Search for *: to find each new part. Or just go to the linked index.
Trans unsaturated fatty acids, or trans fats * , are solid fats produced artificially by heating liquid vegetable oils in the presence of metal catalysts and
hydrogen. This process, partial hydrogenation, causes carbon atoms to bond in a straight configuration and remain in a solid state at room temperature.
Naturally-occurring unsaturated fatty acids have carbon atoms that line up in a bent shape, resulting in a liquid state at room temperature.
What are the health effects of trans fats?
Concerns have been raised for several decades that consumption of trans fatty acids might have contributed to the 20th century epidemic of coronary heart
disease.
Metabolic studies have shown that trans fats have adverse effects on blood lipid levels--increasing LDL ("bad") cholesterol while decreasing HDL ("good")
cholesterol. This combined effect on the ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol is double that of saturated fatty acids.
Trans fats have also been associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease in epidemiologic studies.
Based on the available metabolic studies, we estimated in a 1994 report that approximately 30,000 premature coronary heart disease deaths annually could
be attributable to consumption of trans fatty acids.
In response to these reports, a 1995 review sponsored by the food industry concluded that the evidence was insufficient to take action and that further
research was needed. Since that time many more metabolic studies have been conducted and additional prospective epidemiologic studies have been reported.
Because of the weight of the evidence, the FDA has recently issued a proposal for including trans fatty acid content on the food label.
For years saturated fats have been a healthy part of traditional diets. Healthy fats like coconut oil, which are heavily saturated, have been used for thousands
of years and make great cooking oils and fats. On the other hand, expeller-pressed seed-based vegetable oils have only been around for less than 100 years.
They are polyunsaturated liquid oils, are susceptible to quick rancidity, and must be heavily refined and then hydrogenated to become a solid fat. Many
studies now show that these more modern oils lead to modern diseases and sicknesses that were not common in traditional diets. Consider the following information
taken from "
The Skinny on Fats"
from the Weston A. Price Foundation:
The much-maligned saturated fats—which Americans are trying to avoid—are not the cause of our modern diseases. In fact, they play many important roles in
bullet
Saturated fatty acids constitute at least 50% of the cell membranes. They are what gives our cells necessary stiffness and integrity.
bullet
They play a vital role in the health of our bones. For calcium to be effectively incorporated into the skeletal structure, at least 50% of the dietary fats
should be saturated.
1
bullet
They lower Lp(a), a substance in the blood that indicates proneness to heart disease.
2
They protect the liver from alcohol and other toxins, such as Tylenol.
3
bullet
They enhance the immune system.
4
bullet
They are needed for the proper utilization of essential fatty acids. Elongated omega-3 fatty acids are better retained in the tissues when the diet is rich
in saturated fats.
5
bullet
Saturated 18-carbon stearic acid and 16-carbon palmitic acid are the preferred foods for the heart, which is why the fat around the heart muscle is highly
saturated.
6
The heart draws on this reserve of fat in times of stress.
bullet
Short- and medium-chain saturated fatty acids have important antimicrobial properties. They protect us against harmful microorganisms in the digestive tract.
The scientific evidence, honestly evaluated, does not support the assertion that "artery-clogging" saturated fats cause heart disease.
7
Actually, evaluation of the fat in artery clogs reveals that only about 26% is saturated. The rest is unsaturated, of which more than half is polyunsaturated.
8
Fats occur naturally in food and play an important role in nutrition. Fats and oils provide a concentrated source of energy for the body. Fats are used
to store energy in the body, insulate body tissues, and transport fat soluble vitamins through the blood. They also play in important role in food preparation
by enhancing food flavor, adding mouth-feel, making baked products tender, and conducting heat during cooking.
Not All Fats and Oils Are Created Equally
Fats and oils are made up of basic units called fatty acids. Each type of fat or oil is a mixture of different fatty acids.
Saturated Fatty Acids are found chiefly in animal sources such as meat and poultry, whole or reduced-fat milk, and butter. Some vegetable oils like coconut,
palm kernel oil, and palm oil are saturated. Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature.
Monounsaturated Fatty Acids are found mainly in vegetable oils such as canola, olive, and peanut oils. They are liquid at room temperature.
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids are found mainly in vegetable oils such as safflower, sunflower, corn, flaxseed, and canola oils. Polyunsaturated fats are also
the main fats found in seafood. They are liquid or soft at room temperature. Specific polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic
acid, are called essential fatty acids. They are necessary for cell structure and making hormones. Essential fatty acids must be obtained from foods we
choose.
Trans Fatty Acids are formed when vegetable oils are processed into margarine or shortening. Sources of trans fats in the diet include snack foods and baked
goods made with “partially hydrogenated vegetable oil” or “vegetable shortening.” Trans fatty acids also occur naturally in some animal products such as
dairy products.
fatsoils
Cholesterol is Different
Blood (serum) cholesterol and dietary cholesterol are two different types of cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol is found in food of animal origin such as
egg yolks, organ meats, and full fat dairy products. Blood cholesterol is a waxy substance, which occurs naturally in our body. It is used to make estrogen
and testosterone, and bile, which is needed for digestion. But if the level of cholesterol in the blood is too high, cholesterol and other fats can stick
to the artery walls.
Since blood cholesterol is waxy and cannot dissolve in water, it is carried through the blood in packages called lipoproteins. High density lipoprotein
(HDL) is a “good” package for cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL) is a “bad” package for cholesterol.
HDL cholesterol gathers up excess cholesterol in the blood and carries it to the liver. The liver reprocesses or excretes it. HDL may also help remove some
of the cholesterol deposited on the artery walls.
