Nuts and the Importance of Omegas 3 & 6

Nuts have a lot of natural rich oils that are much better for the body than the "processed" oils marketed as being heart-friendly. Ah the marketing scams to make a buck, but at the expense of the populace who cannot be informed as research has been manipulated. Nuts in their pure state are very healthy and healing for the body. The pesticides and molds on the nuts are not healthy, and when people have certain diseases nuts could be very detrimental, but for the healthy individual nuts provide the natural oils the body needs and can fully utilize.

Nuts, however, became a big problem for me when I got sick. They made my mouth swell, caused strange pains in the body and sometimes made me feel ill until they had gone through me ... undigested. I quit eating them for several months but then began to worry about my low oil intake which I figured was causing my very, very dry throat.

The body needs a balanced ratio of essential fatty acids, Omega 3 and Omega 6, as the body cannot produce these two so having proper food sources is essential. The ideal ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 is 2:1 but in today's fast food, highly processed food world the average Joe Blow gets an out-of-whack ratio of 15:1. Just knowing I needed more oil in my diet, I started sipping olive oil. [For several months after disease onset I just kept getting tighter and tighter on my diet to control the symptoms and that meant using virtually no oils because there's so much media rap against oils and I was trying to be "healthy".] Unfortunately, it only helped a bit although olive oil is Omega 6. I hadn't started eating tons and tons of Omega 9-rich almonds and avocados yet but they as a whole food were more helpful.

Still, I needed Omega 3s and 6s. At some point I read about evening primrose oil (Omega 6) so bought some. I tried two gels a day - one in the a.m. and again in the p.m. but it was too much. [My dad with Parkinson's also came to the same conclusion.] But taking it once a day just before going to bed really really helped the eye inflammation that got worse in the hours after the sun set. Flax oil and grapeseed oil are also Omega 6 [ergh! Internet sites give conflicting info on the oils and which Omega each oil corresponds with!!! Sourcing the info correctly is important but I'm honestly confused on which Omega matches which oil - more research necessary for me!] I tried the grapeseed and flax oils, with good results, but much later.

Anyway, the following information is taken from quite a well condensed list of oils and their corresponding Omegas [there's discrepancies on this site with other sites so I'm not sure about the 100% accuracy of the info.]

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Health Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acid

Research on the health benefits of omega-3 fatty acid have shown that it may be useful for supporting the following conditions.
Asthma
Diabetes
Arthritis
Osteoporosis
Some Cancers
Skin Disorders
High Cholesterol
High Blood Pressure
Attention Disorders
Depressive Disorders
Macular Degeneration
Digestive Difficulties
(plus many more, including autoimmune diseases)

Omega-3 fatty acids are found naturally in:
Grains ** (avoid glutenous grains: wheat, oats, rye, barley, triticale, etc; eat other grains in small amounts as they are starchy)
Spirulina ***
Brazil Nuts ** (they should be clean)
Hempseed Oil ** (how processed?)
Mustard Seeds ?
Pumpkin Seeds ** (soak them first)
Chia Seed Oil ***
Wheat Germ Oil X (avoid all wheat/gluten)
Canola Oil (Rapeseed) X (depends on the source but many GMO)
Green Leafy Vegetables ***
Raw Walnuts & Walnut Oil ** (clean the nuts; how processed is the oil?)
Flaxseeds or Flaxseed Oil *** (how processed is the oil?)

Omega-6 fatty acids are also found naturally in:
Olive Oil *** (hot processed is the oil?)
Wheatgerm X (avoid all wheat/gluten)
Grapeseeds ?
Pistachios X (very moldy, like peanuts!)
Sesame Oil X (very inflammatory)
Hempseed Oil ** (how processed is the oil?)
Pumpkin Seeds *** (soak them first)
Chia Seed Oil ***
Safflower Oil X (highly processed during extraction)
Sunflower Oil X (highly processed during extraction)
Cottonseed Oil X (inflammatory)
Raw Nuts & Seeds ** (cleaned almonds, walnuts, some seeds listed above, but depends on the individual and the cleanliness of the nuts)

Omega-9 fatty acids are also found naturally in:
Avocados ** (somewhat glycemic fruit, so some react; rich in oils)
Pecans X
Cashews X (moldy ... although I occasionally soak some for a sauce)
Almonds *** (some react; clean them thoroughly first)
Hazelnuts ? (many sites say 'no')
Pistachios X (very moldly, like peanuts)
Macadamia Nuts ? (can be moldy; many sites say 'no')
Chia Seed Oil ***
Olives & Olive Oil ** (only fresh olives - canned have additives and a processed salty brine that usually has vinegar)

I do NOT advocate taking all of these Omega 3, 6 and 9 food sources if on a strict candida diet, so I've coded each of the above based on my own experiences and research about what is healthful and what isn't.

*** - Excellent
** - Good
? - Not Sure
X - avoid

An interesting site that discusses best and good oils to eat with explanations about their value (although not which Omega they are classed in) is Oils in Seeds.