Results matching “fish oil”

Weight loss, a hardy topic. No pun intended. Recently, vitalchoice published an article regarding the intake of omega 3s vs. omega 6s on weight loss. In a one woman's self-inflicted trial, the theory that high omega 3 intake is related to healthy weight and high omega 6 intake causes weight gain, was put to the test. For one month, Susan Allport replaced her usual omega 3 rich diet to a more omega 6 containing one. This one-women-experiment was based on the following theory:

Omega-3s and omega-6s compete for positions in our cells, as scientists have known since the 1950s, such that anyone consuming a diet too rich in omega-6s (and that would be me) would have fewer omega-3s in all of her tissues - no matter if she continued to eat fish.  

Americans consume 10 times as many omega-6s as they do omega-3s, according to the Agricultural Research Service. And it is that imbalance - not the amount of fish we eat--that is causing us to be deficient in omega-3s, the scientists who study these fats realize. A healthy balance is on the order of 4:1.

What did this experiment entail? In Susan's words:

To the casual observer, the foods in my experimental diet would look just like my normal fare: lots of whole grains, nut butters, vegetables, fruits, lean meats, fish, and salads. But they would differ in a small way that I, and a growing number of scientists, know to be very important: the fats I would cook with; the oils I would dress my salads with would be vegetable (or seed) oils that are very rich in omega-6s, oils such as safflower, sunflower, corn, and soybean oil, oils that constitute most of the added fats in the American food supply.

 

AND....the results..... 

Yes, my weight was almost the same, but what weight I had gained - 5.6 ounces or just under half a pound - was almost entirely fat and in my abdominal area, as the follow-up body scan showed - exactly as I had experienced it. Just as interesting, and the cause, perhaps, of this gain, was that my resting metabolic rate had fallen, by an intriguing five percent. This drop was within the day-to-day variation for this test (6.2%), but it was in the direction predicted by the diet and the magnitude to explain my small gain in weight. 

Final conclusion....

High omega 6 intake is related to inflammatory fat, the very kind that has been linked to various chronic diseases. 

Other studies show the connection between high omega 6s and weight gain. Gaining weight on omega 6s was reported in an article from the Journal of Lipid Research as follows:

The prevalence of obesity has steadily increased over the last few decades. During this time, populations of industrialized countries have been exposed to diets rich in fat with a high content of linoleic acid and a low content of alpha-linolenic acid compared with recommended intake. To assess the contribution of dietary fatty acids, male and female mice fed a high-fat diet (35% energy as fat, linoleic acid: alpha-linolenic acid ratio of 28) were mated randomly and maintained after breeding on the same diet for successive generations. Offspring showed, over four generations, a gradual enhancement in fat mass due to combined hyperplasia and hypertrophy with no change in food intake. Transgenerational alterations in adipokine levels were accompanied by hyperinsulinemia. Gene expression analyses of the stromal vascular fraction of adipose tissue, over generations, revealed discrete and steady changes in certain important players, such as CSF3 and Nocturnin. Thus, under conditions of genome stability and with no change in the regimen over four generations, we show that a Western-like fat diet induces a gradual fat mass enhancement, in accordance with the increasing prevalence of obesity observed in humans.

Translation:

It's more than calories in verses calories out! Food is information and how we respond is not doomed to the "slow down of metabolism as we age", but rather how we use food to communicate to our body. Here enters the science of epigenetics and nutrigenomics....and...Functional Medicine.

In fact, an abstract from the British Journal of Nutrition reports the following:

The prevalence of obesity is reaching epidemic proportions in many industrialized countries. There is growing evidence that, even if the trigger of this epidemic is found in changes in the environment, genes are interacting with the environment to cause weight gain. Studies of twins reared apart indicate that approximately two-thirds of the variability in BMI is attributed to genetic factors. From prospective studies in Pima Indians we can ascribe 12 % of the variability in BMI to metabolic rate, 5 % to fat oxidation, and another probable 10 % to the level of spontaneous physical activity. These data indicate that at least 40 % of the variability in BMI is related to genetic factors involved in the regulation of food intake and/or volitional activity. This indicates that the most likely successful therapy for obesity may target pathways of the regulation of food intake. Similarly, an environment favoring engagement in physical activity should be promoted.