Excess LDL cholesterol can increase the risk of heart disease because it is LDL cholesterol that builds up on the artery walls. The type of fats and oils
we eat helps control LDL levels.
Research Says…
Eating too many foods high in saturated fat may increase blood levels of LDL and total cholesterol. High blood levels of LDL and total cholesterol are risk
factors for heart disease.
Eating foods high in monounsaturated fatty acids may help lower LDL cholesterol levels and decrease risk of heart disease.
Eating polyunsaturated fats in place of saturated fats decreases LDL cholesterol levels.
Trans fatty acids act like saturated fats and raise LDL cholesterol levels. They may also lower HDL cholesterol in the blood.
Fat and Cholesterol*: Know Your Limits
benefits of coconut products, particularly virgin coconut oil. Coconut oil is rich in lauric
acid, which is known for being antiviral and antibacterial. Studies have been done on its effectiveness in
lowering the viral load of HIV/AIDS
patients. Coconut oil is also being
used by thyroid sufferers
to increase body metabolism, and to
lose weight.
Virgin coconut oil is also used for making natural soaps and other health products, as it is the
healthiest thing one can put on their skin.
cocunut oil*:At one time coconut oil received negative press in the US because of its high level of saturated fat. However, modern research has shown that not all saturated
fats are alike and that the fatty acids in coconut oil, the medium chain tryglycerides, do not raise serum cholesterol or contribute to heart disease like
the long chain tryglycerides found in seed oils. Also, most research done on coconut oil in the past was done on hydrogenated coconut oil, which has been
altered from its original form.
Much research on the nutritional and medicinal benefits on coconut oil has surfaced in recent years. Much of that research has been done by
Dr. Mary Enig.
Dr. Enig has classified coconuts as a "functional food," which provides health benefits over and beyond the basic nutrients. She has specifically identified
lauric acid as a key ingredient in coconut products:
"Approximately 50% of the fatty acids in coconut fat are lauric acid. Lauric acid is a medium chain fatty acid, which has the additional beneficial function
of being formed into monolaurin in the human or animal body. Monolaurin is the antiviral, antibacterial, and antiprotozoal monoglyceride used by the human
or animal to destroy lipid coated viruses such as HIV, herpes, cytomegalovirus, influenza, various pathogenic bacteria including listeria monocytogenes
and heliobacter pylori, and protozoa such as giardia lamblia. Some studies have also shown some antimicrobial effects of the free lauric acid."
As a "functional food," coconut oil is now being recognized by the medical community as a powerful tool against immune diseases. Several studies have been
done on its effectiveness, and much research is currently being done on the incredible nutritional value of pure coconut oil.
poly unsatuarated, pufa,
linolalic acid acid can be made in the body as well as by eating them.
super unsaturated: the body can make these as well as by eating them, sufa.
Fats That Heal Fats That Kill*:An Interview with Udo Erasmus. Part I: Good Fats and Bad Fats
Interview by Ori Hofmekler, January 2000 Premier Issue.
What began as a personal disaster - being poisoned on the job by industrial pesticides - was turned into the triumph of a best-selling book. ("Knowing that
the poisons I had been exposed to were carcinogenic and that cancer often involves fats, I needed clear, accurate, factual information.") Following is
an exclusive interview with Udo Erasmus, Ph.D., author of Fats That Heal Fats That Kill. Erasmus is considered by many to be one of the most serious health
gurus today, especially concerning fat metabolism, but also libido, aging, and beauty.
Says Erasmus in the preface of his book, "My health is my responsibility... Our drug-oriented medical approaches cannot lead us to health... Foods and nutrition
are primary options for self-help in health."
With this credo as a guiding thread, Erasmus has fashioned a thought-provoking, sometimes controversial - but always nutritionally sound - understanding
of the role of fats (both good and bad) in our diet.
POWER: There seems to be a fat phobia in this country. Americans were never on diets the way they have been in the last couple of decades. And still people
keep getting fatter and fatter. What do you think is the reason?
ERASMUS: There are several themes in your question. First of all, I think the reason for the fat phobia is that people have heard only half the story on
fats. The complete story is that there are fats that heal as well as fats that kill. Everybody has been told to avoid the fats that kill, but the importance
of the fats that heal has been neglected. Yet the healing fats are even more important than the avoidance of bad fats, because we cannot stay alive if
we don't get enough of the healing fats. If you know only half the story - if you think that all fats are bad - then it makes sense that you would avoid
all of them.
The second reason people aren't getting fats is industrial. The food industry likes its products to have a long shelf life. Like perishable groceries, the
healing fats spoil easily and cause shorter shelf life.
POWER: What are the fats that heal - the good fats? And what do they heal?
ERASMUS: The fats that heal really involve three substances. One is called Omega-3 essential fatty acid, or alpha-linolenic acid. The second is Omega-6,
or linoleic acid. If you take these in the right ratio - which is important - and you get enough of the both, the body makes several derivatives that are
important for health. And some of these derivatives are turned into hormones called prostaglandins that are vital to optimal body functioning.
The third area that's important is what we call "minor" ingredients. These are substances found in oils that are simply squeezed out of seeds or nuts and
not further processed. They make up only 2 percent of an oil, which is why they are called "minor", but they have major benefits for health. Among them
are phytosterols, lecithin, carotene, chlorophyll, vitamin E, and many others. They are removed or destroyed in the usual processing of oils, in order
to achieve a longer shelf life.
