Omegas are the slick superstars of the hormonal health show
Omegas are full of surprises – and today we’re unpacking why these sexy, slimming fats are your hormones’ best friend.
Did you know…
essential fats (aka omegas) can not only boost your metabolism but also help manufacture and balance hormones and actually support your cellular structures via helping to control cell growth?! Omegas can also help lift your mood, lower your blood pressure, and dissolve body fat, lowering levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.
essential fat deficiencies are super common AND can cause fatigue, dry skin, cracked nails, constipation, thin hair, immune system issues, depression, aching joints, and arthritis?
omegas help distribute fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K throughout your body tissue?
Omega-3 deficiencies often start in utero, when your only source of these fats is your mother? (read about DHA below)
if you aren’t getting enough Omegas, your body could be operating at suboptimal levels, which is definitely not ideal during perimenopause and menopause, when you’re already managing the turmoil of hormonal changes?
Why healthy fats matter
Sometimes I really wonder at how many people still believe a low-fat diet is good for humans. The truth is, it’s not! In fact, far from it.
One of the big reasons American obesity is at an all-time high is that the ‘experts’ have been telling us to eat all the ‘wrong’ foods for nearly half a century now. In addition to encouraging weight gain and increasing risk for heart disease, cutting out healthy fats has other health consequences.
Today, five decades after the start of the low-fat craze that overtook the American food industry, the medical community now knows better. Science has shown that without sufficient quantities of two very special essential fatty acids in particular (Omega-3 and 6), your body can’t manufacture all kinds of important substances – including the sex hormones that play a major role in peri-menopause and menopause.
(Thanks, Grandma, for teaching me this when I was in college! So very grateful I never succumbed to the American low-fat diet foods. Hope this blog inspires you to teach your daughters or grandkids the same.)
There are so many bodily functions, health benefits, and disorders associated with the metabolism of fatty acids and prostaglandins that an entire book could be devoted to this topic. So I’m going to try to focus on some of the most salient aspects of Omegas. There is a more medical/detailed section at the end, for those of you that desire ‘more’.
Omegas Powerful Relief
Did you know that Omega-3 supplementation can help conditions like arthritis, PMS, eczema, breast tenderness, acne, diabetes, brittle fingernails, thinning hair, psoriasis, dry skin, and sex hormone imbalances (commonly seen in peri-menopause and menopause)?!
OR that Omega-7 can improve heart health, insulin sensitivity, and cholesterol levels as well as reduce fatty liver and levels of fat in the blood?!
Food Sources: Check it Out!
Are you getting enough?
You can get enough omega-3 fats by eating salmon, sardines, or swordfish 2-3 times per weak OR what I feel more comfortable with given the environmental ocean pollutions these days, is to take 100-400mg per day of DHA or fish oil supplements (1000-5000mg of omega-3s per day). And of course a perimenopause superfood are ground flaxseeds, chia or hemp seeds.
Watch out for the ‘wrong’ oils
Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and other commercially processed oils and margarine – which are damaged or altered human made fats – can interfere with the transformation of Omegas into prostaglandins (which YES, this matters)! Excess heat, air, light or hydrogenation in oil processing turns beneficial polyunsaturated fats into harmful substances. And if your digestive system is out of balance that also in and of itself could alter the natural benefits of omegas! So just be aware.
How to select the best oils
I follow these simple suggestions for finding the best quality oils
Molecular distillation. Look for this processing when searching for the highest quality oils.
Pharmaceutical grade. Yes, grade ranking exists. Fish oil, for example, ranges from lowest (cod liver oil) to highest (pharmaceutical grade). This grade enables you to consume the required daily intake of long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids without fear of environmental pollutant accumulation.
Certificate of Analysis. To minimize exposure to environmental toxins, choose a supplement that has been tested for dioxins, PCBs, and heavy metals.
Beware of rancid oil. Check the smell, color, and taste (of edible oils). Fresh fish oil tastes sweet and mild, not fishy and not bitter, and should be clear, not cloudy.
Keep Cool. Also, don’t forget to preserve oils, it’s often a good idea to keep them refrigerated so that they don’t go rancid quickly.
For those interested in details.
A Deeper Dive: Understanding the Essential Fats in our Diet
Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are indispensable for human development. And in spite of their name, fatty acids are actually not fat – they’re the building blocks for fats. Human bodies can’t synthesize EFAs, so we need to consume them in our foods.
There are two types of EFAs: Omega-6 fats and Omega-3 fats. Omega-3 is called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and Omega-6 is called cis-linoleic acid (CLA). These two are very special because your body cannot manufacture them. And in fact, there are processes that transform these omegas into prostaglandins, so that your body can actually use them.
So If you’re eating a low-fat diet does that doesn’t supply enough Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, you’re essentially forcing your body to operate at sub-optimal levels.
Omegas help control cell growth as well as help in the manufacturing of hormones. Their byproducts are ingredients of cell membranes and nerve sheaths. They are building blocks for Prostaglandins (a type of eicosanoid) – this topic could be an entire blog of its own. Just know this process is key to Omega absorption in the body.
These fatty acid gems are not only hormone balancers – they’re also especially anti-inflammatory.
How to incorporate more healthy fats into your diet
Omega-6 fats occur in relative abundance, however, the American low-fat diet is dramatically deficient in Omega-3 fats. Omega-3 fats, particularly a fat known as DHA, are found abundantly in human breast milk, but DHA is absent in the baby formulas used in the US and Canada.
Research is rapidly accumulating to show that deficiency in DHA may be tied to the epidemic of attention deficit disorder in both children and adults. There are also studies that show breastfed children have fewer learning disabilities and mood stabilization issues. This is why you see so many articles about ensuring you’re getting healthy fats into your toddlers, early.
My favorite part of Omega benefits is the role that these healthy fats play in our nervous system and brain function. Omega-3 fats play a big part in the production of eicosanoids, which help block the effects of cellular inflammation. Which is why Omega-3 supplementation is often prescribed to help conditions like eicosanoid imbalances like arthritis, PMS, eczema, breast tenderness, acne, diabetes, brittle fingernails, thinning hair, psoriasis, dry skin, and sex hormone imbalances commonly seen in perimenopause and menopause. Prostaglandins relax blood vessel walls, lowering blood pressure – and they’re even reported to reduce migraine symptoms.
And while Omega-3 and Omega-6 are the most commonly known, there are mega health benefits from Omega-7s (palmitoleic acid). Although it is not in the category of essential fatty acid, it has shown to improve heart health, insulin sensitivity, and cholesterol levels as well as reduce fatty liver and levels of fat in the blood. It is also one of the most anti-inflammatory omega fatty acids. In fact, Omega-7 can cause inflammation markers like C-reactive protein to fall within thirty days by nearly 75%. It's a major player in your overall health. It helps to balance hormones and helps you regulate lipid (fat) metabolism. I use this Sea Buckthorn oil to incorporate Omega7s into my diet.
