The FATS for HEALTH library makes it easy for you to find articles, research summaries, and multimedia files on the subject of essential fatty acids. We are continually adding to our collection, so come back often to search for topics of interest to you! For quick on-line viewing, select the HTML text version. To view newsletter in full-colour graphic format, select the PDF version. PDF files are large graphic files that may take several minutes to open, depending on the speed of your Internet connection. PDF files are viewed using Acrobat Reader. If you don't have Acrobat Reader, download the software FREE by clicking the button in the top right corner.   Recommended Reading Healthy Fats for Life Preventing and Treating Common Health Problems with Essential Fatty Acids by Lorna R. Vanderhaeghe, BSc & Karlene Karst, BSc, RD Renown author Lorna Vanderhaeghe teams up with essential fats expert, Karlene Karst to clear up the facts on fats once and for all. This must read synthesizes the research on good fats and their effects on obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and more, providing a simple plan for using EFAs to achieve optimum health. Click for more information   Eat Fat, Lose Weight How the Right Fats Can Make You Thin for Life by Ann Louise Gittleman, MS., C.N.S. Ann Louise Gittleman believes that Americans are actually suffering from massive deficiency of essential fats – a deficiency that is contributing not only to obesity but also the rise of such conditions as breast cancer, hyperactivity, diabetes, arthritis, PMS and menopausal discomforts. Click for more information     Library Articles Adding fatty acids to baby formula                   Enriching bottle formula with two essential fatty acids found in mother's milk can significantly improve the mental development of babies, a new study suggests.   A Herb for the Heart Research shows that supplementation with borage oil may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. PDF Graphic Version (64 k)   A Lesson in Nutrition from our Stone Age Ancestors How borage oil and other good fats can help restore the natural balance of prostaglandins our bodies were meant to have. PDF Graphic Version (64 k)   Attention Getters: ADD/ADHD Learn how omega-3 and omege-6 fats can help you combat your child's ADD, ADHD, and other learning disorders.   Benefits of Borage Oil Borage Oil has many applications for the maintenance of good health and therapeutic benefits in diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, skin health, diabetic neuropathy, and cardiovascular diseases.   Big Fat Lie The American public has been brainwashed with a great big fat lie - a lie that has been told, retold, and told again over the past fifteen years. It is a lie that, in my opinion, has resulted in widespread harm to the overall health of our nation.   Borage Oil                              Borage oil is a little known secret for keeping your skin healthy. It is a natural oil that not only restores moisture and smoothness to dry and damaged skin, but can also provide relief to people who suffer from chronic skin disorders such as eczema and atopic dermatitis.   Borage Oil Helps Juvenile Arthritis Data from a recent study conducted at the Shriners Hospital for Children in Springfield, MA, found that borage oil can benefit children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.   Borage Oil Prevents and Reverses Nerve Damage Clinical trials show that supplementation with GLA is a useful adjunct to conventional therapy.   Borage Oil Saves Lives Borage oil, in a mixture with fish oil and anti-oxidants, can significantly improve the condition and chances of survival in patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. PDF Graphic Version (32 k)   Borage tonic for adrenal glands               Borage seeds contain gamma linolenic acid (GLA), a compound that, according to studies at the University of California at Davis, can help improve inflammatory skin conditions, like eczema, when taken internally and applied topicallyá Borage also acts as a restorative agent on the adrenal cortex.   Borage wildflowers best source of GLA If you've ever visited an herb garden, you've probably glanced at a colorful border plant called borage. Borage, it is proven, is one of the highest yield source of GLA.   DHA's Role in Infant Development Optimal nutrition for infants – both before and after birth – is an area of research that is still unfolding, and in many cases, the research has yielded unexpected results. One nutrient that has emerged as an important influence in both brain and visual development for infants is the omega-3 fatty acid DHA – otherwise known as docosahexaenoic acid.   Ditch the Itch! Borage oil, containing GLA, relieves the symptoms of eczema, including itching, redness, and oozing. PDF Graphic Version (64 k)   EFAs and Women's health The role of good fats in a naturopathic approach to maintaining health and preventing chronic diseases.   Essential Fats for Mother, Infant, and Child Omega-3s are an essential component to having a healthy baby for both the child and the mother. Learn how you can increase your chances of having a full term pregnancy, increased birth weight, and give your child a step up in mental and visual acuity while helping to prevent post partum depression.   Essential Fatty Acids and ADD/ADHD EFA's are indicated for children and adolescents with ADD because EFA's are food for the brain.   Essential Fatty Acids Improve Infant IQ An infant's brain grows rapidly during the first year of life – tripling its size from birth. In that year, the foundations for intelligence, vision and language are built. Since the human brain is about 60 percent fat, all this brain building requires fatty acids. Proper foods, rich in those fats, might even give babies an intelligence advantage.   Evening Primrose Oil A supplement for health and beauty. PDF Graphic Version (160 k)   Fat... Some surprising facts It may come as a surprise to many of today's dieters, but there is such a thing as "good fat," nutrition experts say.   Fats for the heart The good fats that help cardiovascular health.   Feed Your Head – Omega-3 Fatty Acids That bully who called you "fathead" every morning during first grade was actually biochemically correct. Omega-3, one of the essential fatty acids (EFAs), is a structural molecule within the human body and in the brain in particular.   