Quenching inflammation’s wildfire: from toxic fats to healing fats
From dietary miscreants to vital components of a healthy nutrition: at long last, fats have been duly acquitted and rehabilitated by science, to the delight of dieters and foodies. The era of fat blacklisting has come to an end, as shown by a multitude of new fat-friendly diet solutions dovetailing with the new findings.
However, while fat-free diet books have mass evacuated their shelves, and the propaganda for fat-free everything has been silenced - and as relieved as everyone is, mainstream information out there on exactly which fats are out of nutrition dungeon is grossly misleading. As expected, the multibillion-dollar fat industry has swiftly seized the opportunity to provide accommodations on every supermarket shelf across America for fats of unbeknownst matrix, as more or less obscure components of processed foods, but also as washy, transgenic, nutritionally barren oils in dreary plastic bottles, labeled as vegetable oils. Just when we thought margarine was our last standing enemy! Apparently, we still have some impostors to slay before we can shout victory in the epic war on our beloved fats.
Before we can shine the light on the bad guys, a basic classification of natural fats is in order, starting with a primary distinction between saturated and unsaturated fats. Saturated fats are mainly the fats in animal products such as meat, dairy and eggs, but also in some tropical oils such as coconut and palm oil. Saturated fats have at long last been proven by research to have no direct detrimental effect on cardiovascular health. Unsaturated fats, central to this discussion, are found in plant foods and require one additional classification into monounsaturated fats or Omega-9, also known as Oleic Acid (think Extra Virgin Olive Oil and avocado) and polyunsaturated fats. This last group includes Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. For the purpose of this article, we are going to explore the impact that Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats have on our health.
Omega-3 fatty acids are known to assist in many vital functions in brain, eye, skin and gut health, and aid in maintaining optimum levels of cholesterol in the body to manufacture hormones, bile acids and vitamin D. They have been central to research on inflammation in the last few decades for being able to modulate the inflammation response by the immune system, igniting it on crisis cue and switching it off when no longer needed (so it won’t go off on a rampage and damage tissues). Research data on the benefits that the anti-inflammatory Omega-3s have on cardiovascular health are strong enough that European and American cardiac societies have included Omega-3s in their treatment guidelines for cardiac diseases. These fatty acids are known to decrease triglycerides, increase HDL, lower LDL, but most notably protect LDL particle membranes from oxidation: cardiovascular research has conclusively proven that oxidation and inflammation of LDL, not its values on your blood panel, are the definitive marker for cardiac events.
Omega-3s are important components of the phospholipidic membrane structure of all the trillions of cells in the body; they contribute to keeping these membranes permeable, malleable and intact so they can continuously draw nutrients, neurotransmitters and hormones in, while moving toxins and waste product out of the cells. Modern pathology, the study of disease processes, maintains in fact that an alteration in the structure and function of cell membranes is the central factor in the development of virtually every disease. Since the brain is 60% fat, it’s easy to understand how prevention of cognitive decline and degenerative diseases is largely associated with feeding it the right types of fats.
Omega-3s are essential fatty acids, meaning the body cannot manufacture them spontaneously and therefore need to be obtained through the diet on a continuing basis. Some of the primary sources of Omega-3s include:
Seafood and fatty fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, herrings and trout. are algae sourced Omega-3s, known by their EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) acronyms. They are immediately bioavailable in the body, meaning the body can use them as they are, without having to modify their chemical structure to fit receptors. They get the anti-inflammatory job done fast.
Chia seeds, flaxseeds; walnuts, almonds, macadamia, pecans; olives and olive oil; bell peppers, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, navy beans and avocados are some of the Omega-3 plant counterparts, abbreviated as ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). For the body to utilize them, they need to undergo a conversion process to EPA and DHA, generally limited, on an average, to 8% in men and 21% in women (due to the supportive action of childbearing hormones). The conversion is subject to decrease with both age and underlying health issues, and are therefore a secondary supply for omnivorous individuals. Nevertheless, good news for vegans and non-fish eaters comes from studies concluding that the conversion of ALA to the biologically active EPA and DHA in these individuals seems to be upregulated by virtue of a compensatory mechanism, innate to human biology. Supplementation with krill oil has received significant research-based approval, although more evidence is needed to make a definitive claim.
