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Are you at risk of iron deficiency?
Iron is an essential component for red blood cells and myoglobin in muscles. Its main function is to build healthy red blood cells for the transportation of oxygen throughout our bodies. That is why tiredness and weakness are common in people who lacks iron as their oxygen supply is inadequate. Other common symptoms of iron deficiency include paleness, cold hands and feet, dizziness, shortness of breath, frequent infection and hair fall. However, signs and symptoms of iron deficiency are often overlooked. Likewise, its risk factors are out of the spotlight too.

The Largest Organ of Our Body - The SKIN  

Our skin is a window to our eating habits, reflecting how well we feed our bodies. In other words, skin condition depends very much on our diet. Often, when we talk about ways to obtain youthful and radiant skin, dietary intake of fats and oils, especially Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), is always missing from the spotlight. In fact, nourishing the skin from within the body is as important as pampering it from the outside! 

Skin Problem and Food Intake 

What is ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS (EFAs)?  

Linoleic acid (LA) and Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) are EFAs, which are also the parent fats of Omega 6 and Omega 3 respectively. They cannot be produced by our body, hence the name “essential” and MUST be taken in from diet. LA and ALA are called the parent fats because they give rise to other long-chain fatty acid derivatives. For example, Omega 6 GLA and AA are derived from LA, while Omega 3 EPA and DHA are derived from ALA. These fatty acids are extremely important for structural maintenance and immunological balance of the skin. 

EFAs Intake: Insufficient & Imbalanced  

Research shows that intake of EFAs among Malaysians is far from desirable as we fail to meet the requirements. Studies also indicate that modern diet nowadays has high Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio (20:1). Insufficient intake of EFAs as well as imbalance of Omega 6:3 ratio not only affect our cardiovascular health, but may also result in skin problems such as dryness, dandruff, eczema, psoriasis-like inflammatory skin conditions, acne, high risk of sunburn and skin cancer. 

Roles of EFAs in Skin Function 

The major function of the skin is to form a barrier to protect our body from hostile external environment. EFAs are critical structural components to form a strong barrier. Researches demonstrate that EFAs deficiency will upset the permeability barrier function of the skin, which is why EFAs are essential to healthy skin and help in healing diseased skin. In general, Omega 3 and 6 are safe adjunctive treatments for many skin disorders, including atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, acne vulgaris, systemic lupus erythematosus and more. 

 EFAs are abundant in the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. There is where EFAs help to form protective barrier in the skin which protect us from from ultraviolet light, chemicals, mechanical insults, bacteria, water and electrolytes loss. Within this fatty barrier, Omega 6 LA is especially important to prevent dehydration by locking in the moisture, keeping our skin moisturised from inside out. Now you know, EFAs are perfect moisturizers by nature!  

Omega 3 (especially EPA) is a natural sunblock, which functions to protect the skin against UV light damage, increase the sunburn threshold and reduce the signs of photoageing like wrinkles, reduced elasticity and uneven pigmentation. In animal studies, Omega 3 ALA are also found to protect against UV inflammation. Additionally, Omega 3 (EPA and DHA) helps to modulate skin inflammation, hence improves skin disorder such as psoriasis and acne vulgaris. 

We can generally summarize how EFAs and their derivatives work for skin health in 3 points: First, they ensure healthy structure of the skin to form strong protective barrier. Second, Omega 6 helps the skin to maintain hydration. Third, Omega 3 is anti-inflammatory and helps to reduce inflammatory skin conditions.   

Written by
C.L. Ng, Dietitian
PgD in Dietetics
BSc in Human Ecology

Talk to us if you're unsure
Consult with our qualified -nutritionist/dietitian to re-evaluate your daily diet and resolve the uncertainties. Make an appointment for a free personalized dietary consultation to understand further what could be your next course of action to recovery!
https://www.bhbhealth.com/pages/personalized-dietary-consultation-appointment 

Reference 

1. Feingold, K. R., & Elias, P. M. (2014).Role of lipids in the formation and maintenance of the cutaneous permeability barrier.Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids, 1841(3), 280-294. doi:10.1016/j.bbalip.2013.11.007  

2. Feingold, K. R. (2008). The outer frontier: the importance of lipid metabolism in the skin: Fig. 1. Journal of Lipid Research, 50(Supplement). doi:10.1194/jlr.r800039-jlr200 