Fish Oil Reduces Atherosclerotic Blockages Research published recently in The Annals of Internal Medicine, a prestigious U.S. medical journal, is important because the two-year study shows fish oil may be a means of slowing or reversing atherosclerotic heart disease.   Flax for Health This ancient grain is a good source of essential fat, dietary fibre, and lignans. PDF Graphic Version (2.7 MB)   Flax Recipes Broccoli salad, prairie flax bread, oatmeal flax cookies and orange bran flax muffins.   Get your fats the easy way Do you take a multi-vitamin every day? If so, you might be surprised to learn that it may not be enough for optimum health. Mounting research suggests that getting the right amount of essential fatty acids is as important as getting your daily vitamins.   Getting Thin on Fats True, it may sound strange. But eating the right kind of fats is definitely where it's at for healthy weight loss. Sadly, many people have been so brainwashed by the fat-free mentality of the past ten years that they still suffer from fat phobia.   GLA every day...keeps PMS away GLA helps women cope with premenstrual breast pain, bloating, depression and irritability PDF Graphic Version (64 k)   GLA The good Omega-6 If you've been focusing only on omega-3 sources of good fats you could be overlooking a giant among nutrients   GLA The Missing Link Why dietary supplementation with Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA) is necessary for the average North American. PDF Graphic Version (64 k)   Good Fat, Bad Fat, Low Fat, High Fat American families are challenged to find the best fat combination for healthy mind and body.   Good Fats for Good Health Just like other essential vitamins and minerals, a daily balance of essential fatty acids is necessary for good health. Includes information on using EFAs for special health conditions.   Good Fats Help Prevent and Treat Diabetic Nerve Damage Human clinical studies have concluded that GLA has a beneficial effect on the course of diabetic neuropathy. By making modifications to diet and lifestyle, and by incorporating good fats such as GLA and anti-oxidants such as alph-lipoic acid, preventing diabetes and its complications of neuropathy, cardiac problems and hypertention is possible.   Healthy Aging Naturally , Providing Juice for the Joints Identifiy the mistakes we make to increase the pains of aging. Find out what risks are involved with the drugs most doctors prescribe. And learn what natural alternatives many researchers now believe can help safely reduce the symptoms of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthrits.   Heart-Friendly Fat The fat-free-food craze is not all it's cracked up to be. Not only are Americans getting fatter in general, but studies show some of the fats being eliminated are good for heart health. In fact, Frank Hu, Ph.D., and colleagues at Harvard School of Public Health in Cambridge, Mass., found that increasing dietary intake of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 essential fatty acid present in flax and canola oils, protects women against heart disease   Juice for the Joints Research shows that supplementation with borage oil may reduce arthritis pain and reduce the need for harmful anti-inflammatory drugs. PDF Graphic Version (32 k)   Menopause Naturally How to deal with hormonal changes without the help of HRT. Flaxseed, black kohosh, and soy are just a few of the options for women who want a natural alternative to hormone replacement therapy.   Mind Your Omega 3s Omega 3 fatty acids have been connected to beneficial effects for the brain including the treatment of mental conditions ranging from depression and postpartum depression, to schizophrenia, Alzheimer's, chronic fatigue syndrome and stress.   Omega-3's Counterpart                                While omega-3 EFA supplements are widely popular among consumers, its counterpart, omega-6 EFAs have virtually been ignored.   Omega-3 Fats Prolong Cancer Survival                               People with cancer often lose their appetites and become malnourished, weak and prone to infections. Nutritional support for cancer patients, however, is controversial, since some evidence suggests it may encourage tumor growth. Preliminary research indicates that omega-3 fatty acids may be an exception.   Omega-3 Fish Oil - Not Just For the Heart                              Omega-3 fish fats are not "just for the heart". Research has shown that fish oil also has a positive effect on numerous other disease conditions including arthritis, diabetes, neurological disorders and mental disorders, skin diseases and cancer. PDF Graphic Version (896 k)   Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis in women Anesthesiologists have begun turning to the herb borage to help treat a deadly and often intractable lung condition that affects hundreds of thousands of people a year.   PMS - Its Not Just in Your Head PMS is not just a psychological condition; it is a recognized medical condition. Even though the causes are still unclear, knowledge of PMS treatments may be the best defense in easing the symptoms.   Polyunsaturated Fats and Neurological Disorders PUFAs should be considered essential nutrients to help safely and simply treat and prevent mental illness.   Study Promotes Use of Borage Oil for Arthritis A study from the Shriners Hospital for Children, focusing on the positive response of borage oil on rheumatoid arthritis.   The Natural Way to a Healthy Heart Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women in the United States. PDF Graphic Version (352 k)   The Story of Starflower The Borage plant grows from wild herb to nutritional supplement. PDF Graphic Version (96 k)   Untapped potential for a Common Herb An article focusing on borage in relation to treating a deadly lung condition.   Win the War Agains Weight                              Good fats are essential for weight management. Dietitian Karlene Karst R.D., can help you learn how to determine if you are overweight or obese, what causes these conditions, and how to combat these common plagues in North American society. Let her explain how you can fight fat with fat.   Audio Bytes GLA and Juvenile Arthritis - 60 seconds in length GLA and Morning Stiffness - 50 seconds in length