Welcome to www.fishoilandomega3.co.uk. - only the finest quality fish and other Omega 3 oils, Omega 6 and coconut oils. Use this site to learn more about these products.

You can also order online or by calling our 24 hour order line at:

020 8680 2888

WHAT SUPPLEMENT SHOULD I TAKE

(Comparison of different products)

back     Home   forward

 Items in Basket:  Total inc.VAT:  Total Inc. Shipping: 

NUTRI ESKIMO KIDS - NOW AVAILABLE IN ORANGE FLAVOUR AS WELL AS ORIGINAL TUTTI-FRUTTI

Please note, we do not manufacture, alter or re-brand any products. We cannot give medical advice on any matter and if you have any concerns about your health or the use of these products, you should consult your medical practitioner.

WE REGRET WE ARE UNABLE TO PROCESS ORDERS DERIVING FROM OR TO BE DISPATCHED TO USA OR CANADA.

MUST READ ARTICLE - THE TRUTH BEHIND THE LIES - WHY FAT IS GOOD FOR YOU!

www.fishoilandomega3.co.uk        Delivery Charges   Terms & Conditions   contact us   How to Shop   Health Warning

 

Eat the Right  Fat or Die Prematurely!

(The truth about the big "FAT" lies)

 

(get printer friendly "WORD" version of this article)

Go straight to Eskimo Kids Omega Fish Oil

"The fats and oils story may well be the greatest scandal of ignorance, disinformation, and greed in the entire history of food production. The effects of poorly processed oils are a major causative factor in heart disease, cancer, and most modern diseases that have affected hundreds of millions of people all over the world."

John Finnegan, The Facts About Fats

 

CONTENTS
Introduction

Chapter One

Best kept secret

Some vital statistics

Chapter Six

Fats are Big Business, and Big Business can be Greedy

Commercial Oil Making Methods

What you find in all supermarkets and even most health    food stores     

Chapter Two

Some of the functions of EFAs

Omega-3 Deficiency Symptoms

Omega-6 Deficiency Symptoms

Chapter Seven

Vitamin E and polyunsaturates

 

Chapter Three

Just a tiny bit of science

What's a molecule between friends

Think of a small twig  

How long is your caterpillar?

Let's go back a step

Now for some kinky stuff!

A few more pointers on kinkiness

Chapter Eight

Fresh Vegetable/Seed/Nut Oil - The Best Oils of All

Light and Air free

Low Temperature

Processed without toxic solvents

Bottled in opaque black plastic or dark brown glass with cardboard containers

Cold stored, short-shelf date, and quick delivery

Refrigeration and Rapid Use after Opening

Freshness and Flavour

Cost

Advantages of Fresh Oils

Chapter Four

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Saturated Fatty Acids

Monounsaturated Fatty Acids

Unsaturated Fatty Acids

Trans Fatty Acids

Chapter Nine

Individual Requirements

Special Blends for children

Chapter Five

Good verses Evil

Free Radical Chain Reactions

Oxygen is equally harmful

Frying and Deep-Frying

Minimising the damage of frying

A few tips

Never, never, never, never, never!

 

Chapter Ten

Recipes

Ice cream with blueberries

Fresh Seeds Dressing

Mediterranean Style Salad Dressing

Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette

Vegetables with Dhal Sauce

Tabbouleh Cracked Wheat Salad

Sauted Green Leaves

Alternative Pesto

Scrumptious Coconut Treats

Houmous

Brown Rice Salad

Glossary

Appendix 1 - Further Reading

Appendix 2 - Research

 

 

INTRODUCTION (back to article contents)

 

For some years now there has been a 'no-fat' or 'low-fat' craze.

But make no mistake. Fats are vital to our health. Without the right fats in our diets we first become ill, and then we die prematurely.

One of the main secrets to good health is knowing which are the 'good' fats and which are 'bad'.

As Udo Erasmus states on the cover of his best-selling book "Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill", eating the right fats and oils improves:

  • energy level

  • athletic performance

  • fat loss

  • cardiovascular health

  • immune function

  • longevity

  • and more

We've all heard the 'old wives tale' that fish is good for the brain. Now the evidence is rolling in thick and fast of the importance of omega 3 oils for the brain, from the time of pre-conception, through time spent in the womb building the brain and nervous system, to school years and beyond.

Essential Fatty Acids' are called that, because they really are ESSENTIAL. We die without them. But first we become ill.

And it's not just the omega-3 " which everyone is talking about now.

There is much omega 6 to consider too. Yet, it appears on the face of it, that we are getting too much omega 6 already in our modern diets. And so we are. The point is, by the time they have been processed, heated, altered in the manufacturing process, and so on, they are no longer good for us. On the contrary, they create big problems for our health, and in spite of eating them in our diet, many of us are still FUNCTIONALLY DEFICIENT in them, especially children.

