Why Are Lipids and Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) So Essential For Good Health?

Most of us are aware that oil is a necessary “part” of any car’s engine, without which it could not function. Just as a car needs the essential “part” of oil to protect the engine while running, so does our body need Lipids to run efficiently. The family of Lipids (or fats) and Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) are all interrelated, often functioning and acting as if they were one mechanism, one “part” of the body. And like oil is to a car’s engine, Lipids and EFAs are essential biological substances of our body, without which we could not live or function.

VÄXA Omegacin+ is a Scientifically Advanced Cardiovascular homeopathic medicinal, an essential fatty acid Omega 3 supplement containing all essential omega-3-6-9 Fatty Acids, plus the complete spectrum of Lipids, Fatty Acids and Sterols necessary for cellular membrane integrity.

What Do Lipids and EFAs Specifically Do for Me?

Lipids and EFAs are exceptionally important, serving essential—and indeed imperative—roles throughout the body’s biochemistry for our health and welfare. Lipids are the primary structural components of all cell walls and membranes of the body, composing some 50% of the dry weight of the brain, and 5-10% of all other cells. And, most cells continually degrade and replace these membrane lipids, so there is a continuous demand for them. Other Lipids and EFAs allow brain and neural function, maintenance and growth, interference of which leads to major neurological disorders, enzyme deficiencies and skin disorders of all types. Most of all Lipids and Fatty Acids are necessary for Cardiovascular (eg. cardiolipin), Neurological and Dermatological Health (eg. linoleic and linolenic acids).

Comparison of Animal/Vegetable and Saturated/ Unsaturated Fat Consumption in the U.S.

Although between 1950 and 1990, the Total Consumption of Fat has risen little, consumption patterns for animal and vegetable fats have shifted dramatically. But even though more, supposedly healthy, vegetable fats are now being consumed, 40% of these are hydrogenated (and become saturated), and many naturally contain high levels of saturated fats as well, both of which change the all important P/S Ratio (Polyunsaturated to Saturated Fat) for the worse. Unfortunately, the hydrogenated fats we consume today are of a form which cannot be processed by the body to yield the essential omega 3-6-9 fatty acids. Thus, we've exchanged animal fat consumption for a type of vegetable fat which serves us less efficiently and proves to be even more detrimental to our health, providing less EFAs than we need. Indeed, the P/S Ratios in the 1950's were more appropriate than they are now and cardiovascular disease and neurological disorders are again on the rise.
Source: USDA 1993 & The Concise Encyclopedia of Foods & Nutrition, CRC Publishers 1995.

Can't My Body or Diet Supply All The Fatty Acids I Need?
No! Whereas plants are able to manufacture all the Fatty Acids they need, humans and animals are not so lucky. We cannot manufacture needed EFAs, but must regularly supplement them in our diet. And diet alone is generally insufficient in supplying the EFAs and Lipids necessary because of how fats are overly processed today (e.g. hydrogenation).

A Cross Section of a Typical LDL-Cholesterol Molecule

It's now thought that "trans" fatty acids (or those fats which have been hydrogenated) increase LDL (bad) Cholesterol while reducing HDL (good) Cholesterol and may also be linked to the mechanisms which cause Cholesterol plaque to be laid down in the arteries and veins. Such an increase in this form of fat causes a decrease in body pH (a more acidic blood plasma) which subsequently creates an environment that is a catalyst for Cholesterol plaque buildup.

What Happens When I Don’t Have Enough EFAs?
Without sufficient Lipid and EFA supplementation as found in our essential fatty acid Omega 3 supplement, our health would quickly fail us. Lacking these in our diet, we unwittingly open the door to a number of health complications, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurological problems (MS, ADHD, MD, etc.), extensive and unrelenting weight problems, diabetes and insulin mismanagement of carbohydrates and proteins, slower immune response-times, increased sickness and disease, and alarming premature, accelerated aging within every biological system in our body. The bottom line is that without essential Lipids and EFAs, we will look and feel 20 years older than we should!

Aren’t Fats From Vegetables Better than Animal Fats?
No, not really! It’s been wrongly promoted that all animal fat is “bad� because it is “saturated,� while all vegetable/plant oils are “good� because they’re “polyunsaturated.� Well, this just isn’t true. Plants yield both saturated and unsaturated fats, and although most have a greater proportion of polyunsaturated fats, there are some which contain a majority of saturated fats, such as palm and coconut oils. Animal fats, too, contain both saturated and unsaturated kinds, and although these generally contain more saturated fats, there are some which contain higher levels of polyunsaturated fats such as cod liver oil. Furthermore, a diet which includes both saturated and polyunsaturated fats is more healthy than one which does not! Moreover, both plant and animal sources of fat/lipids will yield those same EFAs upon which we depend for life.

But Isn't It Healthy To Stay Away From All Kinds Of Fats, Especially the Saturated Kind?
No, not at all! It’s now abundantly clear that both unsaturated and saturated fatty acids are necessary for good health as they are our only sources of EFAs! Further, it is the ratio of unsaturated to saturated fats which is now considered important -- a 2:1 ratio being ideal. Major research studies have revealed that a diet depleted of saturated fats actually leads to increased cholesterol levels, the formation of gallstones, carcinogenic activities and the production of more heart lesions, as compared to animals fed on diets of pure beef fat, butter, chicken fat or lard! Believe it or not, from a view of obtaining the EFAs, fresh lard (from which the essential fatty acid linoleic acid can be derived) is actually healthier for us than the hydrogenated fats in vegetable shortening. Butter, too, is much more nutritionally specific and useful in this regard than margarine.

But Can’t Fats Of Any Kind Dangerously Increase My LDL-Cholesterol Levels?
Not as much as we once thought! Indeed, major studies have now proven that reducing cholesterol levels simply by cutting out the fat in our diets may even lead to higher risks of cancer of the lungs, pancreas, cervix and bladder (e.g. the recent U.S. Govt. MRFIT Study involving 12,000 men and women). We now know that if the body doesn’t get the right amount and kind of fatty acids, it will actually make more of its own cholesterol so as to ensure that its quota for essential cholesterol is filled!

Where Can I Find The EFAs and Lipids I Need?
All EFAs and Essential Lipids are supplied in VÄXA Omegacin+, a essential fatty acid Omega 3 supplement. Just 2-4 capsules every day is all that you need!