Omega-3 fatty acids play a vital role in heart health
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From: Roman Bystrianyk on 14 May 2006 18:57 http://www.healthsentinel.com/org_news.php?event=org_news_print_list_item&id=091 Roman Bystrianyk, "Omega-3 fatty acids play a vital role in heart health", Health Sentinel, May 14, 2006, Over 45 years ago Dr. Sinclair proposed that heart disease might be partly due to a deficiency of fatty acids. It was observed the Coronary heart disease (CHD) deaths were reduced among Greenland Eskimos who eat large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids as part of their diet. A recent mega-analysis with over 200,000 people showed that fish consumption was related to a reduced death risk from CHD. Many other studies provide evidence to support the positive association between omega-3 fatty acids and a healthy heart. A recent report in the Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, discusses the important role omega-3 fatty acids play in maintaining a healthy heart and cardiovascular system. There are 2 major polyunsaturated fatty acids. Linolenic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid, is found in vegetable oils such as corn and safflower. Alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acids if found in green leafy vegetables, walnuts, canola, and flaxseed oils. These fatty acids are considered essential because the human body cannot make these so they must be consumed in the diet. The human body can through a series of enzymatic steps convert these shorter polyunsaturated fatty acids into longer ones. Arachidonic acid (AA) is a longer omega-6 fatty acid, whereas eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are longer omega-3 fatty acids. These longer fatty acids can be obtained directly from the diet. AA is found in meat, and EPA and DHA are found in fish and fish oil supplements. DHA can also be found in algae. Increased dietary consumption of omega-3 fatty acids replaces AA in cell membranes of blood cells, artery cells, and in the various organs such as the heart, brain, and liver. Omega-6s, which are high in the average Western diet are proinflammatory, whereas omega-3s are anti-inflammatory. "The typical Western diet is rich in omega-6 fatty acids with a ration of 10-20:1 (omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids). It has been proposed that a ratio of 1-2:1 in the diet would shift the balance from a prothrombotic, proinflammatory, vasoconstrictory state to a favorable antithrombotic, anti-inflammatory, and vasodialtory state." The largest clinical trial to test omega-3 fatty acid supplements was the GISSI-Prevention Trial, which examined over 11,000 patients. The trial examined patients with recent heart attacks. The patients were randomized to omega-3 fatty acid supplements, vitamin E, both omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E, or none for 3.5 years in conjunction with a Mediterranean diet. "Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation significantly reduced all-cause death by 20% and nonfatal myocardial infarction and stroke by 15%." The Diet and Reinfarction Trial, also know as DART, study included 2,033 men who had recently suffered a heart attack. They were randomized to 2 servings of fish per week or an equivalent amount of omega-3 supplements. "A significant 29% reduction in cardiovascular and total mortality over 2 years was reported in patients who consumed fish regularly compared to those without fish in their diet." Another study included 360 patients after suspected heart attack. They were randomized to either fish oil supplements, mustard seed oil - rich in alpha-linolenic acid - or placebo. "After 1 year, total cardiac events were significantly decreased by 25% in the fish oil group and 28% in the mustard seed oil group." The current guidelines of the American Heart Association (AHA) underscore the importance of dietary omega-3 fatty acids for a healthy heart. People without any signs of heart disease are recommended to have fish twice a week. For secondary prevention of CHD, patients should consume EPA and DHA (1 gram per day) from fish or supplements. "Environmental toxins such a mercury, dioxins, and polychlorinated byphenyls may be found in fish and fish oil supplements. The content may be higher in farm-raised fish compared to wild types. The toxins may also be increased in larger fish and the risk may be reduced by consuming a variety of fish. Caution is recommended for specific fish consumption (eg, shark, swordfish, king mackerel) in pregnant and lactating women and young children to limit mercury exposure." "Initially, patients consuming fish oil supplements may experience an occasional fishy aftertaste. The