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Fats and Lipids in Your Child's Diet

excerpt from Dr. Feder's, Natural Baby and Childcare

Although we are inundated with negative information about fats, they are essential to your child's good health. They give your child energy and serve a crucial role in infant and childhood development. The fat in breast milk, for instance, aids your child's developing nervous system and brain function. Fats also cover and protect vital organs, provide insulation to keep your child warm, help the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, K), and are involved with hormonal production. The benefits of fats do not go away as we age, nor do all bodies store fat in the same way. Women generally have a higher body fat percentage than men precisely because fat is so important during the childbearing years.

Saturated Fats

The building blocks of fats are known as fatty acids, but not all fatty acids are created equal. When reading labels, you will want to be familiar with two different types of fat: saturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids (also called monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats). Saturated fatty acids are considered the unhealthy fats, and these most often come from animal sources such as meat, poultry, lard, shortening, eggs, and butter. Certain plants also yield saturated fats; palm kernel oil, hydrogenated oils, chocolate, palm oil, cocoa butter, and coconut oil are plant-derived fats you will want to limit in your diet. These fats have been linked to arteriosclerosis and heart disease.

Unsaturated Fats

Unsaturated fats occur in both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated forms and are considered "good" fats, those our bodies need to sustain energy, ward off disease, and regenerate cells. Avocados and vegetable oils (olive, canola, and rapeseed) are excellent sources of monounsaturated fatty acids, while fish, seed, and nut oils (safflower, sunflower, walnut, soy and corn oil) all contain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). PUFAs are shown to decrease atherosclerosis, but may be implicated in causing colon cancer.

Certain unsaturated fats, known as essential fatty acids (EFAs), are considered crucial because our body cannot make them and we thus must get them from a proper diet. All the body's cells, including brain cells, make use of EFAs. They help lower the risk of heart disease and colon and breast cancer, as well as improve vision, skin integrity, mood, attention span, and learning skills. EFAs are particularly important for children and seniors.

Two of the most widely known essential fatty acids are linolenic acid (omega 3 fatty acids) and linoleic acid (omega 6 fatty acid), both polyunsaturated fats. Other important fatty acids include gamma linolenic acid (GLA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoc acid (DHA). These EFAs are found in plants, seafood, and in small amounts in meat. The best sources for omega 6 fatty acids are warm-weather plants such as nuts, seeds, and corn, sunflower, sesame, and safflower oils. In general, Americans tend to get enough omega 6 fatty acids in their diet but not enough omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are found in cold water fish and cold-weather plants: walnuts, pumpkin seeds, canola oil, wheatgerm, eggs, flaxseed, green leafy vegetables, soybeans, tuna, sardines, cod, mackerel, and salmon all provide omega 3 fatty acids. If your child is being breastfed, there is no need for either flax or fish oil. If mom does not eat fish on a regular basis, she could add fish oil to her diet. Nursing mothers can also increase the fat content of their breast milk by taking flaxseed. There are, however, some precautions with flaxseed as it may interact or slow down absorption of some medications. This would be of particular concern for anyone with diabetes or schizophrenia, or if you are using medications like aspirin. Do not take flaxseed at the hour of medications, and consult your physician if you have questions about its usage. Flaxseed is one of the richest natural sources of omega-3 fatty acids. It also contains lignans, which studies suggest may play an important role in cancer prevention. Flaxseed comes as an oil or as raw seeds. Try adding them to your child's diet, beginning at 8 months, as follows:

"Flaxseeds: Take ½ teaspoon and grind well in blender or grinder just prior to serving. Mix into food. Within a few hours the ground seeds become rancid and you must discard.

"Flaxseed oil (buy from the grocery or health food store): Take one teaspoon and place in baby's bottle or drink daily. Alternatively, it can be rubbed into skin. Oil can be stored in refrigerator for 2 months.

In addition to being excellent sources of omega-3, fish oil and cod liver oil are high in DHA, a compound that works like food for your brain. Touted as a means of improving concentration and mental stamina, fish oils are currently enjoying popularity in health food stores and are even being added to baby formula. Cod liver oil is also a rich source of vitamin D, which is especially advantageous during the colder winter months, when sun exposure (our main source of vitamin D) is low. In the summer months, it is best to switch to fish oil. When choosing a fish oil it is best to use brands that are more pure and contain less pollutants. Choose a company that has protocols which test for mercury, lead, and other harmful ingredients. The oil should be from wild fish, and not from the farm raised which contain more toxins. Fish oils made from sardines and anchovies have less contaminants because they are small fish and have a shorter life span. While fish that are larger and live longer such as mackerel and salmon contain more toxins. You can get this information by directly contacting the company and inquiring about manufacturing processes. In addition, there are different grades of fish oils. The most basic is the standard cold liver oil (although there are high grade purified versions). Slightly better is the health food-grade fish oil made from fish body oils. This comes in capsules, because they taste so poorly. They can also cause stomach upset. While pharmaceutical-grade fish oils are more pure, taste better and are richer in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. The pharmaceutical grade fish oil contains less toxins and tends to have less digestive effects. See Nordic Naturals Store

Hydrogenated Fats

Hydrogenated fat is made when a high-pressure hydrogen mixes with an unsaturated fat. This chemically processed fat also contains trans fatty acids, which raise LDL (bad cholesterol) levels and lower HDL (good cholesterol). In addition, the trans fatty acids may be linked to obesity, diabetes, immune system conditions, and sexual dysfunction in men, including low testosterone, abnormal sperm production, and prostate disease.

These unhealthy hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated, and trans fats are found in most processed foods, such as donuts, potato chips, French fries, candy bars, peanut butter (except the natural varieties), salad dressings, cereals, cookies, crackers, shortening, pretzels, and fried foods. Like sugar, the taste of trans fats can be "addictive." Moreover, we often eat trans fatty foods without even knowing it, thinking we have opted for the healthy, "low-fat" option. Be sure to read the fine print on the nutrition label. Don't buy them! They last longer on the store shelf, are less expensive than saturated fat, and to many palates they taste good. But the long-term effects are not worth the short-term gratification.

See our online store for Nordic Naturals ProEFA Omega-3 for Children and Adults

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