EFAs ?
They don’t belong because they do not contain EFAs, but rather oleic acid which is a MONOunsaturated fatty acid, and NON essential. Your body can biosynthesize oleic acid all on its own.
Coconut oil and MCT oil aren’t on the hit parade either, they contain SATURATED fatty acids, that your body can make. Coconut oil and MCT oil do not require bile to be absorbed, and are often used to swiftly produce ketones, but they do not contain EFAs.
Saturated and Monounsaturated fatty acids offer us only calories and satiety.
Saturated fats are found in meat/poultry and dairy fat predominantly (and chocolate!), while monounsaturated sources include olive oil, olives, tree nuts (almonds, pecans), and avocados.
Pure EFA Sourcing Caution must be exercised in the selection of oil sources of EFAs. Oxidation, rancidity, and aldehyde formation are threats to efficacy and outcome.
Organic, whole food choices such as seeds (made into seed cream) and eggs are preferred as are wild cold-water fish and caviar over heat-extracted fish oils, often heated to up to 500° F. Fish oil contains HUFAs which are especially vulnerable to degradation by oxidation. If fish oils are used they should be produced by super critical CO2 extraction methods.
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