Omega 3, Life’s Miracle Oil.

Intro:

When we think of oil, the first thing that comes to mind is the oil in our automobile, which keeps the moving metal parts well lubricated and running smooth. We are well aware that if we neglect the oil level and the oil runs out, the motor will stop running.

The Human Engine Needs Special Oil

Just as we shop for the correct grade of oil for our automobile, we can’t just use any low grade oil for the more perfect engine that moves all of our parts and some that just must keep working. Sure there are a great variety of oils that we ingest daily, some we are aware of and some are buried in the ingredients of some of the TV dinners, salad dressings, margarines, fried fast foods, etc.. The question is… just how important are they to the proper function of the human body ? Some of us are familiar with fish oil and the very beneficial type of oil called Omega 3 and Omega 6. How much of this oil is an ingredient in any of these ? The answer is none, unless it’s a can of tuna, canned salmon, sardines, canned herring and a few others. The reason you find this oil here is because these sea foods are the very source. The reason these oils are not part of many of the processed group of foods is their cost and the fact that they easily become rancid in handling.

By far, the most commonly used oils in our food preparation industry are a host of vegetable oils. Some of these oils are hydrogenated before use to prolong their life. Trans fatty acids have been found to be injurious to the human body over a period of time. Some vegetable oils contain various levels and proportions of both Omega 3 and Omega 6 oils, but most contain higher quantities of Omega 6, the type which is not so preferred versus the more preferred Omega 3, which is the most beneficial to our bodies. Nutritional experts have known for a long time that the almost ideal ratio of Omega 3 and Omega 6 comes from fish. Cold water salmon has close to 9 times the Omega 3 as its less preferred Omega 6 oil. A great deal of research has shown that the ideal proportion of Omega 3 to Omega 6 should be somewhere between 1:1 and 1:4, but the average american person, it is estimated, gets anywhere between 1:25 and 1:50. Nutritional experts explain that the reason for this is primarily due to the vegetable oils used in our processed foods, which we consume in the largest proportion than we do of the more favorable fish. Processed foods have a very high percentage of Omega 6 oil.

Our Polluted Waters Set The Limit

We are being told by nutritional experts that we should get as much Omega 3 as we can on a regular basis, but we are also told that many fish contain high levels of heavy metals, such as mercury and polluting PCBs which are toxic to the human body if ingested in too high a level. The way to go, we are told by some, is to supplement the needed oils with fish oil capsules, making sure that the fish oil is of the highest quality, containing the least levels of mercury or PCBs. Another approach is to take Cod Liver oil according to the directions on the bottle. Flaxseed or its oil derivative is also a good source of Omega 3. Flaxseed must be milled in order for our system to absorb the oil more efficiently into our body. Flaxseed which is not milled will just pass through and not be digested.

We are told by nutritional experts that the benefits of Omega 3 oil is that it can prevent many diseases, especially those encountered as we age, such as arthritis, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, heart disease and a few others.