The healing fats heal everything that one suffers from getting less than optimal amounts of them. They optimize energy level and performance; improve brain
function, mood, behavior, and intelligence; make skin soft, smooth, and velvety; improve digestive, gland, and organ functions; lower most cardiovascular
risk factors; are anti-inflammatory, and dampen the over-response of the immune system in autoimmune conditions; help transport minerals and keep bones
strong; protect our genes from being damaged; are required for hemoglobin production, cell growth, and cell division; have anti-cancer properties; and
help in fat loss and weight normalization.
POWER: Can the body produce essential fatty acids on its own?
ERASMUS: The word "essential" means that they are substances the body cannot produce itself. By definition, essential fatty aids come from dietary fat;
our body cannot make them but must have them to be able to live. Essential fatty acids must therefore come from foods. A no-fat diet cannot provide them,
and a low-fat diet will not provide enough.
If you don't get enough essential fatty acids, your health deteriorates. You pass through a progressively worsening set of degenerative deficiency symptoms,
and if the deficiency is sustained long enough, you die,
Also part of the definition of "essential" is that if you are deteriorating from a deficiency of essential fatty acids, and you put enough of them back
into the deficient diet, the deficiency symptoms are reversed and you recover your health. So they have great healing potential in all conditions that
result from essential-fatty-acid deficiency.
The final part of the definition is that a nutrient cannot be called "essential" until researchers have identified at least one biochemical reaction in
the body in which that substance is required, and without which that reaction cannot take place.
Many of the degenerative conditions on which traditional medicine has had a hard time getting a handle are the result of insufficient or suboptimal intake
of one or more of the essential nutrients - some 20 minerals, 13 vitamins, 8 essential amino acids from proteins, and 2 essential fatty acids from fats.
If you optimize their presence in the diet, you get reversals of all those conditions that result from deficiency. Which explains why the nutritional approach
works so well today. Many modern illnesses (sometimes called the "diseases of civilization", which really means diseases caused by food processing) result
from not getting enough of one or more of the essential nutrients, or from toxic influences that interfere with our biochemistry - in other words poison
us.
POWER: In your book you say that there are fats that make you actually lose body fat. Is this true?
ERASMUS: Yes. In fact, the notion that fats make you fat has never been true. Even the wrong fats help you lose weight, because they suppress appetite.
High-fat, high-protein diets have been used for weight loss for the past 40 years. They work. If it's the wrong kind of fat, it will be hard on kidneys
and liver eventually, but it still works for weight loss. If you eat the right fats - the ones I call the healing fats or essential fats - they increase
your metabolic rate. Your burn more calories and you feel more like being active because they increase energy levels.
Essential fats also work to curb food cravings. And they are anti-inflammatory, helping get rid of water in inflamed tissues, which can be part of the over-weight
problem. As I said, they make your skin soft and velvety, elevate your mood, improve thinking ability, make you feel energetic and more like taking care
of yourself. If your skin is lousy, your mood is low, you can't think straight, and have no energy, your self-esteem will likely be affected in a negative
way.
In the past ten years in America we have reduced fat intake from 42 percent of calories to 35 percent. In those same ten years the incidence of obesity
increased from 20 to 33 percent of the population. Which means that eating less fat will likely make you fatter.
POWER: What kinds of fats make you lose fat? Is it the combination of Omega-3 and Omega-6, or is it just Omega-3? You state in your book that there is already
too much Omega-6 in our diet.
ERASMUS: All fats have some weight loss benefits, because they suppress appetite, but Omega-3's reduce weight far better than Omega-6's or other fats. We
use a ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 of two to one. We find that a ratio any higher than 2.5 times richer in Omega-3 runs the risk of making people Omega-6
deficient, which can lead to degenerative deficiency problems.
POWER: Is there any connection between fat and libido?
ERASMUS: Fat and libido are connected in several ways. First, essential fats increase energy levels, because they increase the body's ability to use oxygen.
That means they increase stamina, improve performance, and speed recovery from fatigue - all of which are certainly helpful to libido.
Second, Essential fats are required for hormone production. Animal studies show that hydrogenated fats - found in some margarines, shortening, and partially
hydrogenated vegetable oils - lower testosterone levels, and essential fat deficiency impairs testosterone production.
Third essential fats improve the functions of liver, thyroid, and other glands and organs. They improve general health, which can result in increased libido.
Fourth, essential fats make skin really nice. Because of this effect, we sometimes call them the "essensual" or "essexual" fats.
POWER: Do monounsaturated fats like olive oil or almond oil increase testosterone? And is it true that cholesterol increases testosterone increases testosterone
levels?
ERASMUS: Our body makes testosterone from cholesterol. That doesn't mean, however, that you have to consume cholesterol, because your body can also make
cholesterol, and it makes however much you need.
If testosterone levels are low, then stimulating cholesterol production is good. Essential fats help to accomplish this by giving our glands the energy
they need to their job better, and longer.
Regarding olive oil which is low in Omega-6 and contains almost no Omega-3s at all, I haven't seen an increase in libido, unless the person had previously
had low energy levels from being on a low-fat or no-fat diet. Extra-virgin olive oil does have some minor ingredients that are very good for health. Good
health is a very powerful aphrodisiac, especially if you are also in love.
POWER: I just encountered some research which said that when people eat high amounts of monounsaturated fats, such as occur in nuts and olives, they increase
testosterone more than other oils. Is this true?
ERASMUS: I don't think so. Your body can make monounsaturated fats out of sugar and starch, so if monounsaturates were the key testosterone production should
not be a problem. Many researchers also state that monounsaturates are good for cardiovascular disease. But in extra-virgin olive oil it is the minor ingredients,
which make up only 2 percent of the oil, that carry most of the cardiovascular benefits.
