What are the Symptoms of an Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency?
To fully understand the seriousness of an essential fatty acid deficiency, you may want to quickly review what essential fatty acids do to your body, especially omega three fatty acids.
Then, come back here to see the full list of health symptoms that you may experience due to a lack of essential fatty acids in your diet. Plus, practical solutions to avoid an essential fatty acid deficiency and its effects, both in adults and children.
As Dr. Udo Erasmus, #1 authority on fats and oils worldwide often says, "The results of an essential fatty acid deficiency are an array of serious health problems from cardiovascular disease diabetes and obesity, to depression, degenerative disorders, and cancer."
Take a look at this video to see what Dr. Erasmus has to say about this:
Dr. Erasmus's website, UdoErasmus.com provides much-needed education on the right fats diet vs. the more popular but deceiving low fat diet that have created a nation of obese and unhealthy "heart-attacks-in-waiting" - according to Dr. Erasmus.
Effects of an Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency
The dire consequences of the "low fat" mantra are downright scary.
A huge amount of recent saturated and unsaturated fats research conducted in the ‘90s associated a distorted ratio of essential fatty acids in the body with a vast array of serious health conditions:
degenerative disorders
cardiovascular disease
diabetes
obesity
chronic fatigue
compromised immunity
kidney failure
rheumatoid arthritis
depression
eating disorders
decreased libido
impotence
various cancers
So if you’re an adept of a low fat diet at all costs, think again.
And there's more. In the last decade, numerous studies have proven that the lack of a sufficient supply of essential fatty acids in children impairs their brain development, with results like:
learning difficulties
lack of concentration
attention deficit
hyperactivity
aggressive behavior
visual impairment
Do you still remember being given fish oil by the spoon? Old wisdom at play.
How to Avoid an Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency
Here are three things you will want to do:
1. If you only do one thing, start taking a high-quality essential fatty acid supplement, like fish oil or - better yet - krill oil that provides both EPA and DHA. If you don't like its taste or want to avoid the risk of consuming mercury-contaminated fish products, it is safer to consume the other rich source of omega 3: flaxseed oil.
Ann Louise Gittleman, well-known nutritionist in the U.S. and author of the popular "Eat Fat, Lose Weight" and "The Fat Flush Plan" recommends "the addition of omega 3 oils to the diets of all individuals who are suffering from obesity and diabetes."
2. Start taking GLA (gamma linolenic acid) - the omega-6 fatty acid found primarily in borage & evening primrose oils. You should know that up to 2 grams of GLA two times per day stop fat accumulation and make you full and satisfied longer after a meal.
Moreover, Dr. Horrobin, former professor of medicine at the University of Montreal, described borage oil as "a safe, non-drug way to stimulate the body's metabolic activity and burn off fat."
3. Add CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) to your diet, as it makes your body burn more fat and increases your muscle mass, which in turn will make you burn even more calories.
Study after study continually show CLA’s great value in reducing body fat. According to the Journal of Nutrition, taking 3 to 6 grams of CLA daily lowers your body fat with a whopping 20% - without any other change in your diet.
Impressive, isn’t it?
At the University of Maryland Medical Center website you can find a longer article on omega 3 fatty acids.
So after learning about the dire effects of an essential fatty acid deficiency, you might want to see how to include in your diet vital omega 3 sources >>
