Asthma and Essential Fatty Acids.htm

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Saturday, April 13, 2002 8:19 PM

Asthma and Essential Fatty Acids.htm

 

 

> Asthma and Essential Fatty Acids. htm

>

>

> Asthma and Essential Fatty Acids

- http://www.asthmaworld.org/Essential_Fatty_acid.htm -

>

> Essential Fatty Acids - Their Role in Asthma

> It is accepted that virtually everything humans experience via the

> gastrointestinal, or respiratory, tract, has either a positive or negative

> effect on the construction, repair, maintenance or renewal of our cellular

> structure.

> Countless studies have indicated the destructive roles which chemicals,

food

> additives, processed foods, drugs, pollution, radiation and other sources

of

> oxidative stress, play in the oxidative damaging of cells.

> This oxidative damage is also caused by the immune system's response to

> microscopic invaders - viruses, bacteria, molds, etc..

> The immune system uses oxidation to kill the invaders. Unfortunately, in

the

> heat of battle, " friendly fire " also damages and kills cells through what

is

> known as oxidative bursts.

> This damage of our cells leads to the inflammation, which is now

understood

> to be the underlying cause of the disease known as asthma.

> Basic Building Blocks of Life

> It is well documented that the basic building blocks of cells consist of

> minerals, vitamins, amino acids, essential fats and water, all of which

help

> to build cells and our immunity and therefore, our resistance to the

> environment.

> A primary example is the process by which essential fats help build

cellular

> membranes. All cells in the human body are enclosed in a membrane

primarily

> comprised of essential fatty acids (EFA’s), in the form of compounds known

> as phospholipids.

> Phosholipids largely determine the fluidity and integrity of cell

membranes.

> The kind of fat consumed determines the type of phospholipid in the cell

> membrane. Phospholipids made of saturated fat or trans fatty acids are

> significantly different inferior than those made from EFA’s.

> Carpentier and colleagues report that recent advances indicate a great

> potential for omega-3 EFAs incorporated into membrane phospholipids to

> modulate cell response to various stimuli and to influence several

> intracellular metabolic processes.

> Furthermore, some of these EFAs directly influence the production and the

> action of important mediators, the eicosanoids.

> In practical terms, an increased intake of omega-3 EFAs may reduce

> inflammatory and thrombotic responses while protecting tissue

microperfusion

> and immune defenses.

> The researchers also reported that uptake of omega-3 EFAs and liposoluble

> vitamins was fairly fast and occurred in several types of cells, leading

to

> an efficient incorporation of omega-3 EFAs in cell membranes within a few

> hours. 2A

> The role of EFA’s and their by-products have been shown to be of

> significance in asthma.

> Studies of EFA’s show that omega-3/omega-6 ratios and their consequential

> offspring, prostaglandins, play pivotal roles in asthma.

> This balance between omega-3 and omega-6 plays a direct role in

inflammation

> in the body. This balance can be upset by a variety of dietary factors:

> · Nutrient deficiency in the production of the delta 6 desaturase

> enzyme

> · Deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids

> · Inclusion of trans fatty acids

> · High carbohydrate intakes leading to increased insulin

> · Ingestion of red meat and/or egg yolks high in arachidonic acid

> · Excess oxidation

>

> The following figures depict prostaglandin metabolism and give further

> indications as to how inflammation can be the result of nutritional

> deficiencies.

> Omega-3 Family and Pathways

> Omega-6 Family and Pathways

>

>

>

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