It has been said recently by Jamie Oliver, popular chef of the UK television programmes which highlighted the poor nutritional quality of school dinners, that for the first time ever, children are destined to die at a younger age than their parents.

All this and beyond will be discussed in the following chapters, clearly and precisely, in easy language.

CHAPTER ONE (back to article contents)

Best kept secret

One of the best kept secrets of good health is to eat something which most of us have been purposefully avoiding, out of fear that it would cause us to put on weight and die of heart disease. A culture of fear has surrounded this particular food group. The reason why? For many years we have been fed misleading and confusing information - indeed, nothing less than lied to. The truth has been known for some years, but vested interests did not want us to know.

It's worth repeating the quote in the Foreword:

"The fats and oils story may well be the greatest scandal of ignorance, disinformation, and greed in the entire history of food production. The effects of poorly processed oils are a major causative factor in heart disease, cancer, and most modern diseases that have affected hundreds of millions of people all over the world."

The truth is, that fats and oils in their natural, unprocessed states, are vital for our good health, whilst processed oils and most margarines will eventually make us ill.

If you think about it, the oils come from nuts and seeds. Each nut and seed contains the germ of a new life, and all it needs to start growing a completely new healthy plant is water and light. The nut or seed contains all the nutrition the new plant needs. But by the time the oil manufacturing companies have finished with it, they have turned this healthy seed into a toxic timebomb called 'pure vegetable oil' or 'pure safflower oil' or 'margarine'.

More on this later.

Some vital statistics

There are about 50 essential factors for healthy life:

  • water

  • oxygen

  • light

  • a source of energy (most commonly starch or glucose)

  • about 20 minerals

  • 13 vitamins

  • 8 amino acids (10 for children, 11 for premature infants)

  • 2 essential fatty acids

Our bodies cannot make these things, and we must obtain them from our environment.

In addition to these 50 essential factors, there are several which are not considered 'essential' but are required for good health. These include fibre and friendly bacteria for the health of our intestines, and digestive enzymes, bile and hydrochloric acid for digestion of food.

Several surveys in both America and the United Kingdom have shown that the majority of the population are deficient in several (often many) nutrients. Depending on which nutrient is involved, this will inevitably lead to disease.

You can read more about this in this newsletter on our sister site

Udo's Choice Essential Balance Flax Garlic Chilli Flax Coconut Oil

Eskimo Kids (Tutti Frutti Flavour)

Omega 3/6 Junior blend

 

CHAPTER TWO (back to article contents)

Some of the functions of EFAs

  • Wherever intense biochemical activity occurs - your nerve and brain cells, testes, adrenal glands and sense organs - you will find Essential Fatty Acids

  • EFAs are found in all cell membranes, nerve coverings, hormones and prostaglandins (prostaglandins are similar to hormones, but are found all over the body where they regulate inflammatory response and have immune-enhancing functions)

  • EFAs are vital in the transfer of oxygen to cells and in the conversion of food to energy

  • EFAs increase energy, elevating metabolic rate by increasing fat burning efficiency

  • EFAs are required for the transport and metabolism of cholesterol and triglycerides (saturated fats)

  • EFAs are needed for healthy skin, hair, nails and for the healing process

  • There are two Essential Fatty Acids, called:

    • Linoleic Acid (Omega-6) and

     

    • Alpha Linolenic Acid (Omega 3)

Omega-3 Deficiency Symptoms:

In his book "Choosing the Right Fats", Udo Erasmus states "Your intake of n-3 (omega-3) is likely to have decreased to 1/6 of what people consumed in 1850. N-3 deficiency is widespread. This is due to the fact that n-3 is very sensitive to destruction during processing, and is removed from foods to extend product shelf life."

He continues "A deficiency in n-3 is more difficult to identify than n-6. The reason is that n-6 (omega-6) can partially cover n-3 deficiencies. N-3, on the other hand, cannot cover for a shortage of n-6. If your body suffers an n-3 deficiency, you may have the following symptoms."

He lists the following omega-3 deficiency symptoms:

  • Retarded growth

  • Behavioral* change

  • Weakness

  • Weakened vision

  • Learning problems

  • Depression

  • Hyperactivity, attention deficit, and dyslexia

  • Poor motor coordination

  • Poor muscle growth

  • Impaired healing of injuries

  • Tingling sensations in arms and legs

  • Insulin resistance

  • High triglycerides

  • High blood pressure

  • Sticky platelets, or tendency to form clots in arteries, leading to heart attack, stroke, or embolism

  • High lipoprotein(a) - a strong predictive risk factor for cardiovascular disease

  • High fibrinogen - a clotting risk factor

  • Inflammation in tissues

  • Leaky gut

  • Allergies

  • Auto-immune conditions

  • Increased susceptibility to tumor growth

  • Water retention of odema

  • Dry or inflamed skin

  • Low metabolic rate

  • Low energy level

  • Lowered thyroid and adrenal function

  • Low testosterone level

*American spellings retained when quoting from American or Canadian books.

