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The Role of Essential Fatty Acids in Breast Cancer Prevention

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http://www.positivehealth.com/permit/Articles/Nutrition/byrnes64.htm

 

 

About the Author

Stephen Byrnes ND, RNCP, is a nutritionist and naturopathic doctor. He is

the author of over 100 articles and papers published worldwide. His new

book, Diet and Heart Disease: It's NOT What You Think (Whitman Books, 2001)

is available from amazon.com or your local bookstore. Visit his website to

receive his free ezine: www.PowerHealth.net

 

 

 

Further Information

Mary Enig's book Know Your Fats is available from amazon.com or from

www.BethesdaPress.com. Dr Enig can be contacted at Enig Associates Inc.,

tel: (301) 680-8600. Papers by Dr Enig on coconut oil and other fats can be

found at www.WestonAPrice.org

For sources of organic, grass-fed butter and other animal foods, check your

local health food market, or the Weston A Price Foundation, which maintains

a list of nationwide farms and co-operatives. See above for web address or

tel: (202) 333-HEAL.

 

 

 

 

 

In today's nutritional world, fat has become a dirty word. Women in

particular are encouraged to eat a low-fat diet to help prevent breast

cancer, as well as other ailments, including other cancers. Animal fats such

as butter have taken a terrible beating in the media over the past few

decades and have been blamed for horrific crimes, including obesity, heart

disease and cancer.

 

Accordingly, Western peoples have been virtually brainwashed into thinking

that butter and other predominantly saturated fats like coconut oil and

tallow are unhealthy. So-called safe substitutes like margarine and various

vegetable oils have been heavily promoted and advertised with the result

being that the public associates these things with health and well-being.

 

 

 

Unfortunately for us, all of these contentions and claims are false.

When it comes to breast cancer prevention, and in some cases treatment, the

so-called 'bad fats' are actually the good guys, and the 'safe substitutes'

are increasingly being shown up for what they really are: fabricated foods

that cause disease, including breast cancer.

 

All Fats Are Not the Same

A common misconception the general public and some food writers hold is

that all fats are essentially the same. This is not true. There are, to be

sure, certain fats and oils that we need to avoid, but one must always be

very specific as to what those are. Let's define our terms to end the

confusion once and for all.

 

 

Fatty acids are chains of carbon and hydrogen atoms linked together in

certain ways with an acid, or carboxyl group, attached to their end. When

three fatty acids are bonded together with a glycerol molecule, the result

is a triglyceride. In lipid biochemistry, all fatty acids are classified

according to the number of carbon atoms present in their structure, as well

as the degree of saturation, or how many hydrogen atoms are bonded to the

carbons. A fatty acid that has two hydrogen atoms linked up to each carbon

atom is saturated; a fatty acid with two hydrogens missing is

monounsaturated; and a fatty acid with four or more hydrogens missing is

polyunsaturated. All fats and oils, whether of animal or vegetable origin,

are blends of these three types, but with one usually predominating,

depending on the food in question.

 

 

 

 

 

Saturated fats predominate principally in animal fats, though palm and

coconut oils are noted plant sources. Monounsaturated fats abound in nuts,

avocadoes, olive oil, and some animal fats (especially lard).

Polyunsaturated fats mostly make up vegetable oils, but significant amounts

are found in fish oils and chicken skin.

