Obesity Linked To Poor Omega-6 to Omega-3 Ratio

Dietary fats are often misunderstood and as a result are often grouped together as a bad part of our regular diets.  For years we were told that limiting the amount of fat in the diet was the right way to eat for both weight management and heart health.  While this is still correct to a point (eating too much fat is still not good for us), we have learned that eating healthy consists of choosing the right fats in the correct amounts.  Fats are an essential part of a healthy diet.  They supply energy and are vital for the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.  Fats also are important for the normal operation of many of our body's functions.  Unhealthy fats consist of the saturated fats and trans fats, which have been linked to poor heart health.  In contrast, the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are considered healthier fats.  Interestingly, research over the last several years suggests that even the healthy fats need to be consumed in appropriate proportions.

A new obesity research paper explored the impact of a Western diet, which typically has an unhealthy ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, on obesity over several generations of mice.  For this study, the obesity researchers fed male and female mice a high fat diet (35% of total calories).  This high fat diet  consisted of a high ratio (28:1) of omega-6 fat (linoleic acid) to omega-3 fat (alpha-linolenic acid) and was fed over four subsequent generations.  Consumption of this unbalanced, Western diet resulted in an increase in fat mass over the four generations.  Additionally, changes in fat tissue genes and protein production, particularly those involved in inflammation, were observed throughout the generations of mice consuming this unbalanced diet.  These researchers concluded that even in a population with genetic stability and an unchanging routine, consumption of an unbalanced, high fat diet leads to greater incidence of obesity.

The results of this study appear to reflect the unbalanced diets we typically consume and the rise in obesity seen over the last 20 years or more.  According to some researchers, human beings originally consumed a diet with a 1:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats.  Unfortunately, a typical Western diet now contains a ratio of approximately 20:1 omega-6 to omega-3 fats.  This unhealthy ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats has arisen through both the excessive consumption of omega-6 fats and insufficient consumption of omega-3 fats.  Current research efforts suggest that dropping back down to a ratio of less than 4 parts omega-6 to 1 part omega-3 has many healthy benefits and that increasing omega-3 consumption is a critical part of re-balancing our dietary fat intakes.  This new obesity research study explored the omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid.  The current recommendation for alpha-linolenic acid consumption is between 1.1 - 1.6 grams per day and can be obtained from a variety of plant sources including flaxseed, soybeans, walnuts, and olive oil.  When designing your healthy eating plan, remember to not only aim for healthy fats but for the right balance of healthy fats.

Visit us at www.drtabor.com to learn about the delcious foods that you can eat on my easy diet plan!  Or tune in to watch me on QVC September 12th from 1 AM - 2 AM EST!

Knowledge of Dietary Fats is Lacking

An article in the April issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association examines the knowledge of dietary fats among U.S. consumers.  According to this new article, it appears that our knowledge is lacking.

This new study uses data collected from nearly 1,800 people who participated in the U.S. FDA Health and Diet Survey to assess their awareness and understanding of six different dietary fats.  The results of this study were rather disconcerting:

• Nearly all of the study participants were aware of saturated fat and most understood that it increases the risk for poor heart health.
• Less than 70% of the study population had heard of trans fat and partially hydrogenated oil and of those, less than half understood that these fats are unhealthy fats.
• Only half of the people who had heard of omega-3 fatty acids knew that this was a healthy fat that lowers the risk of poor heart health.
• Only a very small percentage of the study group recognized polyunsaturated fat as a heart healthy fat.

The results from this study dramatically shows our general lack of knowledge about dietary fats and emphasizes the need for a better way to spread the message about healthy and unhealthy fats.  Getting the message out could be done in a number of ways including improved food labeling, more media coverage related to proper diet and nutrition, and increased access to nutrition research.  Public access to nutrition (and other) research is growing.  For example, all of the journals in My Favorite Journals on this blog's sidebar are open to the general public and free to read.

Limiting the amount of unhealthy fats in one's diet is a great way to start eating healthier.  Another way to start eating healthier is to follow my easy plan... all of my Slim and Beautiful Shakes are low in total fat, making them a delicious way to limit the amount of unhealthy fats consumed.

Diet and Lifestyle Factors Associated with Telomere Length

Telomeres are DNA sequences found at the ends of chromosomes.  Research has shown that telomere length appears to be associated with aging, such that shorter telomere lengths are associated with shorter life spans.  However, it is unclear whether telomere length is simply a sign of aging or whether the length of the telomere actually contributes to the aging process.  You can read more about the potential role of telomere length in this article.

A new study examined potential relationships between diet and lifestyle factors and telomere length in over 2,000 wome participating in the Nurses' Health Study.  Telomere length was measured in white blood cells from the study participants and correlated with diet and lifestyle factors assessed with a questionnaire.  The results of this study showed that:

• Higher levels of dietary fiber intake were associated with longer telomere length.  This was particularly evident for cereal fiber.
• Shorter telomeres were seen on average in women with higher consumption of linoleic acid, one of the polyunsaturated fats.
• Telomere length was shorter with increasing waist size.

Dietary fiber, fat consumption, and body composition have all been shown to be associated with various health benefits or risks.  Dietary fiber has been shown to have a variety of potential health benefits, so it is interesting to see that it is also associated with longer telomere length, a potential marker of longer life.  In contrast, excess body fat and consumption of some fats have been reported to be risk factors for various chronic health conditions.  Polyunsaturated fats are generally considered one of the healthier types of dietary fat; however, this research would suggest that there might be differences for the specific polyunsaturated fats.

Whether the impact of diet and lifestyle choices on healthy aging is due at least in part to telomere length will require additional research to determine.  Nonetheless, this study suggests that diet and lifestyle choices are modestly related to telomere length.  Overall, this study supports the concept that diet and lifestyle choices impact healthy aging and perhaps life span. 

Making healthier lifestyle choices should be an important part of each of our daily routines.  One such choice we can all make is to maintain a healthy body weight.  Following my easy diet plan is a simple way to do just that.