Omega 6 fats: Are All Nuts and Seeds Ideal?

by Mila McManus, MD

Omega 6 fats are very prevalent in the Standard American Diet (SAD), and it is easy to consume too many.

Often people are puzzled why their LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol remain high, which is normally accompanied by inflammation. One reason could be an excess intake of linoleic acid, an Omega 6 fatty acid. We need this in small quantities for good health, but in excess, it drives inflammation. Omega 6 fatty acids are very prevalent in the Standard American Diet (SAD), and it is extremely easy to consume too many. Balancing Omega 6 fats with anti-inflammatory Omega 3 fats is also part of the health equation. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to obtain adequate sources of Omega 3 fats. As a result, it takes an intentional effort to limit intake of Omega 6 fats while intentionally consuming Omega 3s in order to reduce inflammation in the human body. In both cases, quality also matters!

We often talk about main sources of Omega 6s which are highly inflammatory. They include canola, soybean, cottonseed, sunflower, safflower, and corn oil – all found in processed and packaged foods, salad dressings, fast foods, and restaurant foods. In addition, meat from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) has high amounts of Omega 6 fatty acids. This includes most of the beef, pork, chicken, and eggs in grocery stores and restaurants. Animals such as these are fed genetically modified corn and soy in feedlots, and thus are higher in Omega 6s. Alternatively, when animals eat their normal instinctual diet, such as grass, insects, and scavenged food from nature, there is an increase in Omega 3 fats and a significant decrease in Omega 6 fats.

Another important consideration is to evaluate your seed and nut sources. Below is a chart showing the percentage of Omega 6 linoleic acid that is found in various nut and seed sources. Moreover, many of these nuts and seeds are found in protein powders, food bars, oils, and flours. Many of the higher Omega 6 nut and seed sources still offer considerable nutritional value, so the idea here is not to completely avoid them, but to rotate and moderate your intake. Also note that peanuts and cashews aren’t really nuts. They are legumes! So even though, e.g., cashews are listed as ‘non-inflammatory’ with respect to omega 6, they are high in lectins, which for some people, poses major health issues.

Eating real whole food from optimal sources really matters to overall health and longevity. One good example is 100% grass-fed and finished beef and lamb or pasture raised chicken that eats insects and grass.. When eating their instinctual diet, these meats (and eggs) have benefits such as helping with weight loss, improving immune function, regulating blood sugar levels, boosting cardiovascular health, and promoting proper growth and development.

Tips:

When you consume linoleic acid, choose organic, non-GMO whole food sources including grass-fed beef, chicken, and eggs.
Avoid processed and CAFO meats, potato chips and other junk and processed foods, and store-bought salad dressings.
Increase Omega 3 non-inflammatory oils by eating wild-caught Alaskan Salmon, cod liver oil, herring, anchovies, and sardines or supplement with a high quality, carefully chosen Omega 3.
Rotate nuts and seeds and avoid making the higher inflammatory nuts and seeds your routine “go to” choices. Instead, enjoy the rotation of macadamia, hazelnut, cashew, and pistachio nuts, keeping in mind every source from nut butters to protein bars.

References:

Axe, Josh, (2018, September 6). Linoleic acid helps improve brain, heart, skin, bone and reproductive health. www.draxe.com.

Levy, Jillian, (2022, March 14). 16 Omega-3 foods your body needs now. www.draxe.com

Mercola, Joseph, (2022, September 9). Ultra-processed food – The worst choice for planet and health. www.mercola.com

By Admin|2022-12-04T11:00:27-05:00December 7th, 2022|General|

Food Labeling Changes to Know About : Genetically Modified Ingredients

by Nancy Weyrauch Mehlert, MS

The USDA requires all food manufacturers to disclose if genetically modified ingredients are in their products.

