Your Aging Heart Needs Fat!

The Wrong Fats Will Age You And May Kill You.

Whenever the media discusses heart disease, they also mention saturated fat. And of course, age increases risk for heart disease, so most people start avoiding saturated fat.

What does science say about saturated fat?

However, there is very little proof –scientific proof - that saturated fat is dangerous to the health of your heart if eaten in moderation. And that means that it won’t necessarily speed aging either! In fact, many studies have indicated that people who consume saturated fat are no more at risk for heart disease than people who consume very little.

The really bad fats are ...

The really dangerous fats, the one that do more harm, than is generally mentioned, are called trans fats. These are fats that have been damaged through processing, and whose molecular structure has changed. This change in structure has meant that they no longer work in the body – they’ve lost the ability to do what a good fat has to do. They can’t keep you healthy, and they have been directly implicated in heart disease and aging.

But these fats come from good seeds, don't they?

These fats are made from seeds, that contain the essential fats, the Omega 6 and Omega 3 fats, but have been damaged, through processing. They've been changed from liquid fats or oils, to spreadable fats. Food manufacturers love trans fats, as in the last 70+ years they’ve been able to make food palatable, and extend shelf life, by using these cheap fats, instead of the great, healthy, - more expensive – but undamaged essential fats. Damaged fats don’t go off, while the undamaged ones do.

The body knows what it needs, and it is NOT trans fats

But guess what - researchers have discovered - surprise, surprise - that the way that nature meant us to eat these fats, is in the undamaged form. And yes, when the structure of an oil or fat has been changed, it will not be able to perform its proper function in the cells, tissues or glands of your body or brain!

And as the heart is such an active organ, only second to the brain, it makes perfect, logical sense, that the damaged fats will speed heart aging, while the Essential Fatty Acids will lead to great heart health and slower aging.

The kind of fat that does offer protection though, is the polyunsaturated, Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fats, undamaged through processing. They are called Essential Fatty Acids, because you have to consume them in your diet, your body cannot synthesize them.

Unique fats for a unique, energy hungry organ

There’s a lot of research to support the consumption of these unique fats for heart health and to slow aging. The heart needs an optimal supply of these unique essential fats because of the particular way that they work, which enables the heart muscle to conduct energy and electricity in optimal ways.

This is simply due to the unique structure, that these omega-3’s, especially, possess, which allows the speedy transmission of messages between cells and the ability they have to allow electricity to be conducted between heart - as well as other - cells.

When the heart has enough energy, when its membranes are optimally nourished with the right fats, essential fats, then it has the ability to work optimally. Without them, it battles to keep up with the demands that living places on it. This is why the wrong fats can hasten the demise of your aging heart.

References

Flaxseed oil and fish-oil capsule consumption alters human red blood cell n-3 fatty acid composition: a multiple-dosing trial comparing 2 sources of n-3 fatty acid. Barceló-Coblijn G, et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Sep;88(3):801-9.

Alpha-linolenic acid and risk of nonfatal acute myocardial infarction. Campos H, et al. Circulation 2008 July 22;118(4):339-45.

Dietary n-6 and n-3 fatty acid balalnce and cardiovascular health. Wijendran V, Hayes KC. Annu Rev Nutr. 2004;24:597-61.

N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in coronary heart disease: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Bucher HC, et al. Am J Med. 2002 Mar;112(4):298-304.

Dietary fat quality and coronary heart disease prevention: a unified theory based on evolutionary, historical, global and modern perspectives. Ramsden CE, et al. Curr Treat Options Cardiovasc Med. 2009 Aug;11(4):289-301.

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and cardiovascular disease. Lavie CJ, et al. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2009 Aug 11;54(7):585-94.

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