The United Stated Recommended Dietary Allowance (USRDA), as with most nutritionists, has not agreed upon recommended daily allowance for EFAs. It has been suggested that about 4-5% of calories in form of Linoleic Acid and Alpha-Linolenic Acid is sufficient to prevent deficiency symptoms. Although we often consume sufficient Omega-6 fatty acids, Omega-3 fatty acids may be limited in most diets. Nutritionists have been recommending an increase in seafood consumption to make up for this deficiency. Here are some examples of EFA content in seafood per 100g/3.5 oz serving:

Atlantic mackerel 2.6 g

sardines (canned) 1.0 g

flounder 0.2 g

Pacific herring 1.8 g

brook trout 0.6 g

scallops 0.2 g

bluefin tuna 1.6 g

catfish 0.5 g

swordfish 0.2 g

albacore tuna 1.5 g

pollock 0.5 g

sole 0.1 g

chinook salmon 1.5 g

Alaska king crab 0.3 g

clams (trace)

Atlantic salmon 1.4 g

Atlantic cod 0.3 g

bluefish 1.2 g

shrimp 0.3 g

It is also becoming common practice for health conscious to supplement their diets with EFA oils, including flax, hemp, primrose, and safflower. When buying oils make certain of following:

-The bottle/container must not allow excess light to penetrate oil; this produces free radicals that accelerate reaction with oxygen several hundred times faster, resulting in rancidity. The more unsaturated fat, more likely it will become rancid, unless adding an antioxidant, e.g., vitamin E.

-The bottle/container must be air tight to avoid break down of EFAs, to avoid rancidity.

-Keep EFAs in a cool location and avoid cooking with them since heat destroys EFAs. The package/bottle should be shelf-dated and method of manufacturing listed on label.

-Avoid supplementing diet with EFA’s that contain only omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acids since they both compete for same enzymes in body and this may result in deficiency of other.

Cigar smoking

Many ex cigarette smokers are cigar smokers and try to convince themselves that this is a safe way to smoke, because they don't inhale. In fact almost all cigar smokers who were cigarette smokers do inhale. Cigar smokers who never were cigarette smokers tend not to inhale. Cigar smoking whether you inhale or not is still as damaging to your heath as any other form of tobacco use, there may be somewhat less risk of lung cancer, however there is no decreased risk of many other types of cancer, if you inhale a few other cancer types are added to list.

We are exposed to a great numbers of advertising messages each day that try to glamorize tobacco use. To balance message read 1964 Surgeon General Report on smoking this was first real indication to public that there were dire risks associated with tobacco use. At time this report was published about 70% of U.S. adult population were smokers, smoking was depicted in movies and on television, in ads, on billboards, and glamorized in any way possible.

What changes have we seen?

There are fewer movies and television shows that promote smoking as blatantly as before.

There are fewer ads that promote smoking.

There are health warnings on cigarette packs, smokeless tobacco containers, pipe tobacco containers, however not on cigars.

The places that you can smoke are far fewer. most workplaces, many bars and restaurants, theatres, airplanes, buses.

Are these and many other changes and restrictions working?

About 23% of US adult population now smokes, this is down from about 70% in 1965.

However there is still much that needs to be done, many high school and college students still smoke and many are starting everyday, with information that is available today it simply amazes me that these otherwise intelligent persons are still smoking.

Resources for more information:

Smoking 101 Fact Sheet American Cancer Society

Tobacco Hurts Everyone Tobacco Information and Prevention Source (TIPS)

Action on Smoking and Health QuitNet

What's So Bad About Tobacco? Smokefree America

American Lung Association No Smoke Software

To Your Health,

Jim Newell

Jimmie Newell is the webmaster for http://www.ToYourHealth101.com, a health & wellness website, featuring editorials, tips, information and links addressing many of the health issues of today.