POWER: People are being exposed to increasing amounts of estrogen from the environment. Both males and females suffer from too much estrogen in the body
as a result of aging, as well as the hormones in beef, chicken and dairy products, from plastics, petroleum fertilizers, and pesticides that pollute our
water and food. Too much estrogen in the body creates stubborn fat, and can cause breast cancer and other hazards.
ERASMUS: Not to mention fat deposits on men's pectoral muscles, what some people in body building call "bitch tits." A study in Canada found that men who
eat a lot of (inorganic) chicken actually grow female-shaped breasts from estrogen hormones fed to chickens to make the birds grow faster for commercial
reasons.
POWER: Can proper fat metabolism protect you from this estrogen syndrome?
ERASMUS: Optimal testosterone production, encouraged by optimal essential-fat intake, can help because men produce some estrogen, just as women produce
some testosterone, but the normal ratio of testosterone to estrogen is much higher in men than in women. So higher testosterone levels in men can help
prevent the feminization of their chest. Optimal testosterone production helps muscular development. Essential fats also improve insulin function, which
also plays a role in muscular growth.
POWER: Is it true that lignans in flax act like an estrogen blocker? Can they mimic estrogen?
ERASMUS: Yes. The lignans in flax are phytoestrogens, which have weak estrogen activity. They can raise low estrogen levels and lower high estrogen, because
they occupy the estrogen-activity sites.
POWER: So you could say flaxseed oil has an estrogen-balancing effect?
ERASMUS: It's possible. That's interesting, but not likely, because almost all of the phytoestrogens in flax remain in the seed cake and don't end up in
the oil. I ascribe the benefits of flax oil to the fact that the Omega-3s in flax oil help to build muscle. Omega-3 deficiency causes weakness. When people
use flax oil (properly balanced with Omega-6), they can work out longer; their muscles grow quicker; they recover quicker. And there's the testosterone
production effect.
I ascribe these effects to the Omega-3s. But remember that flax can make you Omega-6 deficient, and then every tissue in the body falls apart. So flax should
be enriched with Omega-6-rich sunflower and sesame oils to get the Omega-6s up.
POWER: Is it true that flaxseed oil, if eaten with starches, can offset or reduce the weight gain that's associated with eating starches? If so, what is
the reason? Is it the effect on the glycemic index?
ERASMUS: There are a couple of reasons. One is that Omega-3s, not the flax, can increase the metabolic rate and help increase oxygen metabolism, so you
burn more of the starch calories.
Fats generally can lower the glycemic index by slowing stomach-emptying time, so you absorb the carbohydrates more gradually.
I would be really cautious, though. Slower stomach emptying also means more time for digestion, which may result in absorbing more calories from starch,
so some people who put flax oil on their potatoes actually gain a little weight. It's the potato that makes them fat. Any starch that, when digested into
glucose and absorbed, is in excess of what is needed for fuel is automatically turned into fat by the body. In other words, overweight people are wearing
extra fuel as fat, waiting for a famine.
People who have major weight problems - the seriously obese - are fat-phobic carbohydrate junkies.
POWER: So there is no difference between complex carbohydrates and simple carbohydrates in terms of how much we should eat?
ERASMUS: You get worse effects from simple carbohydrates (sugars), because they are absorbed so rapidly, flood the bloodstream, and must then be turned
into fat. You'll also get more hypoglycemia and diabetic problems with sugars than with starches. But too much complex carbohydrates (starches) can also
turn to fats.
The key issue is not to eat more fuel than you burn. Carbohydrates are good fuel. They burn clean. The problem is the too much. Only the excess turns into
fat.
We tell people who want to reduce excess weight to lower their intake of carbohydrates and raise their intake of greens/vegetables.
POWER: That's approximately the philosophy of Barry Sears, author of The Zone, who advocates a diet of 40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent fat, 30 percent
protein. What do you think? Is this the ideal diet?
ERASMUS: No, it's not. If you're an athlete, you may be able to eat 60 to 70 percent of your calories as carbohydrates and burn them off and not get fat.
If you're sedentary, 40 percent might be too much. It's different for different people. You cannot make one diet that works for everybody, because everybody's
metabolism and lifestyle are different.
Carbohydrates are good fuel. We should not malign them unfairly. It is the excess carbohydrates that we don't need, the excess fuel we don't burn and which
the body must turn into fat, that causes weight problems.
Look, it's not complicated to figure out how much carbohydrate a person should take in. Your body tells you. How? If you're getting fat, you're eating too
many carbs.
POWER: So there is no one formula that is good for everyone?
ERASMUS: That's correct. All people need the same essential nutrients - fewer than 50 of them - but everyone's optimum is different. Optimums can vary by
a factor of ten among individuals, sometimes even more. Genetic, climatic, activity, lifestyle, and toxicity factors all play a role in determining optimums.
POWER: What is your opinion of Dr. Atkins's diet, which is extremely high-protein, high-fat, almost no carbs?
ERASMUS: Atkins's diet works for weight loss. I pay more attention to getting the right kinds of fat in the diet, rather than just any fat, because the
wrong kinds of fat eventually have detrimental effects on liver, kidneys, and other organs. The right fats will not cause such problems, and in fact they
improve the functions of the inner organs. But Atkins's diet has helped many people normalize weight, simply because it addresses the excessive carbohydrate
intake that leads to fat production in the body.