Here's my question: is it really the omega 6s or bio-individuality and epigenomics? (Remember Bruce Lipton's connection the fatty cell membrane and the "brain" of the cell?) 

After doing functional testing and following results with the blood type diet, I've seen plenty of thin people who eat twice as much as their overweight counterparts.

Our society is becoming obsessed with finding the "perfect diet", and I have to say, as a Naturopathic Doctor, I too have made the same mistake, with myself and my patients. BUT, now, with what I've learned through experience and studying various nutritional theories, I'm happy to report that long term weight loss is not about the "perfect diet", cutting this and cutting that, restricting this, and adding that...it's more than that, and easier! It's about finding what works for you, and feeding your body healthy communication signals! 

I've blogged in the past about epigenetics, the power of the mind, and nutrigenomics. I'm now applying this in my clinical practice and the results are exciting.... I may have to write a book!

What does this mean? Most people know what's good for them to eat; they've just been trained out of it. Emotional eating is a big issue, and biochemical imbalances play a role too. Therefore, all of these factors must be part of the consideration for weight loss.

What is the take home message of the above studies for me? These individuals tested found their optimal diet for optimal weight. The use of functional tests can show what would best serve the body, and the use of integrative, holistic, body-mind medicine will do the rest!

References:

Allport, S. Vitalchoice Newsletter. August 12, 2010. http://newsletter.vitalchoice.com/e_article001842884.cfm?x=bhg1DV3,b1h0JlRD

Nutr Rev. 2010 May;68(5):280-9. PMID: 20500789

ScientificWorldJournal. 2010 May 4;10:818-31. PMID: 20454764 

Journal of Lipid Research, Vol. 51, 2352-2361, August 2010
Copyright © 2010 by American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.http://www.jlr.org/cgi/content/abstract/51/8/2352?maxtoshow=&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=1&andorexacttitle=and&andorexacttitleabs=and&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT 

British Journal of Nutrition (2000), 83:S17-S20 Cambridge University PressCopyright © The Nutrition Society 2000. doi:10.1017/S0007114500000908

 

 

Many people who are interested in Health Care Reform and Integrative Medicine are familiar with Gary Null's  publication, Death By Medicine, a compilation of various studies on the state of healthcare statistics in the US. This publication, which cites references for estimated costs, death rates, and unnecessary medical events, concludes the alarming statement that American medicine causes more harm than good.

For example, the article listed the following conditions with their estimated rates of mortality:

Adverse Drug Reaction
Medical error  
Bedsores  
Nosocomial Infection
Malnutrition  
Outpatients
Unnecessary Procedures
Surgery-related
Total 7,841,360  

The conclusion was, "Our estimated 10-year total of 7.8 million iatrogenic deaths is more than all the casualties from all the wars fought by the US throughout its entire history." Yikes.

A June 2010 report by the Commonwealth Fund echoed this disconcerting news on the state of  US healthcare. The Commonwealth Fund is a private organization advocating for a "high performance health care system providing better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency."  The Fund supports independent research on health care issues and grants to improve health care quality, access, and an international program in health policy.

The 34 page report released in June 2010 read:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The U.S. health system is the most expensive in the world, but comparative analyses consistently show the United States underperforms relative to other countries on most dimensions of performance. This report, which includes information from the most recent three Commonwealth Fund surveys of patients and primary care physicians about medical practices and views of their countries' health systems (2007-2009), confirms findings discussed in previous editions of Mirror, Mirror. It also includes information on health care outcomes that were featured in the most recent (2008) U.S. health system scorecard issued by the Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System.

Among the seven nations studied--Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States--the U.S. ranks last overall, as it did in the 2007, 2006, and 2004 editions of Mirror, Mirror. Most troubling, the U.S. fails to achieve better health outcomes than the other countries, and as shown in the earlier editions, the U.S. is last on dimensions of access, patient safety, coordination, efficiency, and equity. The Netherlands ranks first, followed closely by the U.K. and Australia. The 2010 edition includes data from the seven countries and incorporates patients' and physicians' survey results on care experiences and ratings on various dimensions of care.