Grass fed meats, organic eggs from pasture-raised chickens, and organic dairy are good animal sources of Omega-3s. In the animals, the conversion from ALA to EPA and DHA has already taken place, so we get the biologically active fatty acids from eating these foods.
As for supplementation, with the exception of wild caught, fresh Cod Liver Oil, which has garnered consensus under researchers’ microscopes (proving grandma was right as usual), science findings with relation to the effectiveness of integration with fish oil supplements have been discordant, suggesting that introducing foods in the diet that are natural sources of Omega-3s is still the only surely efficient way to replenish and maintain optimal blood levels. Additionally, beware of inexpensive, mainstream store shelf Omega-3 supplements, they are likely poor quality and conceivably rancid: unsaturated fats, unlike saturated ones like butter and lard, are chemically unstable and the last thing you want to do is take home biologically degraded and useless products.
Omega-6 fatty acids are known as Linoleic Acid (abbreviated as LA) and its metabolites, GLA (Gamma-Linoleic Acid), and AA (Arachidonic Acid). These fatty acids are also essential, meaning they must be obtained through foods, but they are contained in an abundance of natural foods, and in outrageous amounts in many processed foods in developed countries, particularly in America.
Omega-6s share some of the chemical behaviors and functions as the Omega-3s, and we need them as well, but, since they have an overt proclivity for inflammation, they must be reined in by Omega-3s. Both Omega-6s and Omega-3s are in fact precursors in the synthesis of eicosanoids, signaling chemicals that are responsible for communicating around the body, tasked with sounding the alarm on threats like pathogens, allergens, injury and trauma so action is taken fast. They prompt the immune system to initiate an inflammatory response, rushing blood, fluids and pain-triggering chemicals to the event site, and stimulating a rise in temperature to fight an infection. But this is where it all gets tricky: when inflammation is needed, the body must at once choose between Omega-3s and Omega-6s to quickly manufacture eicosanoids, and If Omega-6s are overabundant, they will be used predominantly, leading us into a systemic inflammatory state. In fact, while Omega-3 derived eicosanoids blunt the acute inflammatory response once it is no longer needed, the Omega-6 derived ones generate a ripple effect of low-grade inflammation on all tissues and organs. Think of Omega-3s as being diligent with fire, and Omega-6s being the boisterous ones, letting fire spread all over. This is the reason why a proper ratio of 1:1 min to 4:1 max Omega-6s to Omega-3s ought to be maintained through proper nutrition, so that the latter can keep the former at bay; current ratio in our modern Western diet is a disconcerting 20:1, which to a great extent explains the pathogenesis and exponential rise of inflammatory maladies like Diabetes 2 and cancer, and the spike in cardiovascular disease-associated mortality. The trouble with detecting chronic inflammation is that it is virtually invisible, it does not manifest through obvious physical signs the way acute inflammation does, until of course it has gone far enough, and a disease shows up to inform us.
Omega-6s have been shown to also increase insulin resistance, leading to weight gain, Diabetes 2, high blood pressure and various metabolic disorders.
Several studies have shown that increased levels of Omega-3s and a low Omega-6/Omega-3 ratio exert suppressive effects on disease progression: a ratio of 4/1 is associated with a 70% decrease in total mortality in secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease; a lower ratio is also associated with decreased risk for breast cancer, reduced cell proliferation in colorectal cancer, reduced inflammation in autoimmune conditions and improved cognitive functions in dementia patients.
