Before the Atkins craze, most diets recommend cutting out fat. While it is true consuming large amounts of bad fats contributes to weight gain, people need to realize that by cutting all fats from theoir diet, most importantly the essential fatty acids (EFAs), they can end up hurting the body. There are good fats, which the body simply can't live without, and there are bad fats that can clog up the arteries. The Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9 fatty acids are among the good fats also known as essential fatty acids. There are two types of fatty acids in nature. These include the saturated and unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats are liquid form at room temperature and are a source of healthful fatty acids. Most vegetable oils are unsaturated fats. Keep in mind, not all unsaturated fats are essential fatty acids. Over consumption of unsaturated fats can interfere with the metabolism of essential fatty acids. Saturated fats are unnecessary and hinder the body's use of EFAs. Primary sources of saturated fats are animal products such as meats and dairy. Lipids and essential fatty acids are exceptionally important, serving essential and imperative roles throughout the body's biochemistry for our health and welfare. Lipids are the primary structural components of all cell walls and membranes of the body. They make up nearly 50% of dry weight of the brain, and 5-10% of all other cells. Most cells continually degrade and replace these membrane lipids, so there is a continuous demand for them. Lipids and essential fatty acids allow brain and neural function, maintenance and growth, the interference of which leads to major neurological disorders, enzyme deficiencies and skin disorders of all types. Most of all Lipids and fatty acids are necessary for Cardiovascular (eg. cardiolipin), Neurological and Dermatological Health (eg. linoleic and linolenic acids). Plants are able to manufacture all the fatty acids they need, humans and animals are not so lucky. Humans cannot manufacture needed essential fatty acids, so we must regularly supplement them in our diet. Essential fatty acids can be found in fruits, nuts and vegetables. Non-vegetarian sources include cold-water fish such as mackerel, herring, sturgeon, and anchovies. Essential fatty acids are necessary for the metabolism and transportation of tryglycerides and cholesterol. Diet alone is generally insufficient in supplying the essential fatty acids and lipids necessary because fats today are overly processed (e.g. hydrogenation).

It is now thought that those fats which have been hydrogenated or "trans" fatty acids increase LDL (bad) cholesterol while reducing HDL (good) cholesterol and may also be linked to the mechanisms which cause cholesterol plaque to be laid down in the arteries and veins. Such an increase in this form of fat causes a decrease in body pH (a more acidic blood plasma), which subsequently creates an environment that is a catalyst for cholesterol plaque buildup. Without sufficient lipid and essential fatty acid supplementation, our health would deteriorate. Lacking these in our diet, opens the door to a number of health complications, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurological problems (MS, ADHD, MD, etc.), extensive and unrelenting weight problems, diabetes and insulin mismanagement of carbohydrates and proteins, slower immune response-times, increased sickness and disease, and alarming premature, accelerated aging within every biological system in our body. The bottom line is that without essential lipids and essential fatty acids, a person will look and feel 20 years older than they should! Here is an analogy to better understand the importance of fats. Most of us are aware that oil is a necessary "part" of any car's engine, without which it could not function. Just as a car needs the essential "part" of oil to protect the engine while running, so does our body need lipids to run efficiently? The family of lipids (or fats) and essential fatty acids (EFAs) are all interrelated, often functioning and acting as if they were one mechanism, one "part" of the body. And like oil is to a car's engine, lipids and essential fatty acids are essential biological substances of our body, without which we could not live or function. Related Products; Essential Fatty Acids