POWER: People who attack Dr. Atkins's diet mostly do so regarding the side effects of ketones in the body. Do you agree with this criticism - or with Dr.
Atkins, who feels ketones are good for you?
ERASMUS: Atkins is right, in that ketones suppress appetite. His critics are right as to damage caused by ketones in the long term. The Atkins diet would
work better if it emphasized oils rich in the right ratio of essential fats.
The difficulty is that such oils have to be made with care, need to be used with care - not for frying - and need to be richer in Omega-3's, which help
in weight reduction for several reasons. They increase energy and calorie burning; they decrease inflammation, thereby releasing water held in inflamed,
swollen tissues; they lift depression, a common reason for overeating; and they suppress appetite while reducing cravings for carbohydrate junk foods and
sugar.
Oils made with health in mind should be stored in brown glass bottles, in a box that will protect them from light, in the fridge. They can be found in health-food
stores, gyms, and the dispensaries of natural healers. Part of the problem has been the need for re-education on the right oils.
POWER: Do you think that people can live in high-protein, high-fat diets with no carbs?
ERASMUS: For a time, yes. But long term, we need carbs. I prefer that people get their carbs from greens, rather than starchy vegetables like potatoes,
grains, or fruit.
Greens are the most important food on this planet. They provide minerals, vitamins, amino acids, fatty acids, fiber, as well as enzymes and friendly bowel
bacteria if they are eaten raw. They are also rich in antioxidants, and provide healing phytonutrients. They provide water, hold water in the soil, and
make oxygen. They even make our beef (cows are made from grass). For weight management, greens are also exceptional, because it is almost impossible to
get fat on greens.
POWER: So carbohydrates are connected to metabolism - gaining fat or losing fat?
ERASMUS: Yes, they are the key factor.
POWER: And they're also connected to the glycemic index, which is tied to insulin response?
ERASMUS: Yes. They are the foods with the highest glycemic index, which is an indicator of the insulin activity required to deal with them. When the body
turns fats into carbs they block insulin activity, which makes you insulin resistant. Sugars also remove minerals like chromium and magnesium from your
body. These, along with zinc and essential fats, are required for insulin to be able to function.
POWER:People who have high insulin sensitivity might not gain weight at all, even if they ate excessive amounts of carbohydrates. Is this true?
ERASMUS: No. People with genetically based high metabolic rates do burn carbs readily, and don't get fat on them because they burn them. People with more
muscle mass can also can also eat more carbs without getting fat, because muscles burn a lot of carbohydrates during activity, and activity is what makes
muscles grow.
Whatever stimulates insulin to put glucose into cells will not be helpful to weight loss. The relationship of insulin to carbs goes like this: Carbs are
digested into glucose, which is absorbed into the body. Glucose stimulates insulin production. Insulin gets glucose into the cells, where they enter the
cell furnace (Krebs cycle), which "burns" them to make energy. If you don't need all the energy that comes from burning glucose, the body turns glucose-breakdown
products (acetates) from the cell furnace into hard (saturated) fats. Hard fats interfere with insulin function, as do sugars and other carbs that the
body turns into hard fats.
If insulin does a good job, you end up with stored fat as well as low blood sugar. Low blood sugar has two results. One, you get hungry again and eat more,
which can trigger the above fat-producing cycle. Two, your adrenals kick in to make glucose (gluconeogenesis) from proteins, so you lose muscle mass, lowering
your metabolic rate and making you even more sugar-sensitive.
The short answer: Limit carbohydrate intake if you want to avoid losing muscle and gaining fat.
POWER: What other things can you suggest to increase the insulin sensitivity?
ERASMUS: You can reverse most cases of insulin-resistent, type-II diabetes if you ensure optimal intake of zinc, chromium, magnesium, and essential fats;
reduce intake of sugars, sweets, carbohydrates, and hard (saturated) fats; and increase your intake of green foods. That is, provided that no permanent
damage has been done to vital tissues. Make sure you get enough good proteins and good fats, because these supply essential nutrients that the body must
have but cannot make. Be active to build muscle.
END OF PART 1
Fats That Heal Fats That Kill: An Interview with Udo Erasmus. Part II: Essential Fatty Acids, Hormonal Manipulation, and Nutritional Supplements
Interview by Ori Hofmekler, April 2000.
What began as a personal disaster - being poisoned on the job by industrial pesticides - was turned into the triumph of a best-selling book. ("Knowing that
the poisons I had been exposed to were carcinogenic and that cancer often involves fats, I needed clear, accurate, factual information.") Following is
an exclusive interview with Udo Erasmus, Ph.D., author of Fats That Heal Fats That Kill. Erasmus is considered by many to be one of the most serious health
gurus today, especially concerning fat metabolism, but also libido, aging, and beauty.
Says Erasmus in the preface of his book, "My health is my responsibility... Our drug-oriented medical approaches cannot lead us to health... Foods and nutrition
are primary options for self-help in health."
With this credo as a guiding thread, Erasmus has fashioned a thought-provoking, sometimes controversial - but always nutritionally sound - understanding
of the role of fats (both good and bad) in our diet.
POWER: Can you explain what prostaglandins are and how they are connected to essential fatty acids?
ERASMUS: The prostaglandins are hormones that are made from essential fatty acids. There are also hormones that are made from cholesterol, hormones made
from amino acids, and hormones made from proteins. Prostaglandins come in three families, two of them good and one that causes some problems. They each
have their place. In the jungle, the prostaglandin 2's are very good for survival. And the prostaglandin 1's and 3's make sure that the prostaglandin 2's
don't get out of hand. There are prostaglandins that relax arterial muscle tone. There are prostaglandins that constrict arterial muscle tone. You would
expect that some prostaglandins will help to maintain an erection. So they could be very helpful. Of course it also helps to be near a desirable object
- and maybe it helps to be in love.
