BOK_FINISH_9a.indd



thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).
Prostaglandins are short lived hormone-like substances that act in the regulation
of all cellular metabolic processes in the reproductive, cardiovascular, immune,
digestive and central nervous systems. They also act in the body’s thermoregulation,
calorie loss and restoring insulin sensitivity.
EFA’s stimulate the release of Growth Hormone and alters the response of the
thyroid gland to thyroid hormones. GLA and EPA reduce appetite, reduce blood
platelet stickiness, relax blood vessels, lower blood pressure, lower triglyceride
levels, relieve diabetes, improve immunity, protect from cancer, suppress
inflammation, reduces eczema and allergy symptoms, help arthritis, skin hair and
nail conditions.
One of the main functions of essential fatty acids are that they are the main
component of cell membranes, governing membrane fluidity and cell receptor
sensitivity. Researchers have found that exchanges of materials between the inside
and the outside of the cell are more effective if there are sufficient EFA’s in the
cell membranes by promoting membrane fluidity. Gastrointestinal complaints
including irritable bowel syndrome can be improved with adequate EFA’s because
certain prostaglandins govern the secretion of the protective stomach coating that
prevents digestive acids from damaging stomach walls.
Ideally, one third of the fat consumed should be Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs):
Omega-6 Linoleic acid (LA) and Omega-3 linolenic acid (LNA). At least 10%
of daily calories should be Omega-6 and at least 2% Omega-3. A higher ratio
of Omega-6 to Omega-3 is more advantageous in stemming fatty degeneration
diseases. Flax seed oil is 58% Omega-3, but it contains only 14% Omega-6; while
Hemp seed oil is 55% Omega-6 and 25% Omega-3, making it the best seed oil for
optimal health and prevention of fatty degeneration.
Getting your Omega oils from plant sources is best these days with the fish
situation being the way it is...hemp is particularly good. Because EFAs make up
a large portion of the brain, hemp is especially beneficial for brain health and
memory. Hemp also contains phytosterols, which have been shown to reduce total
blood cholesterol by an average of 10 per cent and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
cholesterol by an average of 13 per cent. Find a good source of fresh hemp seeds
with the hulls still intact and grind with up with water to make a milk, then sieve.
Or get them hulled to put on salads or in stirfries etc...A mixture of flaxseed and
hemp seed will supply Omegas 3 &6.
A diet overly high in Omega 6 and poor in Omega 3 increases insulin resistance
and Type 2 diabetes. Hyperglycemia is a source of free radicals when the glucose
rise above 120 mg% in the blood. Free radicals created by chronic hyperglycemia
assault beta cells of pancreas worsening glycemic control.
The omega-3 fatty acid Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), constitutes 30-50% of
the total fatty acid content of the brain, especially prominent in the cell membranes.
Most fish oil supplements contain 12% DHA—cod liver oil contains large amounts
of DHA and EPA. Most of the DHA in fish and other more complex organisms
originates in microalgae of the genus Schizochytrium, and concentrates in organisms