The most notable way the U.S. differs from other countries is the absence of universal health insurance coverage. Health reform legislation recently signed into law by President Barack Obama should begin to improve the affordability of insurance and access to care when fully implemented in 2014.

Key Findings were listed for quality of care, access ( we ranked bottom three), efficiency (last place), equity (last place), and quality of life (last place).

Depressing news, isn't it? Or is it? Despite some of the negative press around doctors and health care, I never cease to be amazed at the absolute dedication and brilliance across all forms of specialties in medicine and the doctor's dedication to do what is best for the patient.

As a Naturopathic Doctor and Integrative Medical Specialist, I admit the obvious difference in my viewpoint on how to treat certain conditions and the importance of treating the cause, but I still hold the upmost respect for the diagnostics and skills of doctors as a whole. Most Physicians got into the profession of medicine to help people, not to hurt them. That we are not doing well with results, allows us room to make change and the answer is now here at the forefront-integration! This is where integrative medicine, functional medicine, and naturopathic medicine shine. Instead of using the acute care model to treat chronic disease, focus is on lifestyle and diet modifications, epigenetics, and nutrigenomics, supplementation, and mind-body techniques to prevent high cost pathology to begin with.

Here's my thoughts: with these dreary statistics, maybe lack of access in the past was a self-protective mechanism? Why create more access to a broken down system that isn't producing results?

With statistics and dis-satisfaction of the current state of healthcare,  the day is coming when the focus on prevention, integration, and use of the most evidence based and clinically effective treatments (be them natural or synthetic) will be the norm.

In fact, the CDC even states the following about the leading cause of death, cardiovascular disease, "A healthy diet and lifestyle are the best weapons you have to fight heart disease. Many people make it harder than it is."

Furthermore, various journals are reporting the same conclusion:

Ford ES, Bergmann MM, Kroger J, Schienkiewitz A, Weikert C, Boeing H. Healthy living is the best revenge: findings from the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition-Potsdam study. Arch Intern Med. 2009 Aug 10;169(15):1355-1362.

Yusuf S, Hawken S, Ounpuu S, et al; INTERHEART Study Investigators. Effect of potentially modifiable risk factors associated with myocardial infarction in 52 countries (the INTERHEART study): case-control study. Lancet. 2004;364(9438):937-952.

INTERPRETATION: Abnormal lipids, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, abdominal obesity, psychosocial factors, consumption of fruits, vegetables, and alcohol, and regular physical activity account for most of the risk of myocardial infarction worldwide in both sexes and at all ages in all regions. This finding suggests that approaches to prevention can be based on similar principles worldwide and have the potential to prevent most premature cases of myocardial infarction.

And, natural products with lower toxicity are being studied more and more. For example, the following was reported on breast cancer and the use of fish oil in a recent article from vitalchoice.

So the results of a very large epidemiological study from Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center are making headlines worldwide.
 
In short, the study showed that women who took fish oil regularly were 32 percent less likely to develop breast cancer over a six-year period (Brasky TM et al. 2010).

The Seattle team surveyed 35,016 postmenopausal women between the ages of 50 and 76, who were taking part in the Hutchinson Center's Vitamins and Lifestyle (VITAL) study.
 
The goal was to compare the women's breast health over the six year study period to their intake of non-vitamin, non-mineral "specialty" supplements.

The nearly one-third reduction in breast cancer diagnoses among fish oil users came almost entirely from a reduction in common ductal tumors ... there was no drop in the fish oil users' risk of the far less frequent lobular tumors.
 
Invasive lobular carcinomas make up a small portion of all breast cancers. The most common type of breast cancer - ductal carcinoma - begins in the breast ducts.

Further references:

Science news:

Free abstract:

Environ Health Perspect. 2000 Sep;108(9):895-900.
Identification of phthalate esters in the serum of young Puerto Rican girls with premature breast development.

In summary, one must look at what is not working in order to take inventory and sort out what is. Rather than the "throw the baby out with the bath water approach," how about let's work with the best skilled team, using everything we have and empowering people to health rather than fighting disease! The new model will also embrace a new mindset!

I try to encompass this vision everyday by empowering my clients to be their own best doctor and giving them information from both sides of medicine; conventional and integrative. I don't believe there has to be a choide. The answer isn't ALL in integrative medicine or ALL in conventional medicine, but in what's best for the patient. As one of my mentors always said, "I don't fall in love with the theory of medicine, I fall in love with the patient." Amen to that!

