Things You Never Guessed Fats Could Do for You! JoAnn Guest

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Things You Never Guessed Fats Could Do for You!

JoAnn Guest

Jul 20, 2003 13:30 PDT

 

 

 

The fat in food wields surprising power over your cells. A cell's

biological activity,

thus its propensity to promote or discourage disease processes

–often hangs on fragile balance of food-derived " fatty acids " within

the cell.

This means the 'type' of fat you eat is of enormous " consequence " to

your overall health!

 

New research shows that eating any type of fatsets off

biochemical " fireworks " of exquisite complexity in cells.

 

The result may be the *dispatching* of hormone-like messengers to

stimulate inflammation, immune responses, blood clotting, headaches,

constriction of blood vessels, pain and growth of malignant tumors.

 

In contrast, certain fats *incite* cells to make chemicals

that " break up " undesirable blood clots, fight off joint pain and

frustrate cancer cells.

 

Although fat pharmacology is a very complex process, involving

enzymes, many metabolic steps and a delicate balance of fats

in cells, it has thrilling possibilities for deterring and

ameliorating disease.

 

The knowledge of how fat reigns over certain critical cellular

functions hinges on two recent major discoveries.

 

`First came the discovery that numerous bodily processes, such as

*blood clotting* and *inflammation* are largely controlled by very

potent hormone-like substances...

prostaglandins, thromboxanes and leukotrienes — collectively called

eicosanoids. Then, even more momentous, researchers learned that the

raw material from which these mighty " eicosanoid " messengers are

made is " fat " from our foods!

In other words, the diet serves up raw material of fatty acids for

the cellular factories that turn out these all-important

eicosanoids.

 

Not surprisingly, the type and quantities of specific fatty acids

that go in determine the " type " and amount of eicosanoids that come

out.They can be biologically friendly or dangerous.

 

In any event, the profound message is that, through the type of fat

you eat, you can manipulate the levels and biological activity of

eicosanoids " circulating " in your body.

--

You Are The Fat You Eat!

 

Very quickly after you eat fat, it shows up in the membranes of your

cells where it's " metabolic " fate is determined.

 

Although fatty acids come in many subtle variations of molecular

arrangement, two major " categories " are most important in making

eicosanoids;

 

omega-3 fatty acids, concentrated " marine " life as well

as a few land plants such as Extra-Virgin Olive oils.

 

When you consume land-based " omega-6 " fatty acids from a piece of

meat, cheese, soybean oil, peanut oil or corn oil,

they are apt to be changed into a substance called

*arachadonic* acid,which in turn spawns substances that are highly

inflammatory or " promote " blood stickiness and blood vessel

" constriction " .

 

Fat from seafoods are radically different and more " benign " .

Its omega-3 fatty acids are apt to be converted into substances that

" counteract "

blood platelet 'clumping', dilate blood vessels and " reduce

inflammation " and cell damage.

 

Since food is made of mixtures of omega-3s and omega-6s, obviously

these two fatty acids are continuously giving " contradictory

instructions " to cells.

 

Which prevails—those for health or those for disease

depends.. on the " ratio " of the two fatty acids in your diet and

hence your cells,

says William E. M. Lands, Ph. D., a pioneering researcher on

fish oils and formerly a professor of biochemistry at the University

of Illinois at Chicago.

 

If your cells are flooded with omega-6 fatty acids, the resulting

oversupply of " overactive prostaglandins " is apt to run amok,

'generating' disease.

 

If you have sufficient omega-3 fatty acids, they can check or cool

down the 'arachidonic engine' that is spewing out the disease-

promoting 'eicosanoids'.

 

-

The Battles Between Fish and Corn (Refined Vegetable) Oils

 

At the cellular level, the stakes are high.

 

In short, as Dr. Lands explains, your cells are a " battleground "

where omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids " compete " for supremacy.

And which one wins day after day helps determine the " state " of your

health.

 

The truth is that for most Americans and people of other Western

countries, it is continual defeat. We get far too much omega-6 and

too little omega-3 in our diet.

 

Dr. Lands says Americans eat at least 10 to 15 times more

terrestrial omega-6s than marine omega-3s—

" a horrible proportion. "

 

By contrast, Eskimos, who are known for their very low rates of

chronic disease, eat three times more omegs-3s than omega-6s,

primarily because they eat so much *seafood*.

 

Proof of the problem is found in the " tissues " of Americans.

 

In recent studies, Phyliss Bowen, associate professor in the

Department of Nutrition and Medical Dietetics at the University of

Illinois at Chicago, found that omega-6 levels were closer to 65

percent in the French, 50 percent in the Japanese and only 22

percent in Greenland Eskimos.

 

Omega-6 " excesses " worry experts, such as Professor Emeritus

Alexander Leaf of the Harvard University medical School.

