Note: The following letter was written in response to a study Thorax published on polyunsaturated fats and asthma last August. The letter below was published in the March issue of Thorax.
Researchers found a high intake of dietary polyunsaturated fats as a risk factor for asthma in preschool children. They then suggest that reducing the consumption of these fats represent an intervention that has great potential for lowering asthma rates.
However, this conclusion in in error, as it is not the total polyunsaturated fat content of the diet, but the composition of the polyunsaturated fats, that is likely causing adverse health effects. The problem most likely stems from the imbalance of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids.
It is estimated that throughout much of human existence, we ate diets that contained omega-6:omega-3 ratios of approximately 1:1 to 2:1 (1). However, today in the US, the ratio is estimated to be greater than 10:1 (2), although some have estimated that it is actually more like 20:1 to 50:1 (1).
It is likely that the increased poly intake seen in preschool asthmatics by Haby is actually just a marker for an even greater imbalance in this ratio?
In Japan, the omega-6:omega-3 ratio in the typical diet there is about 4:1, several-fold better than the US (3). One epidemiological study found that the childhood asthma rate in Tokyo is 0.7% as compared to a worldwide average of roughly 5% (4).
And there are confounding factors that could contribute to higher childhood asthma rates in Japan. For example, because a greater percentage of Japanese live in urban settings, the average air quality they are exposed to is lower. In addition, smoking is much more prevalent in Japan, which means more second-hand smoke exposure for children.
Several studies support the assertion that greater consumption of oily fish, which contain high amounts of n-3, may protect against childhood asthma and can improve lung function (5,6).
In addition to a decrease in fish consumption, there is another, less widely acknowledged factor in the large imbalance in the intake of fatty acids today. Modern livestock management techniques, which rely heavily on the use of grain feedlots, have caused great reductions in the omega 3 composition of our commercial meat supply. When cattle are allowed to graze freely in the warmer months, as they have historically always done, their fatty acid composition is favorably enhanced.
While improving the fatty acid profile of the meat supply may not fully compensate for the many shortcomings of the modern western diet, it would certainly be a step in the right direction. Considering the fact that it is estimated that a 4-fold increase in fish consumption would be required to bring n-3 fatty acid consumption to up to recommended levels, any other food sources would be of great value.
Cancer can be a devastating illness that can prematurely remove loved ones far too soon. You can review my recent eulogy for Dr. Mark Greene's death from a brain tumor for further commentary.
Fortunately, the wonderful positive spin that we can place on this story is that we can do something positive and proactive to radically improve our risk of cancer.
I had the great privilege of listening to Dr. Simopoulos at her lecture for NOHA on May 15 in Chicago. She shared the results of the recently published breast cancer trials in France.
The researchers examined the fat composition of nearly 250 women with non-metastatic breast cancer.
Guess what they found?
Women who had the most omega-3 and least omega 6 had a 70% reduction in breast cancer.
If omega-3 were a drug it would be plastered on the front page of every newspaper and magazine across the country. However, there are powerful economic interests that are suppressing this information.
You can review this article for futher information.
This is NOT some fantasy land folks. This is directly from Dr. Simopoulos who is one of the major world experts in omega-3. She was the chairperson of the recent National Institutes of Health conference on omega-3 fats.
She was also the primary person responsible for convincing the FDA to include DHA fat into infant formula earlier this year. This is despite the fact that 60 other countries in the world had already done so and the scientific evidence is absolutely non-controversial in this area.
There is no question that breast milk is best, but there are literally millions of children who aren't on breast milk and now their lives who will be positively affected because of Dr. Simopoulos decision to facilitate this intervention.
Of course the ideal solution would be to follow the eating plan, but many of you are not able to do that. Most of you also know that I am not fond of supplements. However, there is one semi-supplement, omega-3 fats, that I do make an exception for.
I really don't view omega-3 fats as a supplement, but more as a food to replace fish. Please remember that nearly all fish are contaminated with mercury and should ideally be avoided. You will want to identify a clean source of fish oil.
Omega three fats are the absolute key to cancer prevention. So if you are not able to following the eating plan, you will at least want to take omega-3 supplements.
If you already have significant sun exposure then you should not take cod liver oil as you will run the risk of overdosing on vitamin D. This is true for many of now who live north of the equator.
You should then take fish oil capsules. The standard fish oil capsule is 180 mg of EPA and 120 mg of DHA.