The needs for Omega-3s in the diet vary among individuals around an average of 1 to 2 grams per day, while for Omega-6s, in light of their abundance in the diet, recommendations are made to limit them to max 4 fold the Omega-3 amount. Daily Adequate Intakes (AI) of Omega-6s are set - rather than Recommended Intakes (RI) - but there are some discordances among scientists. Some British studies have concluded that an intake of 10 grams per day is ideal, whereas AIs in the US are set between 12 and 17, possibly in an effort to adjust the goal posts for the SAD (Standard American Diet). In adult humans, an EPA plus DHA combined intake greater than 2 g per day seems to be required to elicit an anti‐inflammatory action, but on-point dose assessment studies are still being performed. However, nothing you do in terms of diet or supplementation with Omega-3s will help unless you concurrently decrease exposure to Omega-6s. Since the average American is currently consuming these fats at a spine-chilling ratio of >20:1, with over 20 times more inflammatory Omega-6s, it has become clear that unless there is a concomitant reduction in Omega-6 intake through dietary modifications, no amount of eating or supplementation of Omega-3s is going to yield significant health benefits.
How do we decrease Omega-6 exposure? Let’s take a look at some of the Omega-6 rich foods consumed in massive amounts in the standard American diet:
Vegetable and seed oils: soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, canola oil, grapeseed oil, cottonseed oil, walnut and peanut oils. These are the brash, would-be-food lubes crowding the baking and cooking oil aisles of your local supermarket, and they are usually conveniently huddled up together, for added glitz. Avoid them like the plague: they are pro-inflammatory whether you use them raw or cooked, and highly toxic when heated. Some scary numbers on vegetable oils: Safflower oil ‘generously’ provides 439% of the Omega-6 AI per 100gr (1/3 cup); grapeseed 410% per 100gr; corn oil comes in at 315% per 100 gr and soybean oil at 300% of the AI per 100gr. Walk yourself over to the Extra Virgin Olive Oil shelf, that is by far your best bet.
Processed foods: boxed, canned or preserved in vegetable oil (see list above), commercially fried and baked, frozen ready-made meals, cookies, chips and snacks, ready mixes. These are typically made with inflammatory vegetable oils, not to mention partially hydrogenated fats (trans-fats), which are basically the same chemicals as oils, but conveniently rendered shelf stable by adding hydrogen molecules to ‘fill’ their molecular structure. Trans fats are detrimental to your endothelial function, causing atherosclerosis and heart attacks. On a tangential yet relevant note, most of these foods also contain hidden sources of highly inflammatory sugars and preservatives, which makes them inflammation grenades, literally. If you are confused about which processed foods are healthy and which ones aren’t, think of healthy processing in terms of traditional methods to conserve foods’ nutritional value, usually involving very few simple steps: fermentation, pickling in vinegar, preserving in olive oil, fresh-freezing of natural foods are among the most common ones.
Fast food chain burgers, fries, fried chicken, soups and salads from mainstream corporate chains. The idea of what lurks in these foods is blood-curdling: low-grade and obscure ingredients, toxic fats, excessive sugars, carcinogenic chemicals, preservatives, hormones, plastics, the list of inflammatory compounds goes on and on. Omega-6s, though present in ungodly amounts, are really just one drop in the bucket - these foods will kill you fast, full stop.
Conventional meats, eggs and dairy, from animals and poultry raised on pro-inflammatory, grain-based feed like corn and soy, unnatural to ruminants, along with other inflammatory substances like antibiotics and hormones. It is always a good idea to stick to organic, grass-fed and pasture-raised animal products. Studies in the UK, US and Australia have found that meat from grass-fed cattle has an Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio of well under 2:1, while grain-fed beef typically has a ratio of between 8:1 and 11:1 and was found to be 20:1 in one trial. By eating grass-fed meats, organic dairy and organic, pasture raised eggs you will also reap the full benefits of good saturated fats and steer clear of cancer-causing endocrine disruptors like synthetic estrogens.
Peanuts and peanut butter. Peanuts have 26% of the Omega-6 AI in 1 single ounce; peanut butter comes in at 23% average per 2 tbsp. Moderation here is key. If you like peanuts, dodge the deep fried or oil-roasted kind, they are Omega-6 fireballs.
Sodas, fruit juices, ice cream, cookies and conventional, multi-national brand cereals are all loaded with refined carbohydrates, which would intrinsically trigger systemic inflammation even if the abundant Omega-6s were left out.
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