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About Flax Seed Oils
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What
are Essential Fatty Acids and why are they important?
Essential fatty acids are well named because these polyunsaturated fats
are essential for virtually every function of the human body. There are
two fatty acids that are considered essential fatty acids in humans.
Unfortunately, essential fats are ones that can not be made by the body
and must be obtained through the diet, the names of the two essential
fatty acids are alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic
acid, also known as Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Dietary
sources of these fatty acids include: cold water fish, flax seed, walnuts,
and canola oils. While Omega-6 fats are abundant in many common foods,
the typical American diet unfortunately does not come close to meeting
our needs when it comes to Omega-3 fats.
Cell membrane flexibility is important for many cellular functions such
as, transportation of nutrients and waste products, cell-to-cell communication,
insulation, and structure. Cell membranes are made from fatty acids, and
in order to be flexible, they must be made from flexible fatty acids.
Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are the most flexible of the fatty acids,
making them crucial for the formation of healthy cell membranes.
Cell membrane flexibility is important to our health for many reasons.
Aside from being important for the health of our skin, hair, and nails,
unhealthy cell membranes can also result in hormonal imbalances and cellular
damage. Deficits in essential fatty acids can lead to the
formation of inflexible and unhealthy cell membranes which can lead to
an increased risk of these disorders.
Signs
of fatty acid deficits:
• Cracking finger tips--often worse in the winter.
• Patchy dull skin.
• Combination skin--mixed oily and dry areas.
• Hyperkeratosis follicularis--small, rough bumps on the back of
the arms.
• Dry, brittle, unmanageable hair.
• Dandruff, hair loss, seborrhea, cradle cap.
• Soft or brittle fingernails.
These two fatty acids also play a pivotal role in the synthesis of all
of our prostanoid hormones. This group of hormones has many important
functions including: regulating platelets and blood clotting factors,
improving blood flow and regulating blood pressure. Prostanoid hormones
are also the key vehicles for cell-to-cell communication. These hormones
are manufactured every day by nearly every cell in the body, making the
presence of adequate amounts of essential fatty acids crucial for maintaining
optimal health.
How
does Flax Seed Oil fit into the picture?
Flax seed oil is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acid. Flax seed oil can
be very beneficial for people
with shortages in fatty acids mainly
due to its exceptional concentration of the thinnest and most flexible
alpha-linolenic oils where other oil sources fail in comparison. Flax
seed oil is a very reasonable alternative to fish oil in regards to both cost
and ease of use. Flax seed oil can be given as one tablespoon daily and the
average monthly cost is around $15.00.
Omega-3
fatty acids found in flax seed oil have protective effects in supporting the heart beating at
a regular and steady pace.
Flora flax seed oil is a flax seed oil that is created using a cold-pressed method
of extraction, which ensures the highest quality oil in every bottle.
Flora oil is unrefined, non-deodorized, and all organic making it a reliable
and convenient source of essential fatty acids.
Copyright
© 2002 Advance Health
The
information presented on this Web site is not meant to be used in place
of more specific personal advice from a healthcare professional. In addition,
please note that this information has been simplified and summarized for
ease of understanding.
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