My previously standard dose is one of these capsules for every ten pounds of body weight. So if you weigh 160 pounds you would take 8 capsules twice a day. If you have problems with belching them up, you will want to consider taking them on an empty stomach.
I have revised the dose this week, based upon discussions with my chief nutritionist. I had previously advised approximately one capsule for every ten pounds of body weight, preferably in two divided doses.
I believe that this dose is still valid if you are treating cancer, heart disease, diabetes, or trying to lose weight. However, if you are not sick or already relatively healthy, then you should significantly reduce that amount by 50-75% or more. You can resume the normal dose once the weather warms up.
The theory is that the warmer the weather, the less omega-3 fats you need. There are no clinical studies to support this, but even Dr. Simopoulos, who is one of the top omega-3 experts in the world, found this concept intriguing and could not provide a powerful counter argument.
Another major insight I received from Dr. Simopoulos is that we do need ALA. There are many sources of ALA, mostly vegetable, but the easiest one is freshly ground flax seeds. I am not a fan of flax oil, as it is easily perishable and many people have problems converting it. Even in healthy people only 10% is converted to EPA and DHA, so if you used flax oil as your source of omega-3 then you would need ten times as much fish oil as I recommend.
For many people this would be 20 tablespoons a day. This is ten ounces a day and is not only impractical, but this amount of ALA and total fat would be highly counterproductive.
When the UV-B decreases (about September in Chicago) cod liver oil should be resumed. It has the benefit of providing you with vitamin D and A. A reasonable dose for cod liver oil is one teaspoon for every 30-40 pounds of body weight. If you use cod liver oil during your summer you will need to be careful of vitamin D toxicity and I suggest you review the information on vitamin D testing.
When you take fish oil supplements or cod liver oil in the doses I recommend please be sure and take an one vitamin E 400 unit supplement per day as this will help serve to protect the fat from oxidation. This is less of an issue with the cod liver oil as the vitamin D itself is a very potent anti-oxidant.
You will also need extra amounts of the "fourth and unforgotten" oil soluble vitamin, vitamin K. If you are juicing plenty of green vegetables and taking the cod liver oil or fish oil with the juice you should absorb the vitamin K in the vegetable juice. However, if you have osteoporosis or osteopenia, you will want to consider adding an extra 1000 mcg ( 1 mg ) of vitamin K per day.
Generally our diet contains far too much omega 6 fats. Experts looking at the dietary ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids suggest that in early human history the ratio was about 1:1. Currently most Americans eat a dietary ratio that falls between 20:1 and 50:1. The optimal ratio is most likely closer to the original ratio of 1:1. For most of us this means greatly reducing the omega-6 fatty acids we consume and increasing the amount of omega-3 fatty acids.
Please recognize that we get ALL the omega-6 and omega-9 fat we need from food. We do NOT need to take any supplements for these fats. Many of the omega fat supplements you see in health food stores will only serve to worsen your health, not improve it as they contain omega 6 fats that will worsen your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.
I strongly recommend avoiding sunflower, corn, soy, safflower, canola, or products that contain these oils. That is no hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats, no margarine, no vegetable oil, no shortening. These oils are chock full of omega-6 fats and will only worsen your omega 6:omega 3 ratio.
Acceptable oils will be a high quality extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, and organic butter, or better yet grass-fed organic butter.
Another way to improve your omega 6:3 ratio is to change the type of meat you are eating. You could consume more game meat like venison, or other game animals that are raised exclusively on grass type foods. However, these are hard to find and generally more expensive than beef.
Since nearly all cattle are grain fed before slaughter, if you eat most traditionally raised beef, it will typically worsen you omega 6:omega 3 ratio.
Normally a good ratio for omega 6:3 in fish is 2 or 3 to 1. The lower the better. Grassfed beef from Grassfed Organics is much higher in Omega 3 than fish, with a 6:3 ratio of 0.16 to 1. This information is from a study done at Iowa State University in August 2001.
To decrease your omega 6 intake, you will want to use grass-fed beef as it will certainly improve the 6:3 ratio. You should consider eating meat that is allowed to "free-range", or in the case of cattle, to be grass-fed. Unfortunately, you cannot buy this grass-fed beef at your local grocery store.