POWER: You said that there is a relationship between beauty and essential fatty acids. Does this refer to skin that is beautiful? Beauty in general? The
aging process? Or all of these?
ERASMUS: Well, if you look at it from its foundation, you cannot separate health, performance, and beauty. Because performance requires health, and beauty
is really the external manifestation of healthy biochemical function. It sounds very unromantic, but that's how it is. And it's also manifested on the
skin. Because the essential fats, besides improving cardiovascular health, energy levels, and brain function, are required for brain development, healthy
glands and organs, and [they] help with weight loss. They are also anti-inflammatory and anti-autoimmune - which all together makes beautiful skin, if
you get the right ratio and enough of them. We measure optimum intake by how the skin feels. When you get the optimum amount of essential fatty acids they
form a barrier in the skin against the loss of moisture, and so they are nature's perfect moisturizer.
POWER: Can you use them topically on the skin?
ERASMUS: They're not used in external cosmetics because if you put them on the skin they'll go rancid. That's why you need to take them internally, and
they will make the skin soft and velvety. The reason we use skin as our measure for optimum intake is because skin gets the essential fats last.
POWER: Do you know how much Omega 3's and 6's one should take, and how long one would need to take them before seeing a change in one's skin?
ERASMUS: To do our work we use a blend that is twice as rich in Omega-3's as Omega-6's. Usually adults need between two and three tablespoons a day. I use
about 3 tablespoonfuls a day in the summer, and four in the winter, because during the fall when the weather turns people begin to notice their skin gets
dry, and that's nature telling them they need more oil. Bodybuilders may need to take seven or eight to get the same results on their skin that I feel
I get with three or four.
POWER: Is there anything like too much of a good oil?
ERASMUS: Too much? We have people take 50 percent of their calories from fats. That's a lot of fat. They lose weight on them, they lose their arthritic
symptoms on them.
The Eskimos got up to 60 percent of their calories from fat, and they didn't have clogged arteries, get diabetes, cancer, or multiple sclerosis. Although
their diet was much higher in fat [than the diets that were killing us], theirs was unprocessed and our was processed; theirs was very rich in essential-fat
derivatives, whereas ours was a poor source of essential fats.
POWER: In other words, there is no limit to how much good fat you can take?
ERASMUS: Well, there is one limit: If you take more fat at any one time than your liver can process - because your liver has to process fats - then you
will feel heavy or nauseated, and what that means is you need to spread it out over the day so you never give your liver more than it can handle. Some
people can take a huge amount of fat and not have a problem with it, and some people can only take a little at a time. That's really the main symptom you
might get.
POWER: You produce your own oil, Udo's Choice Perfected Oil Blend. Is this the best combination of oil on the market today?
ERASMUS: I'm the guy who pioneered the whole deal. I'm the guy who dug out the information. I had cancer to look forward to. I knew that cancer often involves
fats, and I didn't know how, so I dug out the information. It took me six years of digging through the journals. That's a long time to spend researching
something. And then I developed machinery for making oils with health in mind. Of all the people who are going in this direction, I'm the only one who
has the education. I get a lot of feedback because I work with a lot of people. I try it on myself, my friends - and if that works, then I expand the circle.
The reason why we use skin to determine what's optimum is because your brain, your liver, your heart require the oils - and if they were deprived because
the oil went to the skin first, then you would have serious health problems. But you can live with dry skin. It's not beautiful, but you can live with
it. So nature's wisdom says skin gets it last. By the time your skin is soft and velvety, you also know that you have dealt your health issues, because
the rest of your body has what it needs.
POWER: So you know that all your inside organs have enough fat?
ERASMUS: Right.
POWER: Some men and women suffer from water retention under the skin, usually puffiness under the eyes. Is there any way that this oil can remove it?
ERASMUS: Well, there are a couple of issues we are talking about here. One is kidney function. The essential fats are extremely important for kidney function,
and if your kidney doesn't work you retain water. But that's more a bodywide thing, and again the Omega-3's do a better job here, but you've got to have
enough Omega-6's not to become deficient. So don't just use flax oil for it. You really need more Omega-6. We use flax with some sunflower and sesame to
improve the ratio. The other issue is involved with allergies or liver function. And if it involves allergies you need to make sure that foods are properly
digested or you need to remove certain foods. I would rather improve digestion than remove foods. And that is a result of histamine and prostaglandin action
in the body as a result of allergies.
POWER: How are you going to digest the food if you're allergic?
ERASMUS: What we do is give people the oil to improve gut integrity and prevent leaky gut that leads to food allergies. And then we give them enzymes to
replace the enzymes destroyed when foods are cooked. And we give them particular enzyme mixtures that are very rich in proteases, because poorly digested
protein causes most of the problems. When food is completely digested, there is virtually nothing left to be allergic to anymore. So that's why we would
rather replace the enzymes, taking them a little closer to how it was in nature again, than to remove foods. Because we've seen people remove so many foods
from their diet that the only thing they could eat was oatmeal, and oatmeal is not a balanced diet. So I would rather go in the direction of helping digestion
than removing foods.
POWER: Can stretch marks be helped? Women often get stretch marks after birth. Men can get them when they lose weight, or pump up too much when bodybuilding.
What about wrinkles? Is there any way to remove or reduce these two hazards of aging skin?