The Power of Anti-oxidants

I was fortunate enough to spend a lot of my time with my family and friends on the 4th. It was a great time. My very first mentor, who is an integrative chiropractor, was a wonderful surprise addition to the family gathering. I was reminded about the power of anti-oxidants when my cousin had asked me how to treat a certain allergic/chemical sensitivity skin reaction. Immediately, my mind jump started into biochemical pathways, the importance of liver detoxification and modulating phase two reactions, cleaning the diet up of triggering immune mediators such as sugar and gluten, balancing the inflammatory response with omega fatty acids, addressing blood sugar imbalances which trigger skin issues, making sure you support the body with antioxidants, etc


Well, my cousin is 14. His eyes began to glaze over as I began to discuss the liver pathways and I stopped before I headed into phase II detoxification and glutathione. This kid wanted a simple solution and quick fix. My mentor came to my rescue. He giggled as he witnessed my working brain and placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Well, with chemical sensitivities, you want to aid the body with anti-oxidants." Snap. I was jolted back into the reality of how best to treat the patient at the moment they present to you!

Although it's true that eventually people will need to address all the above areas as the route cause of what is occurring in order, my cousin is a teenage boy!

 

Using integrative and functional medicine in my practice, I've learned the importance of honoring the process of healing. For example, the steps to healing will be different for each person. For my cousin, a relatively young male, anti-oxidants and a basic supporting protocol would be the first step. The next step, once the body is supported and the symptom is addressed, it would be time to honor the healing response and work on preventing chronic disease later on. This is especially important for my younger patients. If someone at a young age is presenting with a chronic symptom, it is very important to make sure that the underlying mechanism and contributing factors are addressed so that it won't progress to something more intense down the line.

Although most people wait until the disease has progressed to do preventative work, it's important to note that for every year a disease exists, it takes 1-3 months to heal. The younger one starts, the more quickly it can be corrected and more intensive protocols down the road can be prevented.

Therefore, my lesson for the day was this-keep things simple first and takes baby steps in order to grow more healthy and strong. As I'm writing this, my beautiful baby niece just smiled in approval.

Here's some additional benefits of anti-oxidants from some of recent research- from skin to weight loss to blood sugar regulation:

 
Weight Loss and Antioxidants:

The researchers randomly assigned the subjects to one of four treatment groups. All groups ate a low-calorie, Mediterranean-type diet averaging 1,500 calories daily, containing only 25 percent from protein foods, with the rest made up of low-glycemic-index carbohydrates (carbs that do not raise blood sugar levels quickly or greatly, such as whole grains). Group A only ate this kind of diet, and group B ate the same diet plus took the drug metformin. For groups C and D, the researchers prescribed a diet enriched in antioxidant, with a calculated intake, 800 to 1,000 milligrams a day, coming from fruits and vegetables, but group D also took metformin.

Despite similar weight loss in all the groups, only the two groups receiving the antioxidant diet (groups C and D) had a significant decrease in insulin resistance, the authors reported. Group D had the best improvement in insulin resistance on some measures of insulin response to an oral glucose tolerance test, according to the abstract.

 

My comment:

Of course, with weight loss you release toxins, and your body knows this. It needs support so it will work better with release!


Antioxidants: In fish?

Abstract

Omega-3 (ω3) fatty acids, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), protect against cardiovascular disease. Despite these benefits, concern remains that ω3 fatty acids may increase lipid peroxidation. It has previously been shown that urinary F2-isoprostanes (F2-IsoPs) were reduced following ω3 fatty acid supplementation in humans. It is now determined whether EPA or DHA supplementation affects plasma F2-IsoPs. In two 6-week placebo-controlled interventions, Study A: overweight, dyslipidaemic men; and Study B: treated-hypertensive Type 2 diabetic, patients were randomized to 4 g daily EPA, DHA. Post-intervention plasma F2-IsoPs were significantly reduced by EPA (24% in Study A, 19% in Study B) and by DHA (14% in Study A, 23% in Study B) relative to the olive oil group. The fall in plasma F2-IsoPs was not altered in analyses that corrected for changes in plasma arachidonic acid, which was reduced with EPA and DHA supplementation. Neither F3- nor F4-IsoPs were observed in plasma in both studies. These results show that in humans, EPA and DHA reduce in vivo oxidant stress as measured in human plasma and urine.

