People who take in who take in more fish oil tend to live longer and look younger, too. Now, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association might have a clue as to how why omega 3 fish oils slow down aging. The researchers show that heart disease patients who take omega 3 fatty acids protects them from death and illness because they slow biological aging.
The study headed by Dr. Ramin Farzaneh-Far observed 600 men who have heart disease. Those who took omega-3 looked “biologically younger.” Now you wonder why this is. The answer is in the chromosomes. The ends of their chromosomes called telomeres are longer and healthier. According to Dr. Farzaneh-Far, those who eat more omega-3 fish oils showed slower decrease of telomere length while those who consume fewer omega-3 fish oils age show faster telomere shortening. This means that those with high fish oil levels age slower than the others who have lower levels of fish oils.
According to Dr. Stephen Kopecky of the Mayo Clinic in an interview with ABC News, telomeres help the body repair damage. So the longer the telomeres, the more damage repair they can do. Dr. Michael Roizen agrees in that the length of telomeres can potentially extend lifespan and reduce disability. Dr. Roizen is the chief wellness officer of the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
Though this research is still preliminary, its potential is great. Some researchers are skeptical about the connection between omega 3 fish oils and telomere length. It may be that there are other health factors that Dr. Farzaneh-Far and his team haven’t considered.
According to a Dr. Steven Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic, it may be that people who eat more fish oils have other healthy habits that may have contributed to their telomere lengths. However, the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids to those who have heart disease are conclusive. People with coronary artery disease have been prescribed to take more omega 3 fatty acids to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress shortens telomeres and hastens aging. Omega-3 also reacts with lipids that cause damage to the heart. This shows that people with heart disease need to consume one gram of fish oil daily.
Another way fatty acids combat heart disease is they lower triglycerides and non-HDL cholesterol. They also stabilize the cell membranes which lower the risk of people from having fatal heart attacks or coronary heart disease.
While Dr. Farzaneh-Far’s study still needs to be replicated to have stronger evidence, it opens several possibilities on how omega 3 fatty acids help us slow the aging process. The findings in Dr. Farzeneh-Far’s research may encourage more research on omega 3’s benefits to humans. Meanwhile, let’s not forget to take in omega 3 fish oils through our food or take in fish oil supplements to make sure our omega 3 levels are always replenished and stable.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Three Types of Fatty Acids You Should Know About
As a health buff, I have always known that I need fatty acids to achieve good health and wellness. It's always a wonderful feeling knowing you are free from getting sick because you have the right health information, isn't it?
Let’s begin with the basics. One example of a very important fatty acid is Omega 3. Don’t worry these are non-fattening. These are the good fats, so you don’t have to worry about adding weight when eating these nutrients. There are three main categories of fatty acids. These are 'saturated', 'monounsaturated', and 'polyunsaturated'. All of them consist of carbon atoms with some hydrogen atoms filling the spaces between them A bit too technical? Don't fret! This blog will help you understand what fatty acids are and its various types!
Saturated Fats
What sets saturated fats apart from the other types of fatty acids is that the entire spaces around the carbon atoms are filled and do not have space. This makes them stable even when temperatures vary.. Red meat, dairy, and chicken are just some of the main sources of saturated fatty acids. They can also be found in tropical oils such as coconut oil and red palm oil. Interestingly, when we consume carbohydrates, our bodies also produce saturated fat.
Monounsaturated fats
This type consists of a double bond between two carbon atoms but lack two hydrogen atoms. When you look at its name closely, you’ll understand what they are. The term 'mono' talks about the single carbon double bond, while 'unsaturated' refers to the spaces that weren't filled due to the two missing hydrogen atoms. Since the chain bends at the double bond area, it follows that when large number of chains are joined together, the result will not be compressed. There's always a room or space in between. Because they aren't compact, these types of fatty acids are often in liquid form at room temperature. They are relatively stable which means that they aren't as firm as saturated fats. Oleic acid is among the most common monounsaturated fats. Sources of this type are avocados, olive oil, peanuts, cashews, pecans, and almonds. Our bodies can also produce monounsaturated fat from saturated fat.
Polyunsaturated fats.
