The results of this study provide more compelling evidence that a high intake of polyunsaturated fats, like the ones found in vegetable oils, can be damaging to your health.

What may be surprising to some of you is that linolenic acid was also shown to cause damage in this study. A vegetable source of the well-known omega-3 fatty acids, linolenic acid (specifically alpha-linolenic acid) is found in highest amounts in flax oil.

Flax oil has already been shown to be less effective in regard to treating inflammation than fish oil is, and this study provides further evidence why you should choose the latter for your source of omega-3 fats.

The study did not examine whether fish oil had this effect. However, previous studies have shown that fish oil -- specifically DHA, a type of fatty acid unique to fish and some forms of algae -- has been found to provide protection from macular degeneration, another common eye disorder, while saturated fats, along with polyunsaturated fats from vegetable oils, do not.

The results of this study provide yet another example of why we need to make sure we eat a healthy balance of fats. Currently, Americans consume omega-6 and omega-3 fats at a ratio anywhere from 20:1 to as high as 50:1!

At the end of the 19th century, Americans consumed less than one pound of liquid vegetable oil a year. At the turn of the 20th century, that amount had increased to 75 pounds per year. Nearly all vegetable oils are loaded with omega-6 fats. We were simply never designed to eat so many processed vegetable oil fats. When one combines this with a decline in the intake of fish and fish oils we have a prescription for disaster.

During Paleolithic times, when humans ate a diet that was most natural for their bodies, the ratio of fatty acids they consumed was anywhere from 3:1 to 1:1. This is a tremendous difference.

Another key point to keep in mind is that their main sources of omega-3 fats were seafood and wild game. They had absolutely zero access to the liquid vegetable oils that Americans are eating today. These oils are produced with machines that are able to squeeze out every last drop of oil from different sources like corn and soy.

Not only did early humans not consume corn or soy, the only vegetable, nut or seed oils they did eat were in a whole-food form, providing only a fraction of the amount of oil you can find in a tablespoon of such oils today.

The other primary issue that likely contributed to the incidence of cataracts in the study was the level of antioxidants in the diet. The antioxidants prevent the highly perishable PUFAs from being oxidized and going rancid. If this happens to the PUFAs once they are part of the lens of your eye you will develop cataracts.

So eating a diet rich in raw vegetables is likely to provide the most comprehensive source of antioxidants to keep you healthy overall and avoid the common causes of blindness, cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Dark colored fruits, like berries, are also high in these beneficial antioxidants.

Some tips to assure yourself a balanced intake of fats in your diet include:

• Eat small to moderate amounts of raw nuts and seeds.
• Eat plenty of raw vegetables and dark colored fruits, like berries, to increase your antioxidant levels.
• Avoid liquid vegetable oils of any kind.

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