Good Fat & Bad Fat:

Fat (also known as lipid) is one of the three classes of nutrients. The other two are proteins and carbohydrates. The major function of fat is to provide energy for the body. There are three types of fat; triglycerides, cholesterol, and phospholipids.

Fatty acids serve as energy for the muscles, heart, and other organs as building blocks for cell membranes and as energy storage for the body.

Fatty acids that are not used up as energy are converted into triglycerides.Triglycerides are then stored in the body as fat (adipose) tissue.

Saturated fatty acids contain single bonds only.Examples of foods high in saturated fats include butter, whole milk, cream, red meat, and chocolate. An excess intake of saturated fat can raise blood cholesterol and increase the risk of developing coronary heart disease.

Monounsaturated fatty acids contain one double bond. Examples of foods high in monounsaturated fat include avocados, nuts, and olive, peanut, and canola oils. Scientists believe that increased consumption of monounsaturated fats (for example, eating more nuts) is beneficial in lowering LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) and lowering the risk of coronary heart disease, especially if monounsaturated fats are used to substitute for saturated fats and refined sugars.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids contain more than one double bond. Examples of foods high in polyunsaturated fats include vegetable oils, corn, sunflower, and soy.

Essential fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids that the human body needs for metabolic functioning but cannot produce, and therefore has to be acquired from food.

Facts About Omega-3:

Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids are a class of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids with the double bond. Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids are also referred to as n-3 and n-6 fatty acids, respectively.

Heating omega-6 oils, such as corn oil, to high temperatures creates trans fats. The intake of trans fatty acids increases blood LDL-cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol), decreases HDL cholesterol ("good cholesterol"), and raises the risk of coronary heart disease.

There are three major types of omega 3 fatty acids that are ingested in foods and used by the body: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).Once eaten, the body converts ALA to EPA and DHA, the two types of omega-3 fatty acids more readily used by the body.

Flaxseeds, walnuts, beans, fish and fish products, olive oil, and baked potatoes are common foods containing omega3 fatty acid.

Benefits of omega3 fatty acid:

One of the major benefits of omega3 fatty acid consumption is formation of natural prevention of coronary heart disease in body.Scientific evidence is mounting that fish oil (predominantly omega-3 fatty acids) can reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death. Some scientists also believe that omega-3 fatty acids can improve one's blood lipid (cholesterol and triglyceride) levels and decrease the risk of coronary heart disease.

Scientists suspect that omega-3 fatty acids may prevent ventricular fibrillation of the heart in the event of a heart attack in humans. Since ventricular fibrillation is the most important cause of sudden death among heart attack victims, omega-3-fatty acids is believed to prevent sudden death.

Extensive study and research has shown that regular consumption of omega3 fatty acid rich-foods prevent attack of asthma, reduces the recurrence of depression, anxiety, and promotes colon health.

It has been studied, although not medically established yet, that those people taking omega- 3 fatty acid-rich foods suffers less from the attack of thromboitc and ischemic strokes.

Regular and recommended input of omega3 fatty acid works as anti-carcinogenic agent also.

Omega 3 Rich Food

It's vitally important for most people to start eating more foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids.

This is because the majority of people in the Western world now eat way too much omega 6 fatty acids in relation to the omega 3's they eat.

Many natural health experts postulate that the optimal ratio should be about 1:1. However, the average person in the Western world now eats at a 20:1 ratio -- 20 being the Omega 6's.

This is leading to an unmitigated health disaster for tens of thousands of people because high omega 6 consumption in relation to omega 3 is now being viewed as a major contributor to diseases, especially heart disease.

Omega Fatty Acids in Food

Good plant sources for omega 3's include the likes of: s, including spinach, mustard greens, wheat germ, walnuts, flaxseed (and flaxseed oil), soybean and canola oil, and even pumpkin seeds.

If you buy farm raised fish you'll be missing out on omega 3 benefits. You'll get anywhere from 0.9 to 1.8 g of omega-3 fats when you eat a 3-ounce serving of salmon. Farmed salmon have the most total fat and therefore the most omega-3s, but wild salmon also have noteworthy levels of these heart-healthy fats.

If you want to get the omega 3 benefits of fish, you should use fish oil supplements instead. The best ones undergo a process called molecular distillation that removes all impurities.