Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are categorized as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and are nutrients essential to human health: The two play a critical role in brain and heart function as well as growth and development. (And just what are fatty acids? Long story short: They are the building blocks of fats.) Because our bodies can’t produce either omega-3s or omega-6s, we must get them from food.

Omega-3 fatty acids are associated with a number of health benefits, including protection against heart disease, possibly stroke, and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. There are two major types of omega-3s in our diets. One is alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is found in plants, especially leafy green vegetables. Flaxseed, walnuts, and their respective oils are high in ALA, as is an oil everyone loves to hate, canola.

The other type of omega-3s—eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)—is found in oily fish such as salmon (particularly wild), Atlantic and Pacific mackerel, sardines, anchovies, and herring, as well as in oysters and some aquatic plants. The human body partially converts ALA to EPA and DHA. (Fun fact: Life’s fastest tasks require DHA. Ours is concentrated in the brain and eyes, followed by sperm, then heart muscle.)


Health experts encourage increased omega-3 consumption (in place of, not in addition to, saturated fats and trans fats) because of their deficiency in the diets of most Americans. The newest (2010) Dietary Guidelines recommend at least 250 milligrams per day. Many omega-3 specialists think the target should be higher, approximately 500 mg per day.

Of course, this summer’s news that the second large study by scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center confirmed a link between high blood concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids and an increased risk of prostate cancer does give one pause. Omega-3 authority William Harris takes issue with their findings here. The one thing I’ll bet they all agree on is that nutrition research and the interpretation of data are very difficult.

Omega-6 fatty acids, primarily composed of linoleic acid (LA), are found in nuts, seeds, many vegetable oils (thus almost any processed food you can think of), and meat. Most people today consume far more omega-6s, which are linked to inflammation, than omega-3s, and many experts think this dietary imbalance may be the cause of many chronic inflammatory diseases and metabolic disorders. Science writer Susan Allport gives a compelling account of the science and politics behind this theory in The Queen of Fats (2006). And a fresh interpretation of clinical trial data first collected in the 1960s and published in the British Medical Journal in February 2013 suggests that omega-6s may be linked with a higher risk of death among patients with heart disease.

Best Teen Diets recommends healthy well balanced eating that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and low-fat or fat-free dairy. We offer nutrition information for teens, parents and educators that emphasizes the importance of healthy eating for teens. For more information visit www.bestteendiets.org

Best Teen Diets recommends healthy well balanced eating that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and low-fat or fat-free dairy. We offer nutrition information for teens, parents and educators that emphasizes the importance of healthy eating for teens. For more information visit www.bestteendiets.org

By Kristi Tamaki, RD / Best Teen Diets Contributor

Good fats, bad fats, low-fat, fat-free.... All these terms can send us into a tornado of confusion.  There was a time in my life when I thought that eating a salad plain, without any dressing and piled high with veggies and topped with some form of protein would be the best for me, even if it didn't taste nearly as good.  Well it turns out that fat can make a salad better for me because some of the vitamins that are found in the veggies can't be used by my body without fat!  Think of it like the vehicle that transports the nutrients from veggie to body.   So I need fat?  Yes.  

Fat is necessary, but don't just give yourself free reign.  Instead, choose the healthy fats (unsaturated fats) that come from avocados, nuts, seeds, fish, and olive and canola oils.  And use them in moderate portions.  So I guess if you really liked your salads plain, a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar could work wonders for you without changing the taste too much.  But sometimes we want that creamy dressing that we're told to stay away from.  Say no more-- there's a healthy option for that!  The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recently shared how we can make salads healthier and included this little tidbit of information:  

"We've been conditioned to avoid full-fat salad dressings, but a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition revealed that, like avocados, the oils in salad dressings help us absorb the carotenoids in our salad veggies. In addition, fat, whether it's from a salad dressing or an avocado, helps us absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, says registered dietitian Lona Sandon. Finally, adding a little fat — one or two tablespoons of dressing — to your salad can help you feel fuller and more satisfied."

Original article "Healthy Salads: Top This! Five Surprising Toppings For A Healthier Salad" from The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 

Best Teen Diets recommends healthy well balanced eating that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and low-fat or fat-free dairy. We offer nutrition information for teens, parents and educators that emphasizes the importance of healthy eating for teens. For more information visit www.bestteendiets.org

By: Kristi Tamaki, RD / Best Teen Diets contributor

Key Points:

• We cannot meet the dietary guidelines without paying attention to saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars

• Choose low-fat, low-sodium and no-added-sugar options

• Dairy and protein foods are the foods that contribute the most to the excessive calorie intake

The problem:  If you have made an attempt to track your food intake using SuperTracker or another tool of choice, maybe you have seen how difficult it can be to meet the recommended intakes of each food group (fruit, vegetable, dairy, grains, etc) while not going over your recommended oils and saturated fat intake.  Take a look here:



A recent study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics reported that we are more likely to follow the recommendation to consume specific amounts from each food group (ie: 1 cup of fruit), but less likely to follow the guidelines that say to limit saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars.  For example, we drink milk to meet our daily recommended intake, but choose whole milk instead of low-fat or fat-free.  Or we eat chicken, but fried  instead of roasted and skinless.  The food groups that contribute the most to excess calories from fat and sugar? Dairy and protein foods.     

What we must do:  In order to meet all the recommended guidelines (aka, have a near perfect graph in SuperTracker), we must choose foods that fit into each food group AND that are low in fat and sodium and have little to no added sugars.  Sound impossible?  Here are some resources that provide tips on how to go about meeting the guidelines correctly:

• 2010 Dietary Guidelines: Appendix 2

• Chapter 3 of the Dietary Guidelines: Food and Food Components to Reduce

• USDA Food Patterns

• Choose My Plate's SuperTracker Tool

TIP: Start with dairy and try modifying your weekly intakes to adequately follow the guidelines.  Choose low-fat or fat-free milks and yogurts in their unflavored (plain) forms.

Access the partial/full research article at: http://www.andjrnl.org/article/S2212-2672(12)01157-4/abstract


Best Teen Diets recommends healthy well balanced eating that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and low-fat or fat-free dairy. We offer nutrition information for teens, parents and educators that emphasizes the importance of healthy eating for peak performance. For more information regarding healthy eating for teens visit www.bestteendiets.org

     

A common misconception among people is that if you eat fat you will become fat. This is not the case if you choose healthy fats, don't over-do it, and get your 30-60 minutes of moderate activity as often as possible. Watch Kelly Pritchett, Ph.D., R.D. explain why fat is an essential part of our diet.