Vitamin F - Unsaturated Fats

Vitamin F is a term used for essential fatty acids and it is basically a group of 2: LA (linoleic acid) and LNA (alpha-linoleic acid). The most complete one is LA. We also need to mention the existence of essential fatty acids (commonly referred to as EFA): omega-3 and omega-6. Our body can not create vitamin F so we need to make sure we get it from what we eat or through supplementation when needed.

We need vitamin F in order to always maintain a good hormone level, to have an immune system that works well and grow properly. Essential fatty acids are used in tissue lipids synthesis while also aiding in the regulation of cholesterol. You should also know that vitamin F is important for our skin and hair, making them look as best as possible at all times. There is some research that states that it also helps in the creation of adrenal and sex hormones. People that suffer from arthritis are usually recommended taking higher than normal fatty acids quantities. This is due to their property of helping in nerve impulses transmission.

Vitamin F deficiency usually causes eczema and hair loss. If it goes on for a longer period of time it can also cause damage to our liver, heart and kidneys. Doctors have also noticed the possibility of developing various behavioral disturbances while also showing an immune system that is less efficient. The immediate result stands in slow healing combined with higher risks of infections. Our tear glands might also not dry up properly any more and the blood cholesterol levels might be higher than normal if there are lacks of vitamin F.

In order to make sure that you are not suffering from vitamin F deficiency you should make sure that you take in around 1 to 2 percents of fatty acids out of all the calories you include in your diet. If you take it through supplements you should raise this to 10-20 percent. The good news is that you normally do not have to worry about vitamin F toxicity. On the other hand, if you are suffering from any possible medical condition you should talk to a doctor before adding fatty acid supplements. In most situations you will gain the best possible results if you take vitamin F in a combination with vitamins E, C, B3 and B6. You should also make sure that the levels of selenium, zinc and magnesium are proper in your system.

In some situations you might have to take more vitamin F. This becomes reality for people that have dry eyes, are overweight, get infections on a frequent basis or simply bruise easily. Also, if your nails are brittle or you have dandruff and dry skin you should also increase the dosage. The problem is that vitamin F can be lost during processing and can be destroyed when it meets air or heat. To make it even worse, if these essential fatty acids are heated the formation of free radicals becomes reality. This can bring in a lot of problems for the human body.

Whenever you buy fatty acid supplements you have to look at two aspects. First you have to make sure that they are balanced and then you need to always keep in mind that vitamin F is unstable. Light and heat need to be taken out of the equation when thinking about fatty acids extractions. If vitamin F is hydrogenated (as it usually happens when margarine is manufactured) we will see that they transform into trans-fatty acids, which are not good for the human body. Make sure you always take into account all the facts mentioned above and you should have no problem with vitamin F.