Due to studies being too short and biased, cholesterol has received a bad press for some 50 years. It is in the interests of the pharmaceutical industry to keep a close watch on this due to its gigantic lobby for statins. This hysterical hatred of "fat” is aided by the modern media network, which causes people to believe that we become fat because we eat fat…
This scientifically absurd claim has brought about many bad remedies, in particular the devastating development of “light” products that simply replace fats by sugars, the only way to preserve the taste of the products in question. As a result, many people fall into the trap of this callous marketing leading to the consumption of overly sweeten products that are much more harmful for health than the foods they replaced, because they wrongly labelled as being too fatty.
This abominable transgression, a real scourge of modern eating habits, explains why I see a majority of patients trying to lose weight who suffer from profound deficiencies in unsaturated fatty acids that are essential to the absorptive quality of the intestinal mucosa. Obsessed by the supposed peril of fat these patients typically lack everything: omega 9 (olive oil and avocado oil), omega 6 (hemp oil and rapeseed oil), and omega 3 (flax oil and again hemp oil). As a result, these unfortunate people are alas desperately dry!
The worst of it is that I often meet with great resistance to the consumption of these vegetable oils because people believe they are going to get fat… this is a tragic error! To bring them around I explain that we are not talking of adding petrol (for their tank) that could make them heavier, but lubricating engine oil. If the engine does not lack oil, it is going to run smoother and burn fuel more efficiently therefore burning more calories. These oils will actually assist these people to lose weight if they are lacking them; such is the importance of lubrication!
Ideally the patient should have a blood test to determine their specific profile of fatty acids, a sure-fire way to personalise the dietary and micronutrient treatment. If you cannot afford it, or want to act quickly, you must first try to balance the three families: omega 3, 6 & 9 as all play essential roles. It is also important not to forget the saturated fatty acids and cholesterol (but not in excess) that have an integral role to play too.
To achieve this, I recommend a mix of two oils with exceptional virtues that are very important for our health: olive oil (omega 9) and hemp oil (omega 6 and omega 3). As for omega 6 and omega 3 only hemp oil supplies a harmonious ratio compatible to human needs, namely three times more omega 6 than omega 3. Keep in mind that flaxseed oil contains too much omega 3 compared to omega 6 for the long term, and rapeseed oil doesn’t contain enough.
Do not be afraid about the use of hemp oil due to its relationship to cannabis, because it is derived from varieties of the plant that do not contain microscopic amounts of THC. It is the THC that is responsible for the psychotropic effects of cannabis. Remember hemp oil is never to be used for cooking! Once the bottle is opened it must be kept in the fridge. It is then consumed raw, which doesn’t necessarily mean cold. Hemp oil can be added to soup, but after cooking, or poured over hot vegetables. There are really so many reasons to consume at least one or two daily tablespoons of hemp oil.
This cocktail of oils will make the intestinal mucosa very happy, with the lubrication allowing for improved absorption of nutrients. “You are what you eat” is a popular saying: and I agree, as long as we can absorb what we eat correctly! Remember that the dryness of the digestive mucosa leads to dramatic consequences for the whole body: poor absorption and weakening of intestinal barrier function.