SHOWCASE MAGAZINE | 2018
FAT
The fat in food wields surprising
power over your cells. A cell’s
biological activity – thus its pro-
pensity to promote or discourage
disease processes – often hangs
on a fragile balance of food- de-
rived fatty acids within the cell.
That means the type of fat you eat
is of enormous consequence to
your overall health. New research
shows that eating any type of fat
sets off bio- chemical fireworks
of exquisite complexity in cells.
The result may be the dispatching
of hormones- like messengers to
stimulate inflammation, immune
responses, blood clotting, head-
aches, constriction of blood ves-
sels, 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 pharma-
cology is a very complex process,
involving enzymes, many meta-
bolic steps and a delicate balance
of fats in cells, it has thrilling pos-
sibilities for deterring and amelio-
rating 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 con-
trolled by very potent hormone
like substances – prostaglandins.
Thromboxanesand leukotrienes
– collectively called eicosanoids.
Then, even more momentous,
researchers learned that the raw
material from which these mighty
eicosanoid messengers are made
is from fat from food. In other
HOW TO GET THE DISEASE-FIGHTING ANTIOXIDANTS
When you choose fruits and vegetables, look for those with co-
lour; usually the deeper the colour, the more antioxidants. Also,
fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables have more antioxidants
than those that are canned, processed or heated.
Generally you get more antioxidants if you eat
* Red grapes rather than green or white grapes.
* Red and yellow onions instead of white onions.
* Cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli raw or lightly cooked.
* Garlic raw and crushed.
* Fresh and frozen vegetables rather than canned ones.
* Micro waved vegetables instead of boiled and steamed ones.
* Extra virgin cold-processed olive oil.
* The deepest, darkest green leafy vegetables.
* Pink grapefruits instead of white grapefruit.
* Whole fruits rather than juices
* Fresh and frozen juices instead of canned ones
* The deepest orange carrots, sweet potatoes and pumpkins.
words, factories that turns out
these all – important eicosanoids
that come out. They can be bio-
logically 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 eicosa-
noids circulating in your body.
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
Very quickly after you eat fat,
it shows up in the membranes
of your cells where its metabolic
fate is determined. Although fatty
acids come I many subtle varia-
tions of molecular arrangement,
two major categories are most
important in making eicosanoids;
omega 3 fatty acids, concentrat-
ed in land-based vegetable oils
such a corn oil, safflower and
sunflower oil, as well as in animal
foods raised on land-based feeds.
When you consume land-bases
omega-6 fatty acids from a piece
of meat or corn oil, they are likely
to be changed into a substance
84
called arachidonic acid , which in
turn spawns substances that are
highly inflammatory or promote
blood stickiness and blood vessel
constriction. Fat from seafood is
radically different and more be-
nign. Its omega -3 fatty acids are
apt to be converted into substanc-
es that counteract blood platelet
climbing, dilate blood vessels and
reduce inflammation cell damage.
Since food is made of mixtures
of omega-3 s and omega -6s,
obviously these two fatty acids
are continuously giving contradic-
tory 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 Williams
E.M. Land, Ph.D., a pioneering re-
searcher on fish oils and formally
a professor of biochemistry at the
University of Illinois at Chicago. If
your cells are flooded with ome-
ga-6 fatty acids, the resulting over
supply of over active prostaglan-
dins is apt to run amok, generat-