3. Feingold, K. R. (2007). Thematic review series: Skin Lipids. The role of epidermal lipids in cutaneous permeability barrier homeostasis: Fig. 1. Journal of Lipid Research, 48(12), 2531-2546. doi:10.1194/jlr.r700013-jlr200 

4. Kaur, N.,Chugh, V., & Gupta, A. K. (2012). Essential fatty acids as functional components of foods- a review. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 51(10), 2289-2303. doi:10.1007/s13197-012-0677-0  

5. Mccusker, M. M., & Grant-Kels, J. M. (2010). Healing fats of the skin: the structural and immunologic roles of the ω-6 and ω-3 fatty acids. Clinics in Dermatology, 28(4), 440-451. doi:10.1016/j.clindermatol.2010.03.020 

6. Ng, T.,Nalliah, S., Hamid, A., Wong, S.,Chee, S., & Augustine, C. (2012). Omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acid nutrition amongst Malaysians are far from desirable. International e-Journal of Science, Medicine and Education, 6(2), 4-9.  

7. Pilkington, S. M., Watson, R. E.,Nicolaou, A., & Rhodes, L. E. (2011). Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids:photoprotective macronutrients. Experimental Dermatology, 20(7), 537-543. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0625.2011.01294.x  

8. Simopoulos, A. (2016). An Increase in the Omega-6/Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratio Increases the Risk for Obesity.Nutrients, 8(3), 128. doi:10.3390/nu8030128  

9. Erasmus, U., PhD. (n.d.).Beauty from Within.Retrieved from http://udoshealthproducts.com.au/articles/beauty-from-within  

10. Erasmus, U., PhD. (2016, December 7).Moisturizing Your Skin from Within.Retrieved from http://udoschoice.com/skin-care-udos-oil-beauty-omega-oils/  

After a long waited 7 years, Dr. Udo Eramus was finally back! On 9th April 2017, 600 attendees from all walks of life gathered at The Saujana Hotel for the Basic with Udo Seminar 2017. BHB as the organizer of the event, was proud to have Dr. Udo was back again to share his wisdom and tips of healthy living with fellow Malaysians. As an oil and fat expert, Dr. Udo has imparted valuable knowledge of essential fatty acids, besides sharing his creation, Udo’s 3.6.9 Oil Blend. During the Q&A session, Dr. Udo has received lots of interesting questions about Udo’s 3.6.9 Oil Blend from the audience. We know, good things are meant to be shared! Now, let us have a look at the top 8 most useful questions we have gathered from the seminar! 

How is Udo's 3.6.9 Oil Blend different from other oil? 

Udo's Oil contains undamaged essential fatty acids, ALA and LA in the ratio of 2:1 (2 parts of Omega 3, 1 part of Omega 6). Because Udo's Oil is made with “health in mind”, rather than “shelf life in mind”, the methods used to produce Udo's Oil is different from commercial oils that undergo refining, bleaching, and deodorizing processes. All these commercial manufacturing processes actually damage the oils due to high heat but are done so to extend the shelf life of the oils. In comparison, Udo’s Oil is manufactured such that it is pressed, filtered and packaged with machines that are built specially to exclude high heat, oxygen and light to ensure the quality of the oils. On top of that, Udo’s Oil is always kept and transported under refrigeration. Besides, Udo’s Oil is formulated with organic seeds blend: flax seed, sunflower seed, sesame seed, virgin coconut oil, evening primrose seed, rice bran, and oat bran. Each of the chosen ingredients comes with its own benefits: 

• Flaxseed oil: high in omega 3 and lignans- a type of polyphenol.  
• Sunflower seed oil: high in omega 6 and antioxidants 
• Sesame seed oil: high in omega 6 and antioxidants 
• Coconut oil: easily utilize by liver and provide medium chain triglyceride (MCT), as well as antioxidant. 

• Evening primrose oil: provide GLA (Omega 6 derivatives) and polyphenol antioxidants 
• Rice bran oil (as a minor ingredient): contain gamma- oryzanol that provides energy 
• Oat bran oil (as a minor ingredient): prevent cholesterol absorption and support immune function.  