It should be noted here that the more a fat is saturated, the more

stable it is chemically. Saturated and monounsaturated fats do not go rancid

easily if stored properly. Likewise, these fats are more stable under heat,

making them ideal for cooking. Polyunsaturated fats, however, especially

those of vegetable origin, are not as stable and go rancid more quickly,

even in the body. Rancid oils breed one thing: cancer-causing and

tissue-damaging free radicals. While some polyunsaturated fats are needed by

the body, the so-called essential fatty acids (EFAs), they should not exceed

about 5% of your total caloric intake due to this problem.1,2

The two EFAs are linolenic (an omega-3 fatty acid) and linoleic (an

omega-6 fatty acid). The '3' and '6' indicate where the first double bond

occurs in the fatty acid molecule. For example, in an omega-3 fatty acid,

the first double bond occurs at the third carbon atom. The body takes the

EFAs and creates other omega-3 and 6 fatty acids and hormone-like substances

called prostaglandins to carry out a host of metabolic functions. Like

vitamins and minerals, EFAs must be obtained from our food. In times past,

humans consumed a balance of linolenic and other omega-3 fatty acids (found

principally in cold water fish, walnuts, eggs, flax oil, dark-green leafy

vegetables, cod liver oil, and some whole grains) and linoleic and other

omega-6 fatty acids (found principally in vegetables), and this is as it

should be as both are equally important. When there is an overabundance of

linoleic acid in the diet, however, our body's ability to absorb and utilize

linolenic acid is inhibited.1,3 This causes a host of undesirable reactions

including sexual and immune dysfunction, and increased cancer risk.4-6 The

Western world has greatly increased its linoleic acid intake due to its

higher use of vegetable oils over the past 60 years.7 Not surprisingly,

cancer (and heart disease) rates have skyrocketed.

There is another type of 'fatty acid' that is produced during chemical

processing called a trans-fatty acid (TFA). These are unnatural fats that

our bodies cannot utilize properly due to their bizarre chemical structure.

In a TFA, a liquid vegetable oil has been made solid by forcing hydrogen

atoms into it with the help of a nickel catalyst. In terms of visual

appearance, a hydrogenated fat looks like a saturated one, since both are

solid at room temperature. On a molecular level, however, the TFA is quite

different, making it unusable by the body. These fake fats are found in

margarine, 'vegetable oil spreads', vegetable shortening and refined canola

oil. It is trans-fatty acid, as opposed to saturated fatty acid, consumption

that is strongly correlated with cancer, cardiovascular disease and other

diseases.8-12

 

Talking with a Fat Expert

Dr Mary Enig, PhD, is president of the Maryland Nutritionists

Association, a former research associate of nutritional biochemistry at the

University of Maryland, and a recognized international expert in lipid

biochemistry. In 1978, Enig and two colleagues published a ground-breaking

paper that analysed the claims made for cancer and fat intake.9 Then, as

now, the widely accepted notion was that a higher intake of saturated fatty

acids increased one's risk of cancer, while increased consumption of

polyunsaturated fatty acids, the kind found in vegetable oils, offered a

protective effect. Enig contended that the actual data showed the exact

opposite. In the ensuing years, Enig turned her attention to TFAs, their

ever-increasing presence in Western diets, and their roles as disease

promoters.13

'What is wrong with the current dietary advice to prevent breast and

other cancers,' she stated, 'is that the evidence against 'fat' is not

defined correctly. There is no solid evidence against the natural fats,

whether they are animal or vegetable fats. Research has always shown,

however, that the high linoleic acid-containing oils promote experimentally

induced cancer, and high lauric acid-containing oils (such as coconut and

palm kernel oils) prevent experimentally induced cancer. There is also some

published evidence that the TFAs promote breast cancer. As for the claim

that either animal fats or saturated fats promote breast or other cancers,

this is not true; there is just the opposite evidence.

'The TFAs have been shown to correlate with the incidence of breast

cancer,' she continued. 'There has been at least one research report from

the NIH [National Institutes of Health] that showed linoleic acid to be a

promoter; this research has not been continued for some reason.

'Furthermore, research from Europe showed that the TFAs were higher in

tissues of women who had breast cancer. Research from Denmark and Greece

identified the partially hydrogenated vegetable fats and/or margarine with

breast cancer.

'When it comes to other diseases, there is evidence of adverse effects

of the TFAs as factors in heart disease, diabetes, poor infant growth and

development, and hormonal and immune system dysfunction. TFAs also inhibit

prostaglandin synthesis.'14

It would appear, then, that the 'bad' fats are the very ones that women

have been told to eat more of in the last few decades: margarine, vegetable

shortening and vegetable oils (including corn, soy, safflower and cottonseed

oils). Furthermore, the evidence implicating TFAs as causative factors in

breast cancer is growing stronger. For the woman interested in breast cancer

prevention, vegetable oils, margarine and all partially hydrogenated oils

have got to go! Due to their wide presence in processed foods, women should

check food labels and be on the lookout for these biochemical marauders.

 

Are Saturated Fats Bad?