 

Omega-6 Deficiency Symptoms according to Udo Erasmus, in the above mentioned book, include the following:

  • Eczema-like skin eruptions

  • Hair loss

  • Water loss through the skin, with attendant thirst; common in diabetes insipidus, and often seen in hyperactive children

  • Behavioral changes

  • Fatty infiltration of the liver

  • Kidney malfunction

  • Drying up of glands

  • Susceptibility to infection

  • Failure of wounds to heal

  • Sterility in males

  • Miscarriage in females

  • Arthritis-like conditions

  • Heartbeat abnormalities that can lead to cardiac arrest

  • Growth retardation

  • Dry skin and hair

  • Brittle nails

  • Dry eyes

  • Elevated cholesterol

In his book "Brain-Building Nutrition - The Healing Power of Fats & Oils", Michael A Schmidt, says the following:

"Fatty acids and phospholipids have been associated with a surprising number of disorders of the brain. In reviewing several thousand research papers, hundreds of lab profiles, MRI reports, and case studies, we have totalled over fifty conditions of the brain that involve fatty acids or have responded to fatty acid treatment."

He includes a partial list which shows the potential for things to go wrong if we do not pay attention to proper fatty acid balance. This list is as follows:

Aggression

Alzheimer's disease

Anorexia nervosa

Anxiety

Apraxia (varied forms)

Attention deficit

Autism

Memory Problems

Migraine

Multiple sclerosis

Paresthesia

Parkinson's disease

Phobia (fears)

Postpartum depression

Bipolar disorder

Brain tumor (glioma)

Cerebral palsy

Chronic fatigue

Developmental delay

Depression

Diabetic retinopathy, neuropathy

Down syndrome

Drug abuse

Rage

Reading problems

Retinal disease

Schizophrenia

School failure

Self-mutilation

Slower information processing

Slower reaction time

Stroke (Prevention and recovery.)

 

Hyperactivity

Head injury

Hostility

Learning disability

Lower IQ

Suicide

Tremors

Violence

Zellweger's syndrome

(and others)

 

These lists do not include every sign, symptom or syndrome which has been associated with EFA deficiency or imbalance, but should serve to make the point that EFAs are absolutely crucial to our health.

 

Udo's Choice Essential Balance Flax Garlic Chilli Flax Coconut Oil

Eskimo Kids (Tutti Frutti Flavour)

Omega 3/6 Junior blend

 

CHAPTER THREE (back to article contents)

Just a tiny bit of easy science

Chapter Two gave a brief introduction to the Essential Fatty Acids - essential because we can't make them in our bodies, and we must get them from our diet, or from supplements.

But what about the other fats?

Fats are, very roughly, divided into four types:

  1. Saturated (e.g. pork fat)

  2. Monounsaturated (e.g. parts of olive oil)

  3. Polyunsaturated (e.g. parts of sunflower oil)

  4. Superpolyunsaturated (e.g. fish oil or flax oil)

You'll also have heard of 'hydrogenated' or 'partially hydrogenated' vegetable oils. Hydrogenation is a process which hardens liquid vegetable oils so that they can be used for spreading. The main example is margarine. They're also usually found in biscuits, cakes, pies, crisps, french fries and other snack foods. Hydrogenated oils are always bad, and are implicated in most of the disease states we see. More on this later.

Let's first enlarge a little on the different types of fats, and then everything will become clear. This is a fascinating subject when studied in detail, but not everyone will have the time or inclination to do so. For those who do, we can highly recommend "Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill" by Udo Erasmus.

Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill

(Udo Erasmus)

 

cover

 

Healing fats are required, together with other nutrients to prevent and reverse so called ‘incurable’ degenerative disease: heart diseases, cancer and Type II diabetes.  Healing fats help reverse arthritis, obesity, PMS, allergies, asthma, skin conditions, fatigue, yeast and fungal infections, addictions, certain types of mental illness, and many other conditions.  Good fats also enhance athletic performance, skin beauty, longevity and energy levels.  Contrary to popular belief based on advertising hype, the most dangerous fats are typically found in margarine, shortenings and heated and refined polyunsaturated oils.

For those who just want a quick and simple explanation, we hope the following will be helpful.

What's a molecule between friends

As Udo Erasmus says, the birth of our health takes place at the level of molecules - all diseases are rooted in the behaviour of molecules. "The fats that heal have different molecular structures than those that kill".

Think of a small twig at the end of a tree branch. It has three caterpillars hanging from it, side by side. The twig is made of glycerin, and the three caterpillars (always three) are fatty acid molecules.  These four separate pieces together are called a triglyceride. (Your Doctor will often test your blood for triglycerides when testing for cholesterol.)

