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Oils / Fatty Acids

Fatty acids are a biochemistry class of acids which is either saturated or unsaturated. These include essential fatty acids (good) and trans fatty acids (bad).

• Conjugated Linoleic Acid - CLA

  Conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) are a family of at least 13 isomers of linoleic acid found especially in the meat and dairy products derived from ruminants. From Wikipedia.org: "Antioxidant and anti-cancer properties have been attributed to CLA, and studies on mice and rats show encouraging results in hindering the growth of tumors in mammary, skin, and colon tissues. A European team led by the Swiss scientist Lukas Rist has found that mothers consuming mostly organic milk and meat products have about 50 percent higher levels of rumenic acid in their breast milk. Studies of CLA in human diets show that it tends to reduce body fat, particularly abdominal fat, improves serum lipid profiles, and decreases whole-body glucose uptake. The maximum reduction in body fat was achieved with a daily dose of 3.4g. Studies can be found at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11725826 and http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/130/12/2943

• Fish Oils and Essential Fatty Acids - EFAs

  Essential fatty acids, or EFAs, are fatty acids that must be obtained from the diet. Two families of EFAs exist: ω-3 (or omega-3 or n−3) and ω-6 (omega-6, n−6). Common omega-3 acids are Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
  
  EFAs support the cardiovascular, reproductive, immune, and nervous systems. The human body needs EFAs to manufacture and repair cell membranes. The support the creation of prostaglandins, which regulate body functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, blood clotting, fertility, conception, and play a role in immune function.
  
  There are countless studies showing the positive effects of supplementing with EFAs for various reasons. See UMM.edu's resources for omega-3 here and omega-6 here.

• Flaxseed Oil

  Flaxseed and flaxseed oil/linseed oil are rich sources of the essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid. This is a biologic precursor to omega-3 fatty acids like eicosapentaenoic acid. While omega-3 fatty acids have been associated with cardiovascular improvement, evidence in humans is mixed regarding flaxseed products for coronary artery disease or hyperlipidemia. Flaxseed oil contains only alpha-linolenic acid and not the fiber or lignan components. Therefore, flaxseed oil may have lipid-lowering properties, but no laxative or cancer-fighting abilities.