by PinkNic

Created on: July 31, 2008

FAT. The word alone is enough to send most people running for the hills. But contrary to popular belief, fat is actually good for you. It's as important to the human body as proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. In fact, experts recommend that 15-20% of our diet should consist of fat. It just has to be the right kind.

Fats can be placed into 3 categories - the good, the bad and the downright ugly. It's the good fats - also known as essential fatty acids, or EFAs - which we need to include in our diet on a regular basis. Note the word essential - our bodies cannot produce these vital-for-health fatty acids, so we need to get them from our food.

The EFA omega-3 helps to produce neurotransmitters in the brain, which make us feel and perform at our best. Omega-3 also reduces the stickiness of blood and controls cholesterol and fat levels, which in turn improves immune function and metabolism. Therefore, as opposed to making us fat, it can actually help us to lose weight. Other benefits of omega-3 include keeping our joints flexible, our bones strong, hearts healthy, improving the look of skin and hair and lowering the risk of inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, Alzheimer's and psoriasis. It can even help control glucose levels in diabetics, tackle menstrual problems and protect against certain types of cancer. Low levels of omega-3 have been linked to depression, Attention Deficit Disorder, learning difficulties and Seasonal Affective Disorder and can cause kidney failure, liver degeneration, breakdown of the immune system and hair loss.

To find out whether you're deficient in this important fat, there are a number of symptoms you should look out for. These include dry or flaky skin and hair, a bad memory, learning difficulties, excessive thirst, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, water retention and inflammatory problems.

Now you know the benefits of omega-3, and the possible consequences of a lack of it, I suppose you're wondering where you can find this miracle nutrient. The best source of omega-3 is oily fish such as mackerel, salmon, pilchards and fresh (but not tinned) tuna, as well as fish oils - the most well known of these being cod liver oil. The Food Standards Agency suggests we eat at least 2 portions of oily fish per week, plus a daily fish oil capsule.

Other rich sources, especially important to vegetarians, are nuts and seeds. Flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds and walnuts contain the most omega-3. Include eggs, wheat, dairy, avocados and soya

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