supplements may be consumed after freezing the capsules to limit this effect. Gastrointestinal upset may also be a potential side effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation. Although fish oil reportedly increases bleeding time, low (0.85-1.5 grams per day) and moderate doses (2-5 grams per day) of EPA and DHA appear to be safe." The authors conclude, "Substantial clinical evidence support dietary omega-3 fatty acids as a practical, therapeutic strategy for cardiovascular health and disease. Omega-3 fatty acids modulate a number of important physiological responses which contribute to their cardioprotective effects." SOURCE: Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, January/February 2006
From: monty1945 on 15 May 2006 01:05 In "Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease" (by Shils and Young, 7th edition, page 102), for example, they say the "data certainly do not support the widely published assumption that n-3 fatty acids possess a specific retarding effect on atherogenesis... in rabbits at least, they seem to stimulate atherosclerosis." The animals had liver damage as well as "Periportal fibrosis, lipogranulomas filled with lipofuscin, and bile duct hyperplasia." The authors go on to say: "Other potentially harmful effects of 20:5 n-3 and 22:6 n-3 [that is, EPA and DHA] rich fish oils are neglected by the advocates of increased human consumption of fish oils. The pathologically increased bleeding times, as observed after aspirin ingestion, also occurs in Eskimos on a high fish oil diet." The authors go on to talk about "a promoting role of [EPA/DHA] in the development of carrdiac necrosis and an increased sensitivity to catecholamine stress." They then talk about extreme tocopherol ("vitamin E") deficiency in animals and say that to repeat the experiments in humans might be dangerous. Another telling quotation: "...the most severe degree of atherosclerosis was observed in rabbits fed fish oil, with a similar trend in the [flax] oil group., rather than after feeding palm oil with its high concentration of palmitic and stearic acid [saturated fatty acids]." In the second addition of Maria C. Linder's "Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolism," second edition, page 462, we learn of the "potential toxic effects of such fatty acids [the omega 3s in fish oil], causing inreased bleeding, 'yellow fat disease,' cardiac necrosis... as well as ulcers, platelet and immune malfunction..." Another interesting point about how toxic and potent fish oil is: "...fish oils may be...better than cyclosporine in suppressing the immune system..." Page 77. In "Diet and Health," by the National Research Council, page 192, they say: "...it has not been established that inake of omega-3 fish oils per so will reduce the risk of CHD ["heart disease"]. Furthermore, it is not known whether long-term ingestion of these PUFAs will lead to undesirable side effects. The information available does not support a rcommendation to use fish oil supplements to reduce the risk of CHD." They also note that the use of the native Greenlander diet as an example of the supposed benefits of fish oil need to be considered more carefully, since these people "...usually die before middle age." And they point out a basic and disturbing biochemical fact that many medical doctors are not even aware of, that is "...the extreme susceptibility of the omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil to oxidation." Page 601. The following abstract is all too familiar these days, but you hardly ever hear about anything resembling this in the mainstream media. Notice how they mention that both arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, which is found in high amounts in fish oil, are responsible for the dysfunction and "diease." Here again, I agree with them completely, but I go on to ask the obvious question, "why are we consuming these substances at all if there is no need for them?" If the only reason is that a flawed experiment was done in 1930 that was refuted directly in 1948 became entrenched in textbooks, then it's time to "get the word out," which is what I am trying to do. I welcome new experiments, and may even pay for all expenses if I am wrong about this (if we can agree on the experimental design so that it does not repeat the mistakes of 1930 and other similar experiments), but nobody who believes in the "essential fatty acid" claim has ever expressed interest in this offer. Neuroscientist. 2006 Jun;12(3):245-60. Phospholipase A2-generated lipid mediators in the brain: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Farooqui AA, Horrocks LA. Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus. Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) generates arachidonic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and lysophospholipids from neural membrane phospholipids. These metabolites have a variety of physiological effects by themselves and also are substrates for the synthesis of more potent lipid mediators such as eicosanoids, platelet activating factor, and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE). At low concentrations, these mediators act as second messengers. They affect and modulate several cell functions, including signal transduction, gene expression, and cell proliferation, but at high concentrations, these lipid mediators cause neurotoxicity. Among the metabolites generated by PLA2, 4-HNE is the most cytotoxic metabolite and is associated with the apoptotic type of neural cell death. Levels of 4-HNE are markedly increased in neurological disorders such as Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, ischemia, spinal cord trauma, and head injury. The purpose of this review is to summarize and integrate the vast literature on metabolites generated by PLA2 for a wider audience. The authors hope that this discussion will jump-start more studies not only on the involvement of PLA2 in neurological disorders but also on the importance of PLA2-generated lipid mediators in physiological and pathological processes. In a book that appears to me to be designed for undergraduate college students, "Perspectives in Nutrition," by Gordon M. Wardlaw, et al (fourth edition), there is: "An upper limit of 10% of energy intake as polyunsaturated fatty acids is often recommended, in part because the breakdown (oxidation) of those present in lipoproteins is linked to increased cholesterol deposition in arteries [note that it is more than a "link," as the molecular evidence is clear about exactly what is occurring]... This breakdown may alkso increase the risk of cancer. Depression of immune function is also suspected to be caused by an excessive intake of polyunsaturated fats." Page 135. "An excess of omega-3 fatty acid intake can allow uncontrolled bleeding and may cause hemorrhagic stroke... Overall, excessive consumption of omega-3 fatty acids as such can be as problematic as inadequate consumption. Currently, health experts do not recommend that healthy people use fish oil supplements..." Page 120. What is interesting here is that the National Research Council noted that one would have to consume a great deal of omega 3s to acheive the "desired effects," and thus one will be taking great risks in doing so. Is it necessary to take such a risk? Not until it is clear that "essential fatty acid deficiency" in a non-pregnant adult human is possible on a diet that substitutes something like fresh coconut oil for all other major sources of fat. I've done this experiment on myself for several years now and have seen only benefits, but if we look at the molecular-level evidence, we can see why. For example, Watkins, et al. found that the AA metabolite, PGE2, is responsible for bone degeneration, and that omega-3 fatty acids, as anyone who understands the biochemistry would know, block the formation of PGE2. But these researchers also found that: "Saturated fat intake led to increased bone density..." and that "...butter fat... reduced ex vivo bibe PGE2... and increased bone formation rates... compared to those given diets higher in n-6 [omega 6] fatty acids," and they talk about how "saturated fatty acids... can benefit bone modeling." Source: "Bioactive fatty acids: role in bone biology and bone cell function," in Porgress in Lipid Research 40 (2001) 125-148. Now a key point here is that if they had used lard, which some "experts" call a "saturated fat," it is highly unlikely that they would have gotten the same result. Butter is a safe "saturated fat," whereas the lard sold in the West is not (and I trim off the yellowed sides of the butter stick before using it, because that is oxidized lipid and is dangerous). Turning back to omega 3s, what this shows is that you do not have to ingest something dangerous to counteract something dangerous, because there are much safer alternatives: butter, yogurt, coconut oil, dark choclate, etc. Now that the molecular evidence has made it clear that oxidation is the problem, a highly saturated fat source, like coconut oil, is undeniably very healthy, whereas a fat source with a great deal of unsaturated fatty acids and little or no antioxidant protection (like today's lard) is very dangerous. In another study: "...addition of cod liver oil to to the diet elevated the rate of peroxidation by 20-fold." And that was on top of the 10-fold increase over rats on the fat free diet (when corn oil was added). Source: from the text of the following (which