You must also be careful as many stores will advertise grass-fed beef but it really isn't. They do this as ALL cattle are grass fed, but the key is what they are fed the months prior to being processed.
Most all cattle are shipped to giant feed lots and fed corn to fatten them up. You will need to call the person who actually grew the beef, NOT the store manager, to find out the truth.
The least expensive way to obtain authentic grass fed beef would be to find a farmer who is growing the beef who you can trust and buy a half a side of beef from him. This way you save the shipping and also receive a reduced rate on the meat.
Occasionally local stores will carry range fed poultry and grass-fed beef. In the Chicago area we have Trader Joe's that provides this service.
An inexpensive, yet effective way to determine if the meat is really from a grass fed animal is to purchase the ground beef. Slowly cook the beef till done and drain and collect all the fat. Grass fed beef is very high in omega-3 fats and will be relatively thin compared to traditionally prepared ground beef.
It will also be a liquid at room temperature as it has very few saturated fats that are mostly solid at room temperature.
However, most of us live in large urban areas and do not have the time for this process. Just as it would be ideal to have an organic garden and grow your own vegetables, most of us elect not to do that for time or space reasons.
I used to have an organic garden, but my schedule just would not allow me to have that luxury anymore. So, if you are convinced, like I am, that grass-fed beef is better for you and you would like the convenience of being able to order it over the Net, you can buy grass-fed beef online, shipped overnight to your door, at Grassfed Organics.
Related Articles:
Cardiovascular Benefits of Omega-3 Fats Omega-3 Fats Prevent Breast Cancer Omega 3 Oils: The Essential Nutrients Omega-3 is Essential to the Human Body Importance of Omega Three Fats in Health and Disease
Cardiovascular Benefits of Omega-3 Fats
Omega-3 Fats Prevent Breast Cancer
Omega 3 Oils: The Essential Nutrients
Omega-3 is Essential to the Human Body
Importance of Omega Three Fats in Health and Disease
References:
Simopoulos AP. Essential fatty acids in health and chronic disease. Am J Clin Nutr 1999 Sep;70(3 Suppl):560S-569S. Kris-Etherton PM, Taylor DS, Yu-Poth S, Huth P, Moriarty K, Fishell V, Hargrove RL, Zhao G, Etherton TD. Polyunsaturated fatty acids in the food chain in the United States. Am J Clin Nutr 2000 Jan;71(1 Suppl):179S-88S Sugano M, Hirahara F. Polyunsaturated fatty acids in the food chain in Japan. Am J Clin Nutr 2000 Jan;71(1 Suppl): 189-196. Gergen PJ, Weiss, KB. Epidemiology of asthma. In: William W. Busse and Stephen T. Holgate, ed. Asthma and Rhinitis. Blackwell Scientific Publications. Boston, MA, 1995: Chapter 3. Hodge L, Salome CM, Peat JK, Haby MM, Xuan W, Woolcock AJ. Consumption of oily fish and childhood asthma risk. Med J Aust. 1996 Feb 5;164:135-6 Schwartz J. Role of polyunsaturated fatty acids in lung disease. Am J Clin Nutr 2000 Jan;71(1 Suppl): 393S-396S.
Simopoulos AP. Essential fatty acids in health and chronic disease. Am J Clin Nutr 1999 Sep;70(3 Suppl):560S-569S.
Kris-Etherton PM, Taylor DS, Yu-Poth S, Huth P, Moriarty K, Fishell V, Hargrove RL, Zhao G, Etherton TD. Polyunsaturated fatty acids in the food chain in the United States. Am J Clin Nutr 2000 Jan;71(1 Suppl):179S-88S
Sugano M, Hirahara F. Polyunsaturated fatty acids in the food chain in Japan. Am J Clin Nutr 2000 Jan;71(1 Suppl): 189-196.
Gergen PJ, Weiss, KB. Epidemiology of asthma. In: William W. Busse and Stephen T. Holgate, ed. Asthma and Rhinitis. Blackwell Scientific Publications. Boston, MA, 1995: Chapter 3.
Hodge L, Salome CM, Peat JK, Haby MM, Xuan W, Woolcock AJ. Consumption of oily fish and childhood asthma risk. Med J Aust. 1996 Feb 5;164:135-6
Schwartz J. Role of polyunsaturated fatty acids in lung disease. Am J Clin Nutr 2000 Jan;71(1 Suppl): 393S-396S.