The idea of eating fatty food is just about anathema to modern Western man. So the concept that we must have fat as part of our daily diets can be a tough one for nutritionists to drive home. Probably the easiest way to explain it is like this - some fats are “good” and some fats are “bad”. The problem for most people today is trying to tell the difference.

The “bad” fats are some saturated fats and the trans-fatty acids or partially hydrogenated fats. Meat and dairy products contain high levels of saturated fat and are best eaten in small quantities. Also under the “bad” list you will find margarine, chocolate and many processed foods because they contain partially hydrogenated oils. These “bad” fats actually do the body harm and should be avoided.
The “good” fats, or unsaturated fats, are further classified as either polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats. These fats are plentiful in most common vegetable oils. The polyunsaturated fats include a special component of fat called Essential Fatty Acids or EFA’s.

EFA’s aren’t called “essential” for nothing. As integral components of all cells, they maintain the fluidity and stability of cell membranes and protect the body from harmful substances such as bacteria and viruses. They are involved in every aspect of the body’s functions.

A lack of EFA’s can contribute to eczema and other skin disorders, hair loss, organ damage, impaired reproductive function and immune dysfunction, increased triglyceride and cholesterol levels, increased blood pressure and neurological dysfunction including concentration problems.

There are two families of EFA’s: the Omega-3 series, obtained primarily from fish oils, and the Omega-6 series, found in certain vegetable oils. Both are known to be vitally important for health and it is essential that both are present in the food we eat daily, because our bodies are unable to manufacture them.

Research has revealed that the optimal ratio within the body is two parts Omega-6 to one part Omega-3. An imbalance, common in modern Western diets in the 21st century, can contribute to allergies, blood clots, memory loss and inflammation. Westerners today are vulnerable to this kind of imbalance and it’s quite common for a diet to contain 15 to 20 parts Omega 6 to one part Omega-3 - a worrying development.

Correctly used, EFA’s help manage the scourge among modern day children - hyperactivity - while they also reduce blood clotting, help prevent moving clot disorders, help control cholesterol levels, reduce inflammatory conditions, improve skin health and improve brain function.

A typical Western diet is not rich in EFA’s. Most people do not eat enough EFA-rich foods (certain nuts, seeds, oils and cold-water fish) to meet their nutritional needs. Not only that, the EFA’s in the foods we eat spoil very easily.

This situation is aggravated by poor diet, old age, alcohol consumption, genetic predisposition and diabetes. The importance of essential fatty acids and their derivatives in promoting and maintaining peak health is well-established. An inadequate intake of EFA’s and an over-consumption of “bad” fats can, and will, increase the risk of developing disease.

Polyunsaturated fats
Polyunsaturated fats are necessary for organ and glandular function. They regulate what goes in and out of cells, and they make the transmission of messages from cell to cell easier. Polyunsaturated fats are extremely fluid because of their chemical nature. They remain liquid at room temperature, in the refrigerator and, most importantly, in the body, where they are needed to keep cell membranes fluid and flexible.

Monounsaturated fats
Monounsaturated fats, with a different chemical structure than polyunsaturated fats, remain liquid at room temperature and at body temperature, but solidify in the refrigerator. They are less fluid and flexible than polyunsaturated fats, but more so than saturated fats, which tend to be rigid.

Oleic acid, found in olive, avocado and peanut oils, is probably the most important monounsaturated fatty acid. It is an Omega-9, non-essential fatty acid (it is not required in the diet because the body can make it from other things). Oleic acid helps keep arteries supple. Substituting some saturated fat with oleic acid is one way to make heart-healthy changes in your diet.

Where to find EFA’s
The Omega-6 family can be found in vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, and seeds. It’s easiest to add them to your diet in the form of oils made from sunflower, soya, evening primrose, star flower, pumpkin, wheatgerm and blackcurrant seed. Fish is not the only source of Omega 3 acids; other good sources include flaxseed oil, walnut oil and green leafy vegetables.

FoodState
Unfortunately in today’s world of hi-tech agriculture fewer nutrients are actually contained in modern agricultural products. This depleted nutritional content is a result of nutrient-depleted soil, poor and extended transportation methods, as well as over processing and inappropriate cooking methods, which further deplete their nutritional value.

There is a mass of evidence indicating that in Western countries our diet is devitalised, debased, demineralised and highly processed and that in general, people are exercising poor food choices. The result is that the major vitamins and minerals are deficient in our diet and it is therefore difficult to obtain optimal amounts to sustain good health and energy levels. If the body is to function at its full potential and it cannot obtain all the required nutrients from modern food, then nutritional supplements are absolutely critical to health and wellness.

Some nutritional supplements, which are made using chemically isolated vitamins and minerals not found in the same context as in nature, are difficult for the body to identify, absorb and utilise. This creates the potential for them to be deposited in the wrong places, or to be rapidly flushed out of the body.

But the recent invention of a state-of-the-art method, dubbed FoodState™, concentrates nutrients in food complexes, means that the vitamins and mineral supplements formulated using this technology are recognised, absorbed and utilised by the body as if they were real food. These vitamins and minerals are retained up to 16 times longer by the body, feeding the system so efficiently that they need only be taken in conservative amounts.

The local suppliers of FoodState™ nutritional supplements offer a product providing both Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids in a balanced ratio. The addition of vitamin B6, Zinc and Magnesium ensures the body ingests the proper requirement of EFAs for total wellbeing.

Sportron International, with dual headquarters in Johannesburg and Dallas, Texas, is one of only a handful of companies worldwide to have been granted a licence to use this groundbreaking technology by its USA-based developers.

For more information visit our website at www.sportron.co.za

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