Fats are bad, you need to minimize the amount of fat consumed, then you will definitely lose weight. Such statements can be read in many sources. However, they do not correspond to the real state of affairs. There are saturated and unsaturated fats. The former are evil for the body and settle on the sides in the form of excess weight, the latter are beneficial with reasonable consumption and contribute to the process of losing weight.
What is Gamma Linolenic Acid
The complex name of the acid hides a polyunsaturated fatty acid, which belongs to the omega-6 series. And, as you know, omega-6 is found in foods such as olive oil, salmon, peanuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds (moreover, seeds and nuts are preferably eaten raw, heat treatment kills the benefits of fats), that is, in those products that recommended to be consumed every day.
GLA is an essential fatty acid and enters the human body from the outside: either with food or as an additive to it. Moreover, omega-6 is converted into GLA already in the human body under the influence of certain enzymes.
Pure GLA is found in breast milk, which in the first year of life makes up 100% of a child’s nutrition.
Without this acid, the body is unable to produce a specific substance – prostaglandin, which can reduce pain and reduce inflammation in the body.
Benefits of GLA
GLA has no direct effect on weight loss. But this substance plays an important role in increasing metabolism, and also promotes the production of hormones, in particular estrogen, which can reduce the unpleasant manifestations of premenstrual syndrome, increase immunity and brain activity, and reduce inflammatory processes in the body. It has been proven to reduce stress levels when taking GLA. Also, it is this acid that is involved in the normalization of the processes of protein synthesis and lipid metabolism. Thus, GLA heals and tones the body, which becomes much easier to fight overweight.
Besides the obvious weight loss aid, GLA is renowned for its ability to restore smoothness and firmness to the skin (it is a good helper in the treatment of skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis), as well as restoring strength to the nails. Also, this acid helps the body fight inflammation and is successfully used in the fight against diseases such as diabetes mellitus and hypoglycemia.
There are a number of foreign studies that have proven the effectiveness of GLA for the prevention of cancer.
GLA harm
However, along with the obvious benefits for the body, as with any other substance, the main thing in the use of GLA is a sense of proportion. The body must maintain a balance of omega-3 and omega-6.
So, according to research results, the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 should be 3: 1 or 4: 1, but many diets neglect this balance. Western diets contain much more omega-6, and the ratio tends to be 1:20.
Such an excess can cause a number of diseases and adversely affect a person’s well-being. Therefore, it should be remembered that fatty acids work well in tandem, and alone can be harmful.
It would seem that everything is simple – you just need to increase the consumption of foods that contain omega-3, but these same foods also contain omega-6, so it is necessary to approach the use of “good” fats wisely.
For a balanced diet and getting the right amount of all polyunsaturated fats, the Mediterranean diet is best, which includes a lot of fresh vegetables, olive oil and seafood along with meat.
The Western diet and the consumption of large amounts of processed meat leads to an imbalance in the direction of omega-6, and this in turn leads to an increase in blood pressure, inflammation and a general decrease in immunity.
GLA is not a miracle drug that you will eat and lose weight every day. Taking gamma-linolenic acid is essential to support the body and aid in weight loss, along with exercise, proper nutrition, and a reasonable calorie deficit. You should also carefully monitor the balance in the body of omega-3 and omega-6. Then the process of losing weight will be healthy and effective.