is just the abstract): Free Radic Biol Med. 1988;5(2):95-111. A role for dietary lipids and antioxidants in the activation of carcinogens. Gower JD. Division of Comparative Medicine, Clinical Research Centre, Harrow, Middlesex, U.K. "The ways in which dietary polyunsaturated fats and antioxidants affect the balance between activation and detoxification of environmental precarcinogens is discussed, with particular reference to the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon benzo(a)pyrene. The structure and composition of membranes and their susceptibility to peroxidation is dependent on the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content of the cell and its antioxidant status, both of which are determined to a large degree by dietary intake of these compounds. An increase in the PUFA content of membranes stimulates the oxidation of precarcinogens to reactive intermediates by affecting the configuration and induction of membrane-bound enzymes (e.g., the mixed-function oxidase system and epoxide hydratase); providing increased availability of substrates (hydroperoxides) for peroxidases that cooxidise carcinogens (e.g., prostaglandin synthetase and P-450 peroxidase); and increasing the likelihood of direct activation reactions between peroxyl radicals and precarcinogens..." Biologist Ray Peat has cited much older studies, such as how dogs fed fish oil all died of cancer: "Fifty years ago, it was found that a large amount of cod liver oil in dogs' diet increased their death rate from cancer by 20 times, from the usual 5% to 100%. A diet rich in fish oil causes intense production of toxic lipid peroxides, and has been observed to reduce a man's sperm count to zero. [H. Sinclair, Prog. Lipid Res. 25, 667, 1989.]" Source: http://www.healthythyroid.com/vegetableoils.htm Peat notes of the Sinclair experiment: "An oil researcher spent 100 days eating what he considered to be the Eskimo diet, seal blubber and mackerel paste. He observed that his blood lipid peroxides (measured as malondialdehyde, MDA) reached a level 50 times higher than normal, and although MDA is teratogenic, he said he wasn't worried about fathering deformed children, because his sperm count had gone to zero." Original source: Sinclair, H., Prog. Lipid Res. 25: 667-72, "History of EFA & their prostanoids: some personal reminiscences." In the typical case of heart disease" in Western nations, for example, what is occuring at the molecular level is known, for example: "Macrophage cells, described as the garbage trucks of the blood, try to carry away oxidatively damaged LDL. When macrophages get gummed up with oxidized lipids, they "become bloated with partially digested lipoprotein and globules of cholesterol" and form "foam cells," Salomon said. Eventually foam cells develop into the atherosclerotic plaque found in cardiovascular disease. "Macrophages are supposed to clean up oxidatively damaged LDL but are covered with these toxic oxidized lipids that bring the whole process to a grinding halt," Salomon said." To read the entire report, go to: http://www.cwru.edu/pubaff/univcomm/2002/june/cholesterol.htm Saturated fatty acids cannot oxidize, whereas PUFAs readily do, and fish oil fatty acids are the worst in this context, as the professional literature makes clear.
From: David R. Throop on 15 May 2006 01:12 In article <1147647461.244420.78420(a)j73g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, Roman Bystrianyk <rbystrianyk(a)gmail.com> wrote: >http://www.healthsentinel.com/org_news.php?event=org_news_print_list_item&id=091 > >Roman Bystrianyk, "Omega-3 fatty acids play a vital role in heart >health", Health Sentinel, May 14, 2006, A) This is almost a word for word take from Engler and Engler, which you sort-of cite at the end, without giving their names. http://www.nursingcenter.com/prodev/ce_article.asp?tid=631368 What gives? B) So I'm not sure if you're making the claim, or Engler and Engler are, but is there really any evidence that Environmental toxins such as mercury, dioxins, and polychlorinated biphenyls may be found in fish and fish oil supplements. I don't believe it, but show me some original research and I could change my mind. DRT
From: Roman Bystrianyk on 15 May 2006 11:03 Perhaps this will be of some help. Enjoy your day. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~frf/sea-mehg.html
From: Ron Peterson on 15 May 2006 15:45
Roman Bystrianyk wrote: > Perhaps this will be of some help. Enjoy your day. > http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~frf/sea-mehg.html Life Extension magazine has an article claiming the fish oil capsules are safer than fish at: http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2005/oct2005_report_fishoil_01.htm -- Ron |