Essential fatty acid supplements
Most of us don’t eat enough essential fats, so when you are trying to maximize your fertility it’s a good idea to add them to your diet in supplement form. Research has shown the benefits of supplementing with essential fatty acids during pregnancy to avoid low birth weight and also the advantages to the growing baby in terms of brain development’.
Oils can easily get damaged so you need to take care when choosing, storing and using them. If oils are over-heated, left in sunlight or re-used after cooking, they are open to attack by free radicals (which have been linked to cancer, coronary heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis and premature ageing).
To avoid the formation of free radicals, always choose cold-pressed unrefined nut or seed oils or extra-virgin olive oil. A number of supermarkets now have organic oils. Unfortunately, non-organic standard supermarket oils are manufactured and extracted using chemicals and heat. This destroys the quality of the oil and its nutritional content. Store your oil away from sunlight and do not be tempted to re-use it after cooking.
Do not fry polyunsaturated fats, as they can become oxidized when heated. Use olive oil or butter for frying. Monounsaturated olive oil is less likely to create free radicals and butter will not because it is a saturated fat. Reduce the cooking temperature to minimize oxidation. Keep all fats to a minimum when frying. Try to bake or grill instead.
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