Food for Thought: Fatty acids are classified as saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. A saturated fatty acid contains a hydrogen atom at all available carbon bonds, which makes them highly stable. Your body makes saturated fatty acids and they are found higher in animal fats and tropical oils. Polyunsaturated fatty acids have two or more pairs of double bonds and, therefore, lack four or more hydrogen atoms. Polyunsaturated fatty acids include omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, the omega number indicating the position of the first double bond. Monounsaturated fatty acids like omega-9 and omega-7, lack two hydrogen atoms.

The polyunsaturated fatty acids, linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid, are considered essential fatty acids (EFA) because the body cannot produce them, so we must consume them from whole foods, like nuts, seeds and vegetables. Both of these must be converted in our bodies into longer chain fatty acids to serve a beneficial biological function. Alpha-linolenic acid converts into docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and prostaglandin E3 (PG-E3). Between 50-60% of the dry weight of the adult brain is lipid, and 1/3 of these lipids are mostly DHA. Unfortunately, many of us are deficient in the nutrients and minerals required to convert linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids into the longer chain fatty acids. Tuna, krill, cala-mari, cod and many other fish and animals that eat alpha-linolenic acid containing foods will produce DHA, EPA and PG-E3. When we eat whole animal foods, we receive these longer chained polyunsaturated fatty acids and can benefit from them immediately, rather than rely on our own body’s resources and enzymes to produce them. While linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid are considered essential, it is more suitable for people who are clinically undernourished to eat both animal and plant sourced fats and oils.

The main differentiating factor between a fat and oil is the temperature that it becomes a solid (fat) or a liquid (oil). Animal fats such as butter, lard and tallow contain 40-60% saturated fat and are solid at room temperature. Vegetable oils, such as olive and peanut oil from northern climates, contain a majority of polyunsaturated fatty acids and are liquid at room temperature. Vegetable oils from the tropics, such as coconut and palm oil, are highly saturated. Coconut oil is liquid in the warmer tropics, but hard as butter in cooler locations. Plants must maintain additional stiffness in the hot climates of the tropics, so they naturally produce an increased proportion of saturated fatty acids.

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Throughout the United States, food growers currently do not have to disclose whether or not a food contains GM ingredients. The American consumer is intentionally left uninformed about the food they eat. Many GM seeds have been banned from use in the European Union due to safety concerns. However, US growers are free to use them without differentiating which ingredients are genetically modified. 

Four major GM food crops in the U.S. — soy, corn, canola and cotton — have been inserted with bacterial genes.

The majority of processed food products Americans eat daily contain some form of soybean, corn, canola (rapeseed) oil or cottonseed oil. If your food comes in a box from the supermarket, it is probably genetically engineered. Other foods known to be genetically modified are papaya, rice, tomatoes, rapeseed, potatoes, sugar beets and peas.

The best resource for learning more about the prevalence of CM foods is Seeds of Deception by Jeffrey M. Smith. His organization recommends buying produce labeled 100% organic or non-GMO, and avoiding the consumption of “at risk” ingredients from soy, corn, canola or cottonseed sources. When visiting your local farmer’s markets, check with the farmer for their seed sources, and ask if they use GM seeds. Join a local community-supported agriculture (CSA) network of individuals who pledge to support local farms where growers and consumers share the risks and benefits of food production. CSA members pay at the onset of the growing season for a share of the anticipated harvest; once harvesting begins, they receive weekly shares of vegetables and fruit in a box, and sometimes herbs, cut flowers, honey, eggs, dairy products and meat.

When Mary Shelley published her book, Frankenstein in 1818, it was considered a work of science fiction. It is a story about scientist Victor Frankenstein and his creation — a creature with all the physiological features of a human, but larger and blemished. As the creature grows older, he wreaks havoc on the life of his creator, forcing Victor into a life of emotional turmoil, physical trauma and ultimately death.

The creation of genetically modified organisms is no longer science fiction — it is science fact. Biotech companies, such as Monsanto, have created them under the auspices of the FDA and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Buy viagra australia here:

The physical and biological impacts these organisms have had and will have on the health of the human population have not been thoroughly tested. There are no measures to guarantee that the GM Franlcensteins of our time will not cause our deaths. Dr. Harvey Wiley was the last stalwart within the FDA who spent his life attempting to thwart the grotesque manipulation of nature’s perfect foods. Without a successor to follow in his footsteps, each and every one of us must increase our personal commitment to consume only organic, non-GMO whole foods. Furthermore, as an added benefit, not consuming any processed food will automatically lower the risk of consuming the four major GMO crops. We must also hold food manufacturers accountable for honest labeling of any food that contains GMO. Lastly, we must continue to support our local farmer’s markets and CSAs, and become growers of food in our very own backyards.