ERASMUS: For stretch marks I only preventative [measures]. Most of those people end up with a zinc deficiency, and then the collagen comes apart. That's
what the stretch marks are from. So that's preventable. But I don't know of any reversal for it. Once you got 'em you got 'em. So if you don't think stretch
marks are very beautiful, this is a very good reason to take the wise road of getting the nutrients you need before you have problems.
In terms of water under the skin, with bodybuilders who want to look shredded before their competitions - which means no fat under the skin so you can see
all the muscle striations - we have consistently used oils rich in Omega-3's, and when properly balanced, they can attain [the] fat burn-off under the
skin they want. This can be done with oils now. They used to do it with diuretics. Diuretics are very hard on kidney function, and they deprive you of
potassium, which is also hard on cardiovascular function. The athletes are getting just as good results - probably better - with the proper use of oils.
POWER: Do the oils burn the fat or remove water under the skin?
ERASMUS: Burn the fat. Now while it could also be water - it would remove the water as well, provided the kidneys aren't doing their job of getting rid
of excess water. So it could actually be both - but the oils do a good job on both.
POWER: Well, it could also be that Omega-3 is an estrogen blocker, and it is estrogen that gives you a lot of body fat under the skin.
ERASMUS: And wrinkles come from skin being dry. Those essential fats - if you get them in the right ratio, in the right amount, and the right kind - will
remove some. I've seen people in their eighties with soft, velvety skin. They'll have some brown spots, but their skin is soft and velvety. The character
lines, which are the deep wrinkles, I have not seen reversed. I mean, I don't know, I'm 56 - I don't have a whole lot of wrinkles. I will get those character
lines. But the oil does a wonderful job if you get enough oil to keep the face from getting all the other wrinkles that come from dryness. And then the
other [areas] where it works well [are] eczema, psoriasis, and acne. It's also very helpful on those conditions.
POWER: There are some degenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis or other physical problems that, according to traditional medicine, don't show any serious
solution right now. Is there anything you want to say about myasthenia gravis, for example, and other degenerative diseases?
ERASMUS: Well, there is research that shows that in places where essential fat intake is high, multiple sclerosis is very rare. So that's from one end.
From the other end, people who get multiple sclerosis, if you look at their diets, they're usually very poor diets, lots of crackers and cheese, very few
greens and very few fats...And then the third place to come from is that we have seen people with multiple sclerosis arrest the progression of the disease
and improve their energy levels. In some cases, with lots of greens - because greens are really important there - even reverse it.
You know, wisdom is better than hind sight. It's better to head it off doing things right in the first place than to wait until you have the problem and
try to reverse it. Prevention is always easier than reversal. The only people at this point in the general sense in this society who are taking the wise
approach are actually the people who want to look good and be fit. The people who are interested in beauty and performance. Those are the people who are
embracing the idea of good nutrition on a preventative basis. Whereas the rest of the population generally neglect themselves until something goes wrong,
and then they try to look for some technology to fix it. So the kids are the wisest of the bunch in this area.
POWER: Do you have any opinion about people suffering from mental problems like obsessive behavior?
ERASMUS: There is some research on obsessive-compulsive disorder that [says] fats are important. Certainly in depression, [there is] good research and consistent
feedback [that says] when people make the oil change we recommend, their mood is elevated and their depression is lifted. Hyperactivity responds, dyslexia
responds, clumsiness responds, attention deficit responds... Also, in schizophrenia, there's less hallucination. People deal with stress better and feel
calmer. Also intelligence improves, and there's research on that - I.Q. goes up by six to nine points.
POWER: Talk more about eating disorder and obsessive-compulsive behavior. Eating disorder is a big disease today, for women especially.
ERASMUS: Yes. There are a couple of things I know. The essential fats should be helpful. They're also helpful in Alzheimer's. But zinc is also important
in eating disorders. I guess what I would say to those people [with eating disorders] is that you will never be perfect externally, even if you're very
beautiful. Perfection is meant to be an inner experience. Go a little easier on yourself, maybe break a few rules, be a little bit rebellious - and try
not to be perfect in other people's eyes.
I talked to a fourteen year old girl in Australia. I was at one of the conferences. And her mother said, "Would you tell my daughter what she needs to do?"
- because she had an eating disorder. So I talked to her just about a few things, and finally I whispered in her ear, "You're far too beautiful to treat
yourself this badly." And she started to cry. And that was the beginning of changing for her. And I had no idea that would happen.
POWER: What is your opinion about hormonal injection therapy? Is there any better way to go about it?
ERASMUS: Well, first of all, I would not get involved with hormone manipulation if I hadn't first put the natural program in place - making sure you get
all your minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and essential fatty acids in optimum quantities for your needs. Food is number one. Food is primary health care,
because the body is made out of food, and if you deal with that, just about everything will work. Your genetic material knows what to do if it's given
the tools that it needs. I would not do hormone manipulation. The other thing is that foods are very safe.
POWER: Do not inject anything foreign before you try all your options?
ERASMUS: Right. Hormones are very powerful - much more powerful than nutrients, so they have to be used with a much greater degree of caution. There are
many stories about bodybuilders that were so intent on getting huge that have had serious health problems. I've talked to some of them; I do consultations
with them sometimes. So I would caution people about hormones simply because they are so powerful and they act in such tiny doses that you really need
to know what you are doing. I would not use them unless the nutritional program had been put in place; you were at an age where you had a particular glandular
problem that had been measured; and you were really clear [on what you were doing].
