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<pre>December 5, 2001
NUTRITION NEWS FOCUS
"Nutrition news is important. We help you understand it!"

Today's Topic: The Fats of Life

A recent article in the October 8, 2001 edition of the Archives of
Internal Medicine reviewed the evidence for the heart healthy effects
of omega-3 fatty acids. These are fats found primarily in fish. The
standard recommendation from most health agencies is to consume fish
twice a week, primarily for its benefits on the cardiovascular system.
< <A
HREF="http://archinte.ama-assn.org/issues/.../ira00082.html"><a href="http://archinte.ama-assn.org/issues/v161n18/abs/ira00082.html">http://arch\
inte.ama-assn.org/issues/v161n18/abs/ira00082.html</a></A> >

Less than one to two grams of fish oil per day has been shown to have
significant benefits. One study done with vegetable sources of
omega-3 fatty acids also found healthy effects – this was a special
margarine made from canola oil combined with diet. The authors
suggest that vegetarians eat more flaxseed, butternuts, English
walnuts, soybeans, and a variety of other foods.

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Trying to get enough
omega-3 fats by eating leeks or wheat germ may mean eating 200 grams
(6 ounces) of these foods. Canola and soybean oils are the only
common plant fats with high contents of these fatty acids. Fatty fish
like mackerel, herring, salmon and albacore tuna are good sources, but
flounder, lobster, and catfish contain only about a tenth of the
amount of better sources. We don't know the optimal amount of these
fats, but most researchers suspect we don't get enough.


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