                         Triglyceride

The basic structure of a fatty acid (one of the three caterpillars hanging off the twig) comes in two parts: one end is fatty and the other end is acid. Linked together, it is aptly called 'fatty acid'.

There are many different shapes and sizes of these fatty acid caterpillars. Some are long, some are medium length, and some are short. Some are straight, and some are kinked.

Each of the caterpillar 'bobbles' is a carbon atom. Now imagine that each of these 'caterpillar bobbles', or carbon atoms, has two hairs, one on each side. Most of these hairs have a hydrogen atom attached to its end. (Actually, the hair isn't real - the thing that keeps the hydrogen atom in place is a force field.)

Saturated Fatty Acid

Unsaturated Fatty Acid

One more thing to imagine, and then we're almost there.

One end of the caterpillar hates oil, but loves water. This end of the caterpillar can dissolve in water. Before the first carbon bobble, where the caterpillar hangs onto the twig, look to your left and right, and you see two oxygen atoms and a hydrogen. This is called the 'Carboxyl End', or Acid End. (carb for carbon, and oxy for oxygen - easy!)

The other end of the caterpillar loves fat, and can indeed dissolve in fat. It hates water, and is not soluble in water. When you get to the end of this caterpillar carbon chain, you see another hydrogen atom on its bottom. This is called the 'Methyl, or Fatty, End'.

These water-loving or oil-loving properties determine how the fatty acid caterpillars can be used in the body.

The more hydrogen atoms are attached to the 'hairs' on the 'caterpillar carbon bobbles', the more saturated the fatty acid is. Another way of saying this is, the more carbon atoms that do NOT have a hydrogen atom attached, the more 'unsaturated' the fatty acid is, and the more liquid it is at room temperature.

How long is your caterpillar?

There are short, medium length and long carbon chains. The more hydrogen atoms are missing along this chain, the more unsaturated the fatty acid becomes.

If all the hydrogen atoms are in place, the fat is saturated (with hydrogen) and the fat is solid at room temperature. Beef fat is a good example.

If one hydrogen atom is missing, it is mono-unsaturated, like the oleic acid found in olive oil. This makes it mainly liquid, but a bit sludge-like in the fridge.

If two hydrogen atoms are missing, the fatty acid is poly-unsaturated, like sunflower oil. This makes it liquid, even in the fridge.

When three or more atoms are missing, the fatty acid is sometimes called super-poly-unsaturated. This is like the fatty acids you find in cold water fish. Fish can't afford to have their fats freeze in the cold water, or they wouldn't be able to swim.

One more thing - the position along the carbon chain at which the hydrogen atoms are missing (as well as the number of hydrogen atoms which are missing) determines how it will be named. For example, omega 3 has its first hydrogen atoms missing between carbons 3 and 4 along the carbon chain. Omega 6, is between carbons 6 and 7.

This may not seem like a big deal, but it is. A tiny difference in structure, can make a big difference in how the oil is used in the body.

The diagram to the right is another way of illustrating fatty acids. The one shown here is DHA, which has six double bonds, making it a superpolyunsaturated fatty acid. This particular fatty acid is found in the brain, and is particularly important for infants and children.

Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA)

 

Let's go back a step

Remember that a triglyceride is like a glycerol twig, with three carbon chain fatty acid caterpillars hanging from it?

We just looked at one of the 'caterpillar fatty acids', but there are two others on the same glycerol twig.

It is the combination of different kinds of fatty acid caterpillars attached to the glycerol twig which determines the nature of the fat.

For example, beef fat is made of twigs on which most of its fatty acid caterpillars are of carbon chains  with most of their hydrogen atoms in place.

Flax oil has more than two-thirds of its fatty acid caterpillars as long carbon chains, with several hydrogen atoms missing.

Olive oil is a combination of short and medium carbon chain fatty acids with most of its hydrogen atoms in place.

Remember, the more hydrogen atoms are missing, the more liquid the oil will be at room temperature.

Now for some kinky stuff!

Kinky is good when it comes to fatty acids. The kinks in the caterpillar carbon chains are caused when at certain points along the chain, a hydrogen atom is missing, and the caterpillar kinks in the opposite direction. This is at the place where bonds, or double bonds, occur in the carbon chain. The carbon atoms attach slightly differently at these points, and lots of metabolic activity can occur.

The way in which the fatty acid caterpillar kinks, and how often, determines its quality and its functions in the body.

When this happens naturally in nature, it takes the shape of what is called the cis-configuration. In this configuration, or shape, both hydrogen atoms on the carbons involved in the double bond are on the same side of the molecule. Simply put, this is a good fatty acid.

