Essential Oils

 

          Fats and oils are categorized in a variety of ways, as saturated, unsaturated, cholesteric, steroidal, blah, blah. In truth, all are important and all can be synthesized in the body for normal functioning…except for two. These are linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid. These two form the building blocks for thousands of functions that are essential for body functioning, such as controlling inflammation (a chronic problem among many) controlling blood pressure, building hormones and maintaining cell wall fluidity. The human body is a marvelously self-repairing and self-protecting organism, provided all the essential nutrients are present. These are two of them. Some info…

 

But FIRST! If you have a limited budget, time or space to read, make this book one of your choices to buy. It is a comprehensive and outstanding book by one of the most knowledgeable people in the field, Udo Erasmus. Title: Fats that Heal Fats that Kill publ. Alive Books.

 

Now:

Here are the structures of four biggies in the fat usage for the body.

 

      Linoleic Acid (LA)

     alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA)

                     Docosohexanoic Acid (DHA)

                              Eicosapentanoic Acid (EPA)

 

First, the last two, DHA and EPA can be synthesized in the body from specifically from the second, ALA. These are POWERFUL in the body and are the reason why fresh cold water fish has been so highly promoted lately. DHA and EPA are the two functional oils obtained from fish like tuna, salmon and mackeral. So, if we can make them, why eat them? Later, more needs to be told in this story, yet. It is very important to note a couple of things before moving on. 1.) Notice the double lines in each of the chemical structures. These are what make these “polyunsaturated” If there were only 1 double line, it would be monounsaturated and all single lines are saturated. 2.) Notice that the double lines are all on the same side. Although there is a lot of chemistry to explain this, the bottom line is that this fact allows the molecules to twist around a certain way. If the double lines are on different sides, then these are called “trans-fatty acids” or “trans fats”. These, FINALLY are hitting the mainstream media for the incredibly toxic role they play in the body. More is discussed later, but more comprehensive discussion is in the section on Modern Foods.  First, some fast fat facts.

 

 

This chart shows the biochemical pathways associated with these LA and ALA.  Notice the right side pathway. Near the bottom are the EPA and DHA fats. These two fats have the properties that they prevent excessive blood clotting and thickening, lower blood triglycerides and blood pressure, fight cancer and more. Also, EPA is converted into series 3 prostaglandins. More about these in a minute. The left hand side pathway leads to Series 1 and Series 2 prostaglandins. Also, they lead to Arachidonic Acid.  Now, a word about how these play biochemical roles.

 

Metabolic functions that involve essential fats are:

* Energy Production

* Oxygen Transfer

* Hemoglobin Production

* Membrane components of cells and cellular organelles. This is EXTREMELY important for proper functioning of all cells in the body. The cells don’t work, you don’t work.

* Cell Division

* Brain Function

* Prostaglandins

 

I’ve highlighted the last item because of the tremendously wide variety and balance these play in the body. In short, prostaglandins are roughly divided into three series. Functions include:

 

Series 1 and 3

Series 2

Prevents blood clotting

Promotes blood clotting

Reduces pain and inflammation

Promotes pain and inflammation

Helps remove sodium from blood

Helps retain sodium in blood

Relaxes blood vessels

Constricts blood vessels

Reduces water retention

Increases water retention

Lowers Blood Pressure

Increases blood pressure

PGE1 prevents Arachidonic Acid (AA) release

Are products of Arachidonic Acid.

 

 

 

          The important thing to recognize is that these collections are opposed in their function. It’s not that we want to block Series 2. We want blood vessels to constrict at times to maintain blood pressure, we want water balance, etc. It is, however, that we want a BALANCE of these functions! This is the critical point. An over expression of Series 2 prostaglandins leads to a great fraction of the chronic problems seen by everyday folks, pain and inflammation in joints, headaches, high blood pressure, allergies, etc. We find that a balance of these essential fats can minimize, or often alleviate many if not all of these functions.

 

          NOTE! Aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, (NSAIDS) are broad spectrum prostaglandin blockers. They stop pain and reduce inflammation by blocking ALL Series. This is bad, because the Series 1 and 2 are needed to maintain proper function of organs. That is why so many problems are associated with chronic use of these medicines. (See NSAIDS)

 

          As a result of the need for more potent, less problematic medicines, other new drugs, some called COX inhibitors are now being promoted. Note the following:

 

 

The COX pathway leads to series 2 prostaglandins, which are problematic in excess. Blocking this pathway selectively blocks the production. Note also, however, the LOX series. These lead to substances known as Leukotrienes. These promote the aggregation of white blood cells, constrict smooth muscle and are strongly involved in inflammatory diseases such as asthma, arthritis, inflammatory bowel syndrome and much, much more. So, guess what? There are (you guessed it) LOX inhibitors as well. It’s a cascading nonsense.

 

It is the case that people, generally, are suffering from an overproduction of Arachidonic Acid leading to the prostaglandins and leukotrienes, pain, inflammation, etc.

 

Why are the fats out of balance?

 

Note from the metabolic fate chart above, that the production of Arachidonic Acid follows the Linoleic Acid (LA) pathway and is inhibited by the alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA) pathway. Thus, it seems that we are getting too much LA and not enough ALA. Do our dietary practices bear this out? Oh yes!

 

LA comes principally from vegetable oils such as corn oil and others. We are SWIMMING in corn oil! It is a principle crop in this nation and is the component of most table, cooking and production oils.

 

ALA comes from raw seeds and cold water fish. As a bonus, Fish contains the other two fatty acids mentioned at the top of this page and farther along the ALA right-side pathway, EPA and DHA. That’s why fish is so highly beneficial.

 

AA comes preformed in animal fats. That’s why saturated animal fat is pro-inflammatory.

 

Now think, how much of each do you consume daily? Further, ALA is easily turned rancid by exposure to light and oxygen and rapidly oxidized by excessive heat. The truth is, it is very difficult in today’s food environment to get enough ALA. That’s why it’s so important to get good quality fresh cold water fish and supplement with undamaged seed oil such as Flax Seed Oil.

 

Do putting these fats back in balance have demonstrable effects?

 

Check these clinical studies…EFA Studies and these Abstracts from Studies in PDF format.

 

A VERY important thing to realize in the India Heart Study is the inclusion of antioxidants, vitamins/minerals and fruits and vegetables. These are critical to prevent oxidation of the fats in the body. Oxidation processes are extremely important in disease and aging. See the section on Antioxidants.