By: Dr. Udo Erasmus
Unlike other essential nutrients–minerals, vitamins, and essential amino acids, which are relatively stable–essential omega-3 and -6 (poly-unsaturated) fatty acids (EFAs) are our most sensitive and easily damaged nutrients. They’re called ‘essential’ specifically for being vital components of health—the only two components of fat that our body cannot make from other nutrients—and so must get directly from food.
Even though their essentiality is firmly established, 99% of us still get too little omega-3s. Instead, our food supply has been loaded with harshly processed, easily available, cheap, damaged omega-6 oils (think corn, grape seed, safflower, sunflower, sesame, almond, peanut, but also soybean).
Light, oxygen, and heat rapidly damage EFAs, with omega-3s being five times more sensitive than omega-6s. We should treat them with the most care, but in practice we actually treat them with the least care.
Industrial processing damages oils. They subject healthy, natural oils to chemicals, bleaching clays, and frying temperatures before even being bottled or added to the many processed foods that contain them. But it gets worse...
Frying, deep-frying, and sautéing damages delicate EFA-rich oils in our kitchens, and is a terrible idea. Our immune system was not made to deal with damaged, unnatural molecules that never existed in nature, so they increase inflammation, which leads to many degenerative diseases.
How do we get our fats/oils right?
Food is our primary medicine. Vitamin/mineral supplements can’t replace eating the whole foods that contain them. So it is with oils. Oil pill supplements cannot fix the problems that a damaged food oil foundation causes. We must fix the foundation, by making an oil change to better edible oils.
Made with health in mind, EFA-rich oils bring more health benefits than any other part of nutrition. We must protect every aspect of the process, from farming to manufacturing, to oil use in the kitchen. Look for oils that come from plants (sustainable, mercury-free); from organic seeds; protected from heat, light, and oxygen; packaged in non-toxic materials such as glass; refrigerated in factory, store, and home.
Plant-based oils provide the essential omega-3 and -6 fatty acids that the body needs on the cellular levels. They also provide clean fuel for energy, improve the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients, and enhance flavors. An added bonus: optimum intake of these healthy oils work their way outward from the inside to make hair, skin, and nails beautiful.
Made and used with care, plant-based EFAs are good to our bodies and good to our planet. That’s where real health begins.
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Udo’s Oil™ 3·6·9 Blend supplies omega-3 and omega-6 EFAs in a 2:1 ratio. It is a special formulation of natural, unrefined oils from fresh, certified organic flax, sunflower, sesame and evening primrose seeds as well as oils from coconut, rice and bran. This formula is the result of many years of scientific study by world-renowned nutrition expert Udo Erasmus, author of the best-selling book, Fats That Heal Fats That Kill.