A double bond in the fatty acid chain can also be in the trans-configuration or shape. In this arrangement, we find the hydrogen atoms of the carbons involved in the double bond on opposite sides of the molecule. This prevents the carbon chain from kinking, and it now looks more like a saturated fat. The difference is, it is not a saturated fat found in nature, but an unnatural 'trans-fatty acid' which behaves more like an unnatural saturated fat than the unsaturated fat it actually is.  This is a harmful fatty acid - the cause of much damage in the body.

These very harmful trans-fatty acids are found in the oil of crisps, French fries, hydrogenated vegetable oils used in shop-bought cakes, pastries, biscuits, etc. They're also found in bottles of cheap vegetable and sunflower oil - in fact virtually all the cheap oils found on supermarket shelves. Most margarines contain lots of trans-fatty acids.

A few more pointers on kinkiness

  1. Saturated fats have no kinks (double bonds) in their carbon chains.

  2. Monounsaturated fats have 1 kink or double bond

  3. Polyunsaturated fats have 2 kinks

  4. Superpolyunsaturated fats have 3 or more kinks

No double bond kinks means the fat is more sticky, solid at room temperature, which provides rigidity in the body. They are used in the body for padding and insulation, and as a source of fuel.

The more double bonds there are, the more they participate in your body's biochemical and energetic processes. When these molecularly active fats are incorporated into your cell walls, they provide fluidity.

The more double bonds there are in the fatty acid chain, the more delicate and important become its functions, but at the same time, it becomes highly unstable. This means that it can be damaged very easily, by light, oxygen and heat. (This is where it becomes crucial that you buy your oil supplies from a reputable manufacturer, and then store it properly in a dark cool place - more on this later.)

The fatty acids with double bonds have fewer functions in the body, other than providing insulation, padding and fuel for energy when there are not enough carbohydrate sources. They are much less easily damaged. This is why it is so much safer to cook with coconut oil or butter, or, next best, olive oil.

The more double bond kinks, the more fluid the oil is. Superpolyunsaturated omega-3 oils remain fluid even in the freezer, although they might become sludge-like. In fact, it's a good idea to store spare liquid oil supplements in the freezer until you need them - this will extend their shelf life. The oil in the bottle will contract when it gets colder, so it won't break the bottle.

This makes sense. If these oils became solid in cold conditions, cold-water fish would freeze to death.

Type of Fat Consistency Kinks Molecular Activity Stability
Saturated Fat Most are solid at room temperature 0 Virtually inactive Very stable
Monounsaturated Fat Sludge-like in the fridge 1 Slow Stable
Polyunsaturated Fat Fluid in the fridge 2 Fast Unstable
Superpolyunsaturated Fat Fluid in the freezer, possibly sludge-like 3 or more Very Fast Extremely unstable

 

Udo's Choice Essential Balance Flax Garlic Chilli Flax Coconut Oil

Eskimo Kids (Tutti Frutti Flavour)

Omega 3/6 Junior blend

 

CHAPTER FOUR (back to article contents)

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Saturated Fatty Acids (SaFAs)

These are the simplest of the fatty acids. They get this name because their carbon chains are saturated with as many hydrogen atoms as possible. This makes most of them solid at room temperature and metabolically quite sluggish.

Our body uses the short-chain saturated fatty acids mainly to produce energy. They are easy to digest and people suffering from liver and digestive ailments should include them in their diets.

According to Udo Erasmus, in his book Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill, "Butyric acid (4:0)* helps feed the friendly bacteria that keep our colon healthy. Caprylic acid (8:0) is used to inhibit the growth of yeasts and candida in our intestines. It appears to be incorporated into the membranes of yeast cells and then these membranes rupture, killing the yeast cell."

*4.0 means Butyric acid has 4 carbon molecules, and no (0) bonds, or kinks, or missing hydrogen atoms.

Medium-Chain SaFAs (Saturated Fatty Acids) contain 6 to 12 carbon atoms - but mainly 8 and 10 - in their chains. Our body metabolizes medium-chain SaFAs the same way it metabolizes short-chain SaFAs: to produce energy. It does not store them as fat. For this reason, they are used as medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) in diets of people with digestive and liver problems.

As MCTs, medium-chain triglycerides are also popular with athletes, who use them as a source of energy before workouts. Coconut oil comes in this category, and as the body does not store them as fat, but uses them for energy, they are a good choice for cooking and baking, especially as they are not damaged by heat in the way the unsaturated oils are.

Long-Chain SaFAs are used by our cells to build their membranes. The tendency of Saturated Fatty Acids to aggregate (stick together) balances the tendency of unsaturated fatty acids to disperse. Therefore both kinds of fatty acid are required in cell membranes. However, the long-chain SaFAs are needed in moderation only, as excess causes platelets in the blood to become sticky, leading to cardiovascular disease.

Diets high in beef, mutton, pork, dairy ../Products/, cakes, biscuits, pies and fried foods cause excess long-chain SaFAs to be deposited within cells, organs, and arteries.

Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFAs)

MUFAs are unsaturated fatty acids with one double bond. The length of their carbon chains can vary.

The most important MUFA in nutrition has an 18-carbon chain, and its double bond is always between carbons 9 and 10. It's called oleic acid (omega 9) and is found in the oils of the olive, almond, peanut, pistachio, pecan, canola, avocado, hazelnut, cashew and macadamia. It's also found in the membranes of plant and animal cell structures and in the fat deposit of most land animals. Because it is fluid, it helps keep our arteries supple. It's a fairly stable oil (only having one double bond) and is therefore not so easily damaged by heat, light or oxygen.

In excess, however, oleic acid can interfere with essential fatty acids and prostaglandins.

Unsaturated Fatty Acids with More Than One Double Bond

These are the most interesting fatty acids, in so far as they have numerous functions and effects on health.

Among the Unsaturated Fatty Acids are the two which are called 'Essential'. They are extremely important in nutrition and vital to our health.

One, linoleic acid (omega 6) has two double bonds. Usually this is called polyunsaturated.

The other, alpha-linolenic acid (omega 3) has three double bonds. This is sometimes known as superpolyunsaturated.

These are so important to our health, that the next few chapters are devoted to them.

Trans Fatty Acids

"Trans fatty acids are probably the most unhealthy substance eaten in quantity by modern people - and modern people do eat them in quite a quantity. Margarine is a major source. From cookies to bread, trans fatty acids appear as either a hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil.

"Medical studies consistently show that trans fatty acids are associated with damage to our arteries and higher rates of death. In Europe, studies also show that they're responsible for reproductive irregularities, such as low birth-weight babies, abnormal sperm, and reduced testosterone levels."

 

Mary Enig, Ph.D. Researcher of fats and oils. Well Being Journal, May/June 1995

Trans Fatty Acids are unnatural and will cause disease in the body. They are made when Unsaturated Fatty Acids (liquid consistency) have hydrogen atoms attached to them in an artificial manner by the oil industry. This is called hydrogenation. When the artificial hydrogenation process is total (that is, all double bonds in the oil are saturated with hydrogen atoms, it becomes a very hard fat (used in the industry for frying, baking, roasting etc). In this new fat, there are no unsaturated fatty acids, and no 'essential' fatty acids left. Our body can store this new fat, as padding and insulation, or in membranes, or we can use it for energy. This fat contains either aluminium or nickel which is used in the hydrogenation process, and our bodies do not need it. It is, however, a manufacturer's dream: an unspoilable substance that lasts forever.

Worse than fully hydrogenated fats, are the partially-hydrogenated fats. Udo Erasmus states in his book Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill:

"Partial hydrogenation produces margarines, shortenings, shortening oils, and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. These ../Products/ contain large quantities of trans-fatty acids and other altered fat substances, some of which are known to be detrimental to health because they interfere with normal biochemical processes. Other altered substances have not been adequately studied regarding their effects on health. Trans-fatty acids have now been shown to increase cholesterol, decrease beneficial high-density lipoprotein (HDL), interfere with our liver's detoxification system, and interfere with EFA function."

One alternative to partially hydrogenated margarines is to dip our bread in fresh, unrefined olive, flax or other fresh oils. The dipping custom of Mediterranean countries makes hydrogenation and processing to manufacture spreads completely unnecessary and is therefore a step towards better health.

Herbert Dutton, one of the oldest and most knowledgeable oil chemists in North America states:

"If the hydrogenation process were discovered today, it probably could not be adopted by the oil industry.  . . . the basis for such comment lies in the recent awareness of our prior ignorance concerning the complexity of isomers formed during hydrogenation and their metabolic and physiological fate."

Udo Erasmus claims that now that we know some of the ways in which fats are changed by hydrogenation, and the fact that our body can't use them in the same way it uses normal fats and oils, that if this were a new process, governments would forbid the use of this process for making 'edible' ../Products/ if it were introduced today.

He continues:

"However, because partial hydrogenation has been used commercially on a large scale since the 1930s and now has a long tradition behind it, and because the oil industry has powerful lobbies in government, hydrogenation is allowed to continue to supply unnatural fat ../Products/ to our foods."

He adds the worrying observation that just 60 grams (2 ounces) of margarines and shortenings, which is the average amount a person eats per day in one way or another, contains more than twice as many toxic 'food additives' as the whole of the rest of the day's food intake.

 

And to round off this chapter, animal experiments have shown that Trans Fatty Acids may make you fatter by increasing the size of fat cells.

This was reported in The Omega Diet, by Artemis Simopoulos, M.D.