 

Chart of Antioxidants:

Oils and Species trump food, the power of the golgi.

Webmd recently posted an article associating the risk of common pain drugs to cardiovascular death. The original study, published by Circulation on June 8th, 2010, consisted of following 4,614,807 healthy Danish individuals from January 1997 to 2005. After controlling for various confounding factors, 1, 2038, 437 individuals who used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including diclofenac, and the cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, rofecoxib, were included.

An article from the Daily Green recently reported on some common marketing ploys used in food ingredient listings in order to boost sales. The misleading marketing claims were related to: fiber amount, omega 3 content, serving size portions, "food as medicine" claims, whole grain listing content, the ingredient list itself, hidden sugars, trans fat, "cage free" eggs, and "real fruit".

A recent article in Vital Choice discussed several journal findings on the relation between omega 3 intake and psychotic symptoms. In one recent study, the author reports:

Besides heart and brain health, fish oil has another important benefit - it has powerful liver supporting properties! According to a report in the Vital Choice newsletter:

YEAH for Salmon (Vital Choice)

1. Overall heart health and prevention of mortality (Medical News Today)

There is mounting evidence that omega-3 fatty acids from fish or fish oil supplements not only help prevent cardiovascular diseases in healthy individuals, but also reduce the incidence of cardiac events and mortality in patients with existing heart disease. A new study, published in the August 11, 2009, issue of theJournal of the American College of Cardiology, extensively reviews data from a broad range of studies in tens of thousands of patients and sets forth suggested daily targets for omega-3 consumption. 

2. Heart Rhthym Regulator (Vital Choice)

Finnish study links higher omega-3 DHA blood levels to reduced AF risk

Researchers from the University of Kuopio in Finland wanted to look for any associations between omega-3 blood levels and the risk of AF (Virtanen JK et al. 2009).

3. Memory Enhancer and Potential To Prevent Alzheimer's Disease (Science Daily)

 -- Dr. Nicolas Bazan, Director of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence, Boyd Professor, and Ernest C. and Yvette C. Villere Chair of Retinal Degenerative Diseases Research at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, will present new research findings showing that an omega three fatty acid in the diet protects brain cells by preventing the misfolding of a protein resulting from a gene mutation in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Huntington's.

4. Protective against  negative impact of Obesity (Science Daily)

"Our study shows for the first time that lipids called protectins and resolvins derived from omega-3 fatty acids can actually reduce the instance of liver complications, such as hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance, in obese people," stated Joan Claria, a professor from the University of Barcelona and one of the researchers involved in the work.

5. Protection From Skin Cancer (Earth Times)

New studies reveal that a diet high in omega-3 oils - the kind that come from oily fish and fish oil supplements - can help prevent skin cancer by boosting the immune system enough to fight off the damaging effects of overexposure to the sun. This exciting research pinpoints a concrete action people can take to help guard themselves against skin cancer, says Dr. Joshua Fox, leading dermatologist and medical director at Advanced Dermatology in NY.

Optiderma.com

Update:

Niacin Superior to Statin (Journal Watch for physicians)

Excerpt:

Niacin, but not ezetimibe, was associated with a significant reduction in CIMT thickness. In the ezetimibe group, paradoxically, greater decreases in LDL levels were associated with greater increases in CIMT thickness. The rate of major cardiovascular events was higher in the ezetimibe group than in the niacin group (5% vs. 1%; P=0.04).

Be sure to check out my latest postings of January Top Reads at my website!

According to an article in USA Today, Prescription Drug overdoses are now a leading cause of fatal overdoses, surpassing cocaine, heroin, and illegal drugs.

Many hospitals, clinics and universities throughout Europe are now testing propolis for its immunity benefits.* One report alone, recently translated by two doctors in America, shows that propolis has been successfully used in more than 70 different studies over the last 17 years."

For most of us, in our lives, there is one person who stands out from all others.  For me, this is my Dad.