 

When our bodies evolved eons ago they were nourished by lots of

omega-3s and virtually no omega-6s, he notes.Now, with the invention

of " processed " vegetable oils, the ratio is upside-down in many

cultures. Today's 'fish-deficient' diets leave our cells starved of

marine oil and overburdened by modern processed oils and meat fats,

Big Macs and Mazola oils, which are

" foreign " to our cells.

 

He believes our relatively new " fatty-acid imbalance " throws cells

into " major malfunction " , precipitating our current epidemic of

chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and

arthritis.

 

Dr. Leaf suggests human bodies require a minimum dose of fish oil

and that not getting it brings revenge by way of multiple diseases.

 

" Our epidemic of heart disease and cancer may be the result of a

human fish oil deficiency state so enormous we fail to recognize it. "

Ewan Cameron, M.D., Linus Pauling Institute of Science and Medicine

in California

New research underscores the enormous lifesaving power of fat in

fish. Eating fatty fish can directly intervene to save people from

death and disability from heart attacks.

 

Studies have found that atherosclerosis—diseased and clogged

arteries – worsens, the less marine oil a person eats. Dr. Lands has

developed a formula that he says can precisely predict an

individual's odds of heart attack; a simple finger-prick test

measures a person's blood ratio of marine omega-3s to omega-6 fatty

acids.

 

The higher the proportion of marine omega-3s to omega-6s, the lower

the risk of heart attack. Similarly, studies reveal that a 'high

ratio' of omega-3 fatty acids to omega-6 fatty acids in the blood

cuts your 'chances' of cancer.

 

Although it's largely unappreciated,

our overconsumption of omega-6 oils, prevalent in margarines, mayos,

salad dressing oils, " vegetable " oils and processed foods, is

helping create a " health

disaster', says Artemis Simopoulos, M.D., president of the Center

for Genetics, Nutrition and Health in Washington, D.C.

 

True, heart authorities first encouraged the widespread use of such

vegetable oils to lower blood cholesterol, not suspecting the oils

could have detrimental effects on other aspects of health, such as

fostering inflammatory diseases, lowering immunity and promoting

cancer.

Such omega-6 oils are well-documented villains in augmenting cancer

incidence, cancer spread and deaths in laboratory animals.

 

The only way to correct this abnormal and alarming fat imbalance in

cells is to cut back drastically on foods rich in omega-6s and

increase the intake of marine omega-3s, say experts.

 

The impact is almost immediate. Within 72 hours, you can see a

beneficial biochemical impact in tissue by eating three and a half

ounces of fish a day, studies indicate.

 

It is smart to eat fish, especially fatty fish such as salmon,

sardines, mackerel, herring and tuna, at least two or three times a

week.

 

However, adding any amount of seafood to a seafood-poor diet can

readjust our fatty acid balance somewhat, helping curtail not only

heart disease, but the many modern disorders linked to a seafood fat

deficiency.

 

Research shows that eating just an ounce of fish a day may help

restore our cells to healthy functioning, saving countless people

from disability and premature death inflicted by the unimagined

consequences of a fats pharmacological powers.

 

 

Disorders that fish oil may alleviate or prevent

 

Rheumatoid arthritis

Heart attack

Clogged arteries

High Blood pressure

Ulcerative colitis

Psoriasis

Multiple sclerosis

Asthma

Migraine headaches

ADD

Maniac Depressive disorders

PMS

Endometriosis

 

Richest sources are mackerel, anchovies, herring, alaskan salmon,

waterpacked sardines, lake trout.

Moderate amounts are found in bluefish, striped bass,

rainbow smelt and rainbow trout.Choose smaller fish over larger

fish. Small fish, like sardines, have had fewer years of exposure to

pollutants.

 

Choose sardines canned without oil, unless it is sardine oil, noted

on the label as 'sild'.

Added oils, such as soybean oils, can diminish the omega-3s.

 

Also, draining oil from canned tuna washes away from 15 to 25

percent of the omega-3s, whereas draining water washes away only 3

percent.

Don't ever eat the fish skin which is a prime " depository " of toxic

chemicals. Choose saltwater fish over freshwater fish from streams,

rivers and

lakes, which are more apt to be polluted.

Avoid sport fish caught by recreational fisherman in lakes and

streams. They are most likely to be contaminated.

 

 

To obtain the most omega-3 benefits, bake or poach fish.

Frying or

otherwise adding fat (especially supermarket vegetable oils high in

omega-6)

decreases the omega-3 " potency " of the fish.

 

You also derive omega-3s from plant foods.

 

The highest concentrations are in raw almonds, raw walnuts,

unrefined " cold pressed " extra virgin olive oil, avocadoes and

purslane, a green leafy vegetable that grows wild in the United

States and is commonly eaten in the Europe and the Middle East.

However, plant omega-3s appear to be only one-fifth as potent as

marine omega-3s in fostering beneficial reactions in cells.

 

 

JoAnn Guest

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