 

Udo's Choice Essential Balance Flax Garlic Chilli Flax Coconut Oil

Eskimo Kids (Tutti Frutti Flavour)

Omega 3/6 Junior blend

 

CHAPTER FIVE (back to article contents)

Good verses Evil

Oils exposed to light, oxygen and heat become evil. They arm the free radical terrorists in the body, and kill.

Of course, not all free radicals in the body are terrorists. Many are created during normal metabolic processes in the body, do their job, and are controlled by antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, selenium, manganese, zinc and so on.

But it's a case of numbers and control.

A free radical is a fragment of a molecule which has lost its electron mate. Udo aptly describes our free radical as a 'sub-atomic, free-wheeling, loose-living electron bachelor playing the field for a mate to settle down with, and willing to break up other pairs to find that mate'.

It's hard to stop them, when they're so miniscule (a thousand of them can hide behind a hydrogen atom), and they constantly flit from place to place at the speed of light (300,000km or 186,000 miles per second). They steal electrons wherever they go, causing plenty of damage along the way.

The only thing that can stop them are the anti-oxidants such as: Vitamins C, B3 and E, carotenes, cysteine, selenium, bioflavonoids and coenzyme Q10, as well as several enzymes containing zinc, manganese, and copper.

Free Radical Chain Reactions

Take a bottle of oil you find on the supermarket shelf. It's packed in a clear plastic or glass bottle. A ray of light (photon) hits the bottle. Meanwhile, a bachelor free radical happens to be sitting on a carbon atom right next to a double bond in a molecule of unsaturated fatty acid. The light gives the electron more energy than it had before, and it gets excited and takes off with a hydrogen nucleus, leaving behind a lone electron desperate for a partner. This electron will now grab a new partner from wherever it can, leaving another electron unpaired and desperate, and so on and on and on. Eventually the loose electrons may be trapped by a passing antioxidant, but before you know it, another light photon hits the bottle and another electron goes wayward.

When light starts exciting electrons to go off and cause mayhem, the results are broken and changed bonds in the fatty acid molecules, making new and different molecules from the ones we started with. Billions of photons are present even on a cloudy day. Each photon can alter, denature, and destroy oil molecules exposed to light, especially if the natural antioxidants were removed during processing.

Oxygen is equally harmful

Oxygen destroys oils in a similar way to light. Light first steals an electron from oxygen, creating a singlet oxygen radical. The singlet oxygen radical then goes off on a search of a new electron partner, and pairs up with an electron it steals from an unsaturated fatty acid.

If there are enough antioxidants available (which there usually aren't because most oils have had them removed in the refining process), then the free radicals will be stopped in their tracks.

The lesson here is that we need to use only unrefined oils, which have been extracted in the absence of light, oxygen and heat.

Ensuring we get antioxidants in the diet, by eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, and also taking a variety of supplemental antioxidants is a necessary safeguard for good health. We'd be remiss in not mentioning that a cup of tea with a couple of squares of dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa) will provide valuable antioxidants too!

Frying and Deep-Frying

Very little is more damaging to health than frying and deep-frying using unsaturated fatty acids (such as sunflower oil, safflower oil, vegetable oil, etc.).

When we fry, first of all any antioxidants that may be present are used up. The heat produces free radicals and starts chain reactions, producing trans-fatty acids. If these weren't harmful enough, other, even more harmful and unnatural changes are made in the oils. Click here for our more detailed article about toxins in fried food for more details.

Minimising the damage of frying

Deep frying is never recommended. Minimum stir-frying on the other hand, using the right oils might not be too bad. Saturated fats are far more stable and therefore less prone to damage than unsaturated oils.

The least damaging in terms of the high heat of frying are the saturated fats, such as coconut, palm, palm kernel, cocoa butter and butter. Use them in small quantities, for the minimum amount of time.

Lard has now been largely replaced by shortenings and margarines. These are not to be recommended in any circumstances.

Monounsaturated fatty acids, such as cold pressed olive oil, are acceptable for low temperature frying.

A few tips

  • Traditional Chinese cooks first put water in their wok, not oil. Water keeps the temperature down to 100oC which will not destroy the fat.

  • In European gourmet cooking, vegetables placed in the frying pan before oil is added protect the oil from overheating and oxidation. You do need to keep your eye on the pan though, but it's worth it because not only is it healthier, but also the food tastes less burned and retains more of its natural flavours.

  • Add sulphur-rich garlic and onions in frying. This helps minimise free radical damage.

Never, never, never, never, never!

Never, never, never use polyunsaturated oils in frying. Neither the cheap toxic varieties you find on supermarket shelves, nor the healthful fresh, unrefined, mechanically pressed, light- and oxygen-protected EFA-rich seeds oils which we will benefit from adding to our diet.

Never, never, never pour oil into an empty frying pan, let it heat, shimmy and smoke before adding the foods you want to fry. During this time, the oil is being destroyed. The temperature is too high.