Effective, January 1, 2022, The USDA, through The National Bioengineered Food Disclosure law requires all food manufacturers to disclose if genetically modified ingredients are in their products. The way in which this is done however will not be a simple, uniform way such as an established symbol similar to the USDA Organic Certification. Rather, the manufacturer has options including a text message, a symbol, digital links, or verbiage on the package.

According to the USDA*, “The Standard defines bioengineered foods as those that contain detectable genetic material that has been modified through certain lab techniques and cannot be created through conventional breeding or found in nature.” Some call that “Frankenfood”, others “fake food”, and “man”-ufactured food. Anyway you call it, there is nothing natural about it and likely represents a foreign enemy to the human body, potentially contributing to harm, disease, immune response, inflammation, and/or congestion.

According to the Environmental Working Group,* “Shockingly, virtually no long-term health studies have been done on consumption of genetically engineered food. And there aren’t likely to be any such studies anytime soon. The government isn’t doing this kind of research and is not requiring it of the food industry. It isn’t even making it possible for independent scientists to do it, since under the law, those who hold patents on genetically engineered food get to decide in most cases what testing can – and cannot – be conducted. As a result, the jury is still out – in fact, it hasn’t even heard the evidence – on whether genetically engineered food might cause health problems. And the answer to this question will likely remain unclear for years.”

Apparently the organic and GMO Project Verified labels will still be in use. As a reminder, the USDA Organic standard symbol does mean synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation, and genetic engineering may not be used. Thus buying organic should be a safe way to always avoid genetically modified or bioengineered food.

The Non-GMO Project Verified* is a symbol created by a non-profit organization working in the interest of the consumer. According to nongmoproject.org, “ the Non-GMO Project Verified mark assures consumers that the product bearing the label has been evaluated for compliance with the Non-GMO Standard, which can be found here. Similar to the USDA Organic symbol, this symbol should give some confidence that the product is free of genetic modification and is, we believe, a good measure of protection.

You may also see “Bioengineered Food Ingredients” written on the label. It may be necessary to scan the barcode or look at the manufacturer’s webpage to find out. My experience on webpages is that many food producers make it difficult to find nutritional facts and ingredient lists because they don’t really want you to find the information, but they are required to provide it. You may discover that this disclosure is not easy to find. Others will be forthcoming and more direct.

For optimal health and wellness, we recommend that you make every effort to avoid genetically engineered food. Recognize that most restaurant food will contain it, while eating at home after careful selection during grocery shopping will guarantee the best success.

Resources:

USDA.gov

Nongmoproject.org

https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/americans-eat-their-weight-genetically-engineered-food

Mira Dessy, The Ingredient Guru, Weekly Email dated January 4, 2022, The New GMO Label.

By Admin|2022-11-01T10:29:58-05:00February 2nd, 2022|General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|

Most Common Genetically Modified Foods

by Nancy Mehlert, MS

Here are the most common Genetically Modified foods. Avoid them by purchasing organic and/or certified Non-GMO.

Corn – 90% of the American corn crop is genetically modified from which most corn flour, high fructose corn syrup, corn starch, masa, corn meal and corn processed foods are made.

Soybeans – 93% of the American soybean crop is genetically modified from which soy proteins, soybean oil, soy milk, soy flour, soy sauce, tofu, or soy lecithin are made.

Sugar – 55% of the sugar produced in America comes from sugar beets, 95% of which are genetically modified. Unless the ingredient label says “pure cane sugar”, chances are significant the “sugar” in an ingredient label is genetically modified.

Vegetable Oils – it is safe to assume that canola oil, vegetable oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil and corn oil are all from genetically engineered crops.

Other foods that may well be genetically modified include Hawaiian papaya, zucchini, and yellow summer squash..

Foods under consideration for genetic modification include salmon, flax, plums, potato, radicchio, rice, tomato and wheat.

By Admin|2014-11-05T07:26:47-05:00November 5th, 2014|Articles, General, NANCY’S NUTRITIONAL NUGGET|