Thyroid hormone will help in some cases like that; testosterone or estrogen or progesterone might help. Growth hormone, I would have some serious problems
with because it's a protein, and people become allergic to it. I would maybe use D.H.E.A., but only if there was a measured deficiency, and the person
was over 50. But certainly not for people who are young.
Flax and Borage Seed Oil Two fats we need may also need each other.
by Jade Beutler
In this day and age of fat phobia and the resultant barrage of low fat and non-fat food products lining the grocery store aisles, a recommendation to supplement
your daily diet with one to two tablespoons of essential fatty acid rich oil would appear to go against the grain. To the contrary, this is exactly what
health conscious consumers are doing across the country, not only to attain and maintain optimal health, but in many instances, as a treatment for the
over 60 health ailments the essential fatty acids have been scientifically validated to benefit.
While it is true Americans should not consume more than 20-30% of daily calories as fats, a lack of the dietary essential fatty acids has been suggested
to facilitate degenerative disease. If surveys are correct that approximately 80% of our population is deficient in the essential fatty acids, this may
present a serious health threat.
Unfortunately, mass commercial refinement of fats and oils products and foods containing them has effectively eliminated the essential fatty acids from
our food chain, contributing to our modern day deficiency.
Organic, unrefined flaxseed oil is considered by many to be the answer to this health dilemma. Oil extracted from organic flaxseeds is unique because it
contains both essential fatty acids: alpha- linolenic, an omega-3 fatty acid, and linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid, in appreciable amounts. Flaxseed
oil is the world's richest source of omega-3 fatty acids at a whopping 57% (over two times the amount of omega-3 fatty acids as fish oils).
Omega-3 fatty acids have been extensively studied for their beneficial effects toward:
high cholesterol levels
stroke and heart attack
angina (heart pain)
high blood pressure
arthritis
multiple sclerosis
psoriasis and eczema
cancer
The high content of omega-3 fatty acids inherent in flaxseed oil is but one of its positive attributes. The essential fatty acids combined here have proven
to impart a regulatory function on the body's fatty acid metabolism. Fat metabolism is as important, if not more critical, than our body's metabolism of
proteins and carbohydrates as evidenced by the drastic rise in fat related degenerative diseases, such as vascular disease and strokes.
Dietary essential fatty acids common to flaxseed oil are ultimately converted to hormone- like substances known as prostaglandins, and are important for
the regulation of a host of bodily functions including:
inflammation, pain, and swelling
pressure in the eye, joints or blood vessels
secretions from mucus membranes and their viscosity
smooth muscle and autonomic reflexes, gastrointestinal, arterial, ear, heart
water retention
blood clotting ability
allergic response and rheumatoid arthritis
nerve transmission
steroid production and hormone synthesis
Scientists continue to discover regulating effects of prostaglandins. Without the essential fatty acids 'the building blocks of prostaglandins' a malfunction
of fat metabolism is certain, as are problems in the regulation of the above listed bodily functions.
For some individuals, flaxseed oil may offer only half of the solution. Those deficient in co- factor nutrients, specifically the vitamins pro- A, A, C,
E, B2, B6, pantothenic acid, B 12, biotin, and the minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium, sulfur, and zinc, sometimes have difficulty in converting the
omega-6 fatty acid, linoleic acid, found in flax and other seed oils to the healthful prostaglandins.
Still others are thought to lack the necessary enzyme (catalyst) to make this conversion; particularly those afflicted with diabetes, asthma, cystic fibrosis,
multiple sclerosis, alcoholism and the aged.
For those suffering from co-factor deficiencies, a broad spectrum multi-vitamin and mineral may be recommended with, perhaps, an oil supplement rich in
gamma- linolenic acid (GLA). Individuals who may lack the proper enzyme system would require a GLA supplement in addition to the flaxseed oil to effectively
skip over the absent or impaired enzyme and continue on toward normal production of beneficial prostaglandins.
Nature's most potent concentration of GLA comes in the form of organic borage seed oil (24%). A great deal of scientific research has been conducted with
supplements rich in GLA, resulting in significant interest regarding the aforementioned health ailments, as well as those affected by pre-menstrual syndrome,
benign breast disease, eczema, psoriasis, obesity, and vascular disorders.
When considering an essential fatty acid supplement and deciding on either organic flax or borage seed oils the most sensible solution may be a formulation
of the two. The combination of both organic flax and organic borage seed oil yields a true Omega-Twin by providing nature's best of the omega-3 fatty acids
in flax with the best of omega-6 fatty acids in GLA rich borage oil. This option has now been made available by a flax/borage oil product that can be found
in many health food stores.
Supplementation with organic flax and borage seed oils combined makes good sense for the following reasons.
Omega-3 fatty acids and GLA together exert favorable effects on the production of beneficial prostaglandins. *A number of health problems have proven to
benefit from both omega-3 fatty acids and GLA supplementation.
Organic flaxseed oil combined with organic borage oil may exhibit synergistic complementary effects.
Optimal conversion of fatty acids to beneficial prostaglandins is more likely assured.
Flax and borage oils combined in a single formulation is less expensive than purchasing both separately.
In conclusion, the answer appears not to be no fat, but the right fat, as common to organic flax and borage seed oils, to achieve optimal health. Summary:
Past and present scientific research supports the use of essential fatty acid nutrients in promoting optimal health. Flaxseed oil is recognized as nature's
richest source of essential and omega-3 fatty acids. Borage seed oil is recognized as nature's richest source of GLA. These natural plant substances used
alone have created a great deal of interest in the treatment of numerous health problems. Evidence exists to suggest the combination of omega-3 fatty acids
with gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) may further complement the therapeutic result of either fatty acid used singularly.