A reminder from a previous paragraph: Use saturated fats such as coconut oil or butter, or mono-unsaturated oils such as olive oil (but not too hot).

Udo's Choice Essential Balance Flax Garlic Chilli Flax Coconut Oil

Eskimo Kids (Tutti Frutti Flavour)

Omega 3/6 Junior blend

 

CHAPTER SIX (back to article contents)

Fats are Big Business, and Big Business can be Greedy

If you count up all the fat that is carried around in the bodies of the world's population of about 5 billion people, it comes to about 100 billion pounds of fat.

This body fat is constantly being used up in biological functions, and has to be replaced by food. We calculate that this amount of fat would fill over 677 million double-decker buses.

That's big business for the Fat and Oil Industry.

In the aggressive advertising campaigns carried out by the various oil companies, truth and health are not always uppermost in their list of priorities, even though some advertising might lead us (or mislead us!) into thinking they care.

About one-third of all edible oil produced is hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated, which end up as cheap vegetable oils, margarines and shortenings. These are used in baked goods, ice cream, chocolate, crisps, French fries, and so on.

Even though some people in the know suggest that if hydrogenation were a new process, it would be forbidden by Governments due to health risks, the edible fats industry has developed powerful political and economic lobbies to protect the sale of ../Products/ for profits, whilst hoodwinking the consumer into thinking some of their ../Products/ are 'good for the heart'.

Commercial Oil Making Methods

It starts with a super-nutritious seed which has been created by nature to provide all the nutrients to bring forth a whole new plant.

It ends up with a dead, toxic remnant - bland, colourless, rancid and deadly.

What happens in between involves:

  • destructively high temperatures of 240 to 270 degrees centigrade (464 to 518 degrees fahrenheit)

  • oxidation at a rate 1000 times faster than at room temperature

  • solvent extraction, using solvents such as hexane or heptane (gasoline), some of which remains in the final product

  • degumming, which removes healthy phospholipids, including lecithin, as well as chlorophyll, calcium, magnesium, iron, and copper

  • refining, using caustic soda, known in North America under the trade name of 'Drano' - drain cleaner. More nutrients are removed during this refining process

  • bleaching to remove pigments (chlorophyll and beta-carotene, as well as aromatic substances). Toxic peroxides are formed at this stage

  • deodorizing removes more aromatic oils, free fatty acids and molecules that impart pungent odours and unpleasant tastes that were not present in the natural oil before processing began. Deodorizing is carried out at extremely high temperatures for 30-60 minutes during which time unsaturated fatty acids become mutagenic, which means that they can damage our genes and those of our offspring.

  • To extend shelf life in the supermarket, these refined oils may have synthetic antioxidants added, such as butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), or others. These replace the natural antioxidants beta-carotene and vitamin E that were processed out of the oil.

  • If the oils are going to be used as margarines, then an added, artificial saturation is used - hydrogenation.

What you find in all supermarkets and even most health food stores

Virtually all the oils you will find in the supermarket, with the exception of Virgin Olive Oil, will have undergone the above processes. This includes almond, avocado, canola, corn, grape seed, peanut, safflower, sesame, soybean, safflower, vegetable and anything else you can think of.

Sometimes they are advertised as 'low cholesterol' (all plant oils are cholesterol free). However, once they have been processed in this way, they can cause a rise in cholesterol levels in the body even though they don't contain cholesterol.

They may be recommended for 'frying, baking and cooking' - almost no liquid oils can safely be used to fry or cook.

They'll often be described as 'high in polyunsaturates'. By the time they have been processed, they're more likely to be full of trans-fatty acids, and devoid of the antioxidants needed to prevent free radical damage.

These are only a few of the ways in which advertisers of inferior ../Products/ tell only the part of the story they want to tell. If we knew all the facts, most of us might think twice about buying and using these cheap oils.

Udo's Choice Essential Balance Flax Garlic Chilli Flax Coconut Oil

Eskimo Kids (Tutti Frutti Flavour)

Omega 3/6 Junior blend

 

CHAPTER SEVEN (back to article contents)

Vitamin E and polyunsaturates

In nature, seeds and nuts always contain vitamin E and other natural antioxidants. Generally, the more essential fatty acids (EFAs) an oil contains, the more antioxidants accompany it to help protect the oil from destruction by light and oxygen, both in the seed and in our body.

When we eat fresh nuts and seeds, there will be no shortage of vitamin E to protect the oil.

When we press nuts and seeds to extract the oil, the antioxidants remain in the oil. And so long as the oils were pressed in the absence of light and air, these antioxidants will remain intact, and these oils will not go rancid in our body.

If the oils are exposed to light and air, however, during careless processing and storage in clear glass or plastic bottles, the vitamin E and other antioxidants will be rapidly used up (within hours or days), and then the oils become rancid.

In Chapter six we discussed proce