Today’s diets are mostly processed foods, with a high fat content. This is characteristic of many of today’s industrialized societies. But, even those most devoted to these high fat diets, can be educated to change their ways.
Diet-Based Disease
We are seeing diet-based diseases increasing dramatically. Co-incidentally, the amount of Omega 3 essential fatty acids consumed in our diets has dropped by up to 80%. About 40 years ago, health authorities recommended that western diets increase their consumption of PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids) to help lower cholesterol levels. A dramatic increase then took place in the consumption of vegetable oils – rich in essential Omega 6 PUFAs, but not OMEGA 3 PUFAs.
It has now been found by that an excess of Omega 6 actually interferes with the benefits of Omega 3, thus making the existing Omega 3 shortage even more acute.
Diet is the Prime Link to Good Health
It has long been established that diet is the prime link to good health. When Japan moved from its traditional diet of simple marine food, to the western-based diet of processed foods, their rate of disease rose dramatically. Conversely, when Norway was forced to return to its traditional diet of marine life during World War II shortages, the death rate (of heart disease, cancer, etc.) dropped by 40%. This rate however returned to normal levels as soon as the war ended and the Norwegians returned to the western diet. It is of great interest that during the war the decrease in Norwegian heart disease – coincided with a 50% increase in Omega 3.
Another example of the beneficial effects of a traditional marine diet (high in Omega 3) is found with the High Artic Inuit. Despite their large daily fat intakes the Inuit blood lipids remained within normal levels, their incidence of heart trouble was low and they were relatively free from Artery Hardening. Like the Norwegians and the Japanese before them, as the inuit have adopted western diets, the occurrences of diet-based diseases have risen to the western levels.
Supplementing Your Diet
Our bodies neither produce nor store Omega 3 internally; Omega 3 must be obtained from external sources. As most of our food intake continues to be highly processed food, with little or no fish or marine sources, Omega 3 is often best obtained through supplements such as Auum’s Omega 3.
