Functions:   Essential for the health of the whole body; not made by the body and must be taken in the diet

Sources:   Vegetable oils, fish oils, evening primrose oil

Causes of   Processing of ingested oil (such as heating), poor Deficiency:   diet, deficiency of nutrients necessary for absorption (B6, zinc, vitamin C, vitamin B3), drugs, alcohol, ageing

Deficiency Signs   Fatigue, irritability, general ill health, joint pain, and Symptoms:   skin problems, hair loss, premature ageing

* Evening Primrose Oil: the seeds of this plant (used by the American Indians for healing) produces a pure oil rich in EFAs. It is being used more and more for a variety of problems and is now available on prescription for eczema. Some of its benefits are:

• Lowers cholesterol

• Keeps blood vessels healthy

• Helps insulin to work

• Prevents inflammation and controls arthritis

• Relieves PMT

• Lowers blood pressure

• Helps in loss of excess weight

• Used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, alcoholism, allergies, hyperactivity, anxiety and depression, skin problems

• Retards ageing

• Thought to prevent cancer.

Here is an extract from Dr Caroline Shreeve’s book The Premenstrual Syndrome (Thorsons) about how evening primrose oil helps PMT and other conditions. Note that deficiency of essential fatty acids is not rare:

The prolactin level itself is normal; and so, often, are the measured levels of oestrogen and progesterone. But because the body is lacking in EFAs [my emphasis] it is hypersensitive to the normal level of prolactin which is present. Instead of having too much prolactin, the affected women have too few EFAs, but with respect to the premenstrual symptoms this amounts to the same thing. B6 increases the efficiency with which the body tissues make use of the EFAs. So, a person taking a supplement of pyridoxine is able to utilize the supply of EFAs that is available to her, to the best advantage.

Efavite is a product made to take with evening primrose oil; it contains all the necessary nutrients to convert the raw material of the oil into a very valuable healing substance. (For more information read Evening Primrose Oil by Judy Graham (Thorsons)

Some people are not really prepared to change habits, yet they expect results. If you don’t follow the rides (good nutrition, exercise, etc.); if you drink alcohol excessively; if you smoke; and if you refuse to control tension, then you can forget it, you will not recover. But there are other traps you can fall into, some of which follow.

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