How do you ensure the quality of the raw materials for Udo’s 3.6.9 Oil Blend? 

The way we ensure quality of raw materials is that we work with specific people who are philosophically aligned with using nutrition and nature for healing. If people are only interested in money, they tend to not care much. If people are not committed to natural healing and are okay with using drugs to deal with diseases, they are not as reliable. So we basically build relationship with farmers and we get ingredients that are organic certified. We started with only 3 organic ingredients while others are not (3 out of 9), but we were committed to switch when other ingredients are available in organic. Now we have 8 out of 9 ingredients that are organic. Vitamin E does not fit in the designation because we can’t make organic claim on vitamins. For manufacturing part, we need to ensure the quality of production by building the machineries around the need of the oil so that it will stay fresh. Our machineries are so tight that no light, oxygen or high heat gets to the oil from the time that it is enclosed in the seeds through the processes of pressing, filtering, filling (nitrogen flushed in the glass bottle) and lastly kept, in the fridge. For packaging, we use glass bottle because plastic leaches into the oil.  

1. Is the better to take Udo's 3.6.9 Oil Blend on an empty stomach, or is it better to mix it in a raw or cooked foods? 

Udo’s Oil works best when it is taken together with food (either raw or cooked food that away from the heat). Please do not take it on empty stomach. When oil is taken on empty stomach, or more is taken than the liver can handle at any one time, it is common for people to feel tired, heavy, or nausea. This is why we recommend to mix the oil with food, and to spread the intake over the course of the day.  

What if the person has consumed fried food usually, do you still advise him/her to add on Udo's 3.6.9 Oil Blend? If yes, will it cause extra calories intake?  

Fried food is usually high in calorie. When a person consumes fried food, he or she is ingesting damaged oils, trans fat and extra calories from these damaged oils. If a person desires health, it is at best to reduce/ avoid fried food because fried food do not provide essential fatty acids to the body but introduce damaged substances that cause adverse health effects. Udo’s Oil on the other hand provides essential fatty acids (Omega 3 and 6) that our body cannot produce by itself but are required by the body to function properly and stay health. Therefore, essential fatty acids MUST be taken from the diet. Essential fatty acids help to increase energy metabolism and fat burning process in the body, hence, extra calories intake should not be a concern if a person is adhering to a balanced diet. So the advice is to use Udo’s Oil for it is the foundation oils your body need, cut off fried food and refined carbohydrates, and introduce more fresh vegetables in your diet.  

How long do you have to take Udo's 3.6.9 Oil Blend? 

Our body cells need essential fatty acids (Omega 3 and 6) for healthy and proper functioning. Omega 3 and 6 is called essential fatty acids because our body cannot produce it and we MUST get them from our diet. Udo's Oil is a foundation oil (not a supplement) and it is suitable for long term daily consumption because it provides essential fatty acids that your body needs daily. 

1. What is the difference between supplement (eg. fish oil capsule) and foundation oil? 

Foundation is our food and is consumed in larger amount than supplement. A supplement is supposed to supplement our diet but not to replace the food. We are supposed to eat the best food we can and then supplement whatever that is not enough from our diet. Human generally need about 25-30% of our calories from fats (about 30-60g of oil per day depending on body weight) and our major fat source should come from foundation oil and not supplemental oil. For example, Udo’s Oil is a food foundation, it is taken in large amount, about 30g to 60g per day (every 30ml of Udo’s Oil provides 19g of Omega 3 and 6). On the other hand, fish oil is a supplement, it is only an add on. 1 to 3 capsules of fish oils supply less than 2-3g of Omega 3 per day. 

Why is Udo’s 3.6.9. Oil Blend packaged in glass but not in plastic bottles? 

This is because glass is inert and does not react to any food substances while plastic chemicals tend to leach into oils and food. Additionally, oils are easily damaged by heat, light and oxygen. In order to ensure their quality without being damaged, amber glass is used because the dark material protects the oil from exposure to light.   

Would continuously freezing and unfreezing  affect the quality of oil? 

No, bacteria don’t grow in oil. Unlike raw chicken that goes bad after freezing and unfreezing due to bacteria growth, freezing and thawing the oil  will not encourage bacteria growth. Bacteria need protein, mineral and vitamin for growth and oil is not a sufficient food for bacteria to grow.