Unlike the other types of fatty acids, polyunsaturated fats lacks several hydrogen atoms. In fact, they have two or more double bonds. This means that they have the tendency to be very loosely packed. That’s why even when it’s cold, it remains liquid. The term poly (or many) is attributed to their having more than one double bond. Polyunsaturated fats are not very stable. When they are exposed to heat and light, they can go bad or smell rancid.
When polyunsaturated fats become rancid, they can easily cause damage to your system. This is due to free radicals traveling around in your blood and practically messing up with almost everything they come in contact with. Damage related to free radicals may result to these terrifying illnesses: cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, tumors, and cataracts. They also make you look older than you are. Omega 3 and Omega 6 are common polyunsaturated fatty acids. Our bodies cannot produce them (unlike saturated and monounsaturated fats) so we must derive them from the food we take.
Omega 3s can do both good and bad. It can be perfectly alright when not spoiled but can be detrimental when rancid. That’s why be careful when taking Omega 3 supplements. Make sure they are molecularly distilled, free of mercury and made from wild caught fish.
Omega 3 supplements can come in the form of fish oil. Taking an omega 3 supplement with an antioxidant is a good idea. The antioxidants prevent free radical damage especially when oils turn stale in your body.
So here you go! I hope I didn’t bore you with this, but knowing this will make a difference in how you view food in general.
Let’s begin with the basics. One example of a very important fatty acid is Omega 3. Don’t worry these are non-fattening. These are the good fats, so you don’t have to worry about adding weight when eating these nutrients. There are three main categories of fatty acids. These are 'saturated', 'monounsaturated', and 'polyunsaturated'. All of them consist of carbon atoms with some hydrogen atoms filling the spaces between them A bit too technical? Don't fret! This blog will help you understand what fatty acids are and its various types!
Saturated Fats
What sets saturated fats apart from the other types of fatty acids is that the entire spaces around the carbon atoms are filled and do not have space. This makes them stable even when temperatures vary.. Red meat, dairy, and chicken are just some of the main sources of saturated fatty acids. They can also be found in tropical oils such as coconut oil and red palm oil. Interestingly, when we consume carbohydrates, our bodies also produce saturated fat.
Monounsaturated fats
This type consists of a double bond between two carbon atoms but lack two hydrogen atoms. When you look at its name closely, you’ll understand what they are. The term 'mono' talks about the single carbon double bond, while 'unsaturated' refers to the spaces that weren't filled due to the two missing hydrogen atoms. Since the chain bends at the double bond area, it follows that when large number of chains are joined together, the result will not be compressed. There's always a room or space in between. Because they aren't compact, these types of fatty acids are often in liquid form at room temperature. They are relatively stable which means that they aren't as firm as saturated fats. Oleic acid is among the most common monounsaturated fats. Sources of this type are avocados, olive oil, peanuts, cashews, pecans, and almonds. Our bodies can also produce monounsaturated fat from saturated fat.
Polyunsaturated fats.
Unlike the other types of fatty acids, polyunsaturated fats lacks several hydrogen atoms. In fact, they have two or more double bonds. This means that they have the tendency to be very loosely packed. That’s why even when it’s cold, it remains liquid. The term poly (or many) is attributed to their having more than one double bond. Polyunsaturated fats are not very stable. When they are exposed to heat and light, they can go bad or smell rancid.
When polyunsaturated fats become rancid, they can easily cause damage to your system. This is due to free radicals traveling around in your blood and practically messing up with almost everything they come in contact with. Damage related to free radicals may result to these terrifying illnesses: cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, tumors, and cataracts. They also make you look older than you are. Omega 3 and Omega 6 are common polyunsaturated fatty acids. Our bodies cannot produce them (unlike saturated and monounsaturated fats) so we must derive them from the food we take.
Omega 3s can do both good and bad. It can be perfectly alright when not spoiled but can be detrimental when rancid. That’s why be careful when taking Omega 3 supplements. Make sure they are molecularly distilled, free of mercury and made from wild caught fish.
Omega 3 supplements can come in the form of fish oil. Taking an omega 3 supplement with an antioxidant is a good idea. The antioxidants prevent free radical damage especially when oils turn stale in your body.
So here you go! I hope I didn’t bore you with this, but knowing this will make a difference in how you view food in general.
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