You Aren’t Getting Enough Vitamin F
Vitamins A, B, C, D, and E are probably familiar to you. Vitamin F, on the other hand, may be unfamiliar to you.
This is due to the fact that vitamin F is not a vitamin in the classic sense. Vitamin F was discovered in the 1920s when scientists realized that fat-free diets had a negative influence on rats. The two fats the rats were missing — alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid (LA) — were called vitamin F by the researchers.
ALA and LA are two important fats that help the body’s systems in a variety of ways, including supplying structure and flexibility to cells, helping vision and brain development, serving as a source of calories, and converting into other fats to help with health.
ALA is an omega-3 fat, while LA is an omega-6 fat, both of which are thought to have health benefits. As an omega-3 lipid, ALA may help to lower inflammation and heart disease risk. Although further research is needed, ALA may help with certain mental health concerns. LA may also help to lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes. According to several studies, LA may assist to keep blood sugar levels in check.
What are the signs and symptoms of a vitamin F deficiency?
Vitamin F deficiency is not frequent, but it does exist. According to Dr. Eric Berg, DC, a chiropractor and health educator, vitamin F is an essential fatty acid, which means you must get it from your diet because your body cannot produce it naturally. Berg goes on to add that a two-to-one ALA-to-LA ratio is optimum for humans to consume. However, as a result of the Western diet’s evolution, we now consume ALA to LA ratios as high as twenty to one, potentially resulting in vitamin F deficiency. One sign of this is flaky, dry skin. Berg goes on to say that the mismatch in the ratios could lead to more serious issues such an inflamed prostate, vision and heart issues, and memory issues.
To enhance your ALA to LA ratio and battle vitamin F insufficiency, eat more omega-3 meals. Avocados, leafy greens, nuts like walnuts and almonds, and seeds like sunflower seeds and chia seeds are among Berg’s recommendations. Sardines, cod, salmon, and light canned tuna are all good sources of omega-3s, according to Mayo Clinic experts. Staying away from fried foods and other junk foods will also help you achieve better balance.
Begin looking at the foods you eat through the lens of the types of essential fatty acids they contain to assist keep your body in top shape and maintain healthy ALA and LA fat ratios.