| Fat free has almost become a cornerstone
in many households. It is certainly
something of a fixture on modern
restaurant menus. And industries
have catered to the fat free preoccupation
by supplying foods labeled fat
free and low fat, as well as herbal
and medical products that block
fat metabolism. But the bottom
line on the beauty and health
fronts, is that if you want beautiful
skin with fewer wrinkles, or to
speed up your metabolism, you
need to eat the right kind of
fats. The benefits to your skin
of eating the right fats daily
are many. Beneficial fats stimulate
the production of collagen, improves
the blood flow in the layer below
the skin that supplies nutrients
for the creation of new, healthy
skin cells. Poor quality blood
flow here means under performing
new skin cells. Fats keep the
skin moist, from the inside. Fats
are crucial for the absorption
of the fat soluble vitamin - A,
D, E, and K. And the beneficial
phytonutrients like carotene,
lycopene and lutein need fat to
be absorbed also. For example,
eating salad with a dressing containing
fats increases the absorption
of these phytonutrients. A study,
published in the Journal of the
American College of Nutrition
(and referenced in Gorgeous Skin
by E Angyal) found that those
who ate a salad with a low fat
dressing had very little alpha-carotene,
beta-carotene and lycopene in
blood tests taken afterwards.
Those who had a full fat dressing
with the salad had noticeably
higher levels of these carotenes
and lycopene metabolites in their
blood. Fats also help produce
and regulate hormones, reduce
inflammation (the right fats anyway),
and prevent eczema, psoriasis,
and hair loss. According to Erica
Angyal, you need about 2tbsp,
or 20 grams of fats per day so
the skin can lubricate itself,
and so enough vitamin A can be
absorbed. Vitamin A prevents premature
aging. Erica Angyal recommends
olive oil, flaxseed oil, walnut
oil, pumpkin seed oil, coconut
oil, mustard seed oil, avocado
oil, soy oil, macadamia oil, and
canola oil. She suggests using
extra virgin, virgin, cold pressed
oils where they are available,
as these are always much better
quality, and the way they are
processed means unhealthy chemical
changes to the oils are avoided.
Of the oils here, the mono unsaturated
oils are olive oil, avocado oil,
macadamia oil, as well as the
oil from cold water fish, like
swordfish, mackerel and salmon.
Mono unsaturated oils can reduce
wrinkles. The polyunsaturated
oils are flaxseed, walnut, pumpkin
seed, and canola oil. For the
reasons outlined below, I would
not personally use these to gain
the bulk of needed daily fats.
Coconut oil is a saturated fat,
but extremely good for you. Coconut
Oil I love this stuff. Not only
does it have a beautiful aroma
when it is good quality, cold
pressed coconut oil, but it has
amazing health benefits that go
beyond great looking skin. Aging,
including aging of the brain and
skin, is associated with a process
called 'peroxidation'. This simply
means that free radicals remove
an oxygen electron from the fats
(lipids) in our cellular membranes.
Ultraviolet light, from the sun,
causes peroxidation in unsaturated
fats, both in the laboratory and
in your skin. This increases the
rate at which wrinkles form. And
unsaturated fats, like regular
vegetable oils, decrease the metabolic
rate. Unsaturated fats suppress
the response of the body's tissues
to thyroid hormone. Unsaturated
fats inhibit the protein digestive
enzyme that forms thyroid hormone,
as well as damaging the mitochondria
in cells, which relates to cellular
energy production. Coconut oil
counteracts these unwelcome effects
of unsaturated fats. Coconut oil
it is incredibly versatile. Because
it is so stable, it can be used
in cooking without becoming hydrogenated.
And it doesn't change the flavor
of the food, despite its strong
aroma. Coconut oil contains medium
chain fatty acids. These are not
stored in the cells like other
fats but go directly to the liver
which converts them into energy.
The shorter chain length allows
them to bypass the metabolic pathway
that other longer chain fats need
to use. Coconut oil is the only
saturated fat that is good for
the body. Interestingly, Dr Mercola's
website quotes an article by Dr
Ray Peat in which he mentions
that when so called essential
fatty acids were used in patients
fed intravenously, their immune
systems were suppressed. Consequently,
coconut oil is used instead. The
only exceptions are in cases where
immunosuppression is needed, such
as in organ transplant patients.
The essential fatty acids are
the omega 3 and omega 6 polyunsaturated
fatty acids. Examples are flaxseed
oil, the oils of cold water fish
like salmon, evening primrose
oil, and sunflower oil. References:
1. http://www.mercola.com/2001/mar/24/coconut_oil.htm
2. Erica Angyal, Gorgeous Skin
In 30 Days (Lothian Books, 2005)
If you're troubled by acne scars,
check out this article to learn
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the best forms of treatment for
each. Learn all about puberty
acne here. |
