Interesting discussion at Virginia Messina's blog: Fat in Vegan Diets: How Low Should You Go?(Messina says don't go too low. Tough call, because if you're vegan and you're eating lots of fat, you're eating lots of omega-6. The omega-6:omega-3 ratio for olive oil is 13:1. An optimum ratio is closer to 4:1 or less. Almonds ratio is 2003:1, peanuts is 1719:1! Also, optimal fat intake is an individual affair, disease-dependant.)
You know how a tan protects the body against too much UV-radiation from the sun? Likewise body fat, and insulin resistance, may protect against too many calories: Gluttony, Sloth And The Metabolic Syndrome: A Roadmap To Lipotoxicity, Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism, March 2010
(Such that ... Obesity delays rather than causes the metabolic syndrome. Body fat benefits by removing from circulation and storing potentially toxic lipids, protecting vulnerable blood vessels and organs. Mice that have less fat-storing ability fall victim to the metabolic syndrome sooner. Love the fresh perspective. A reason to avoid liposuction.)
2 comments:
How does a vegan get O-3? Flax seed? Just curious.
The absolute best way for someone, vegan or not, to get more relative omega-3 (that is, to get a higher omega-3:omega-6 ratio) is to decrease omega-6.
I get asked this all the time. I think I'll post it again.
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