No they are not. Despite current beliefs that saturated fats cause an

increased risk of cancer, a long-term study of 60,000 women recently

completed in Scandinavia showed no such connection.15 There was, however, a

high rate of cancer associated with vegetable oil consumption. This is in

keeping with what is being increasingly revealed about vegetable oils: they

are bad news.

There are many vital nutrients and substances found in saturated fats.

Butter, for example, is rich in several trace minerals, including selenium,

a key antioxidant and cancer preventer. Several studies have linked low

selenium levels with higher cancer and heart disease rates.16 Butter also

contains all the fat-soluble vitamins, especially vitamins A and D, both

antioxidants and protective against cancer. Butter also contains fair

amounts of two fatty acids: butyric and lauric. Both of these are

antifungal, antibacterial and anticarcinogenic substances.17 (Coconut and

palm kernel oils, and Roquefort cheese are significant sources of lauric

acid.) Butter is also the best source of a particular fatty acid getting a

lot of attention lately: conjugated linoleic acid (see below).18

Coconut oil is another good example. Formerly used widely in baked

goods, this oil is very rich in lauric acid. This fatty acid converts in the

intestines into monolaurin, a powerful antifungal, antiviral and

antibacterial substance. Coconut oil also contains caprylic acid, also a

powerful antifungal. Recent research shows coconut oil to be stimulatory to

the immune system and to offer substantial benefits to HIV+

individuals.19-21 Yet these properties are lost amidst a plethora of

unwarranted warnings about 'the dangers of saturated fat'.

Dr Enig added that, 'The fats that humans have consumed for millennia

were almost always more saturated than they were unsaturated. It was the

easily extractable fat or oil, such as the fat that came from the animal or,

in tropical areas, the oil that came from the coconut or palm fruit, that

was used in cooking. People really didn't have the ability to extract oil

from vegetables like corn as they do today. However, people got their EFAs

from many of these plants when they were included in the foods the people

were eating. This was the way the EFAs were historically consumed.' In other

words, like our ancestors, it's best to have more saturated fats in your

diet and to get your EFAs from whole foods rather than from processed

vegetable oils.

Won't increasing your saturated fat intake increase your chances of

heart disease? Dr Enig says, 'No. The idea that dietary saturated fats and

cholesterol cause heart disease or " clogged arteries " is completely wrong.

Studies have actually revealed that arterial plaque is mostly made up of

unsaturated fats, particularly polyunsaturates.'22

In fact, the body needs saturated fats in order to utilize EFAs

properly.23,24 Saturated fats also lower the blood levels of the

artery-damaging lipoprotein A (LpA levels are elevated by TFAs);25-28 are

needed for proper calcium utilization in the bones;29,30 stimulate the

immune system;31,32 are the preferred food for the heart and other vital

organs;33,34 and, along with cholesterol, add structural stability to the

cell wall.2 Dr Enig further comments that, 'Increasing one's intake of

saturates spares the body's supply of antioxidants which get rapidly used up

with a high polyunsaturated fat diet. This is another way that saturates

protect against cancer.'

One caveat: it's important to try to obtain organic sources of your

fats as environmental toxins are lipophilic, or 'fat loving'. It's worth a

few more pennies to look for organic butter, milk, cheese and other animal

foods. If your budget just won't permit you to buy organic all of the time,

then purchase organic sources of the food items that you use the most to

minimize your exposure to possible toxins.

 

Conjugated Linoleic Acid

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a fatty acid produced by ruminating

animals such as cows. Dr Enig states that, 'CLA is an isomer of linoleic

acid; the natural forms are found in milk fat (especially high-fat cheeses)

and meat fat. CLA has been shown to inhibit the development of cancer,

including breast cancer'. Indeed, the October 2000 issue of the Journal of

the American College of Nutrition contained a research abstract describing

how CLA inhibited breast cancer cell growth.35,36 As a side benefit, several

studies have shown CLA to promote muscle growth and fat burning by the

body.37,38 In other words, CLA is a fatty acid that helps you lose unwanted

fat and build a leaner body.

Where do you find CLA? Some supplement companies now manufacture CLA in

capsule form, but the best source is fat from grass-fed cows. It's important

that you look for full-fat dairy products (milk, cheese, butter) and meats

from grass-fed animals. Why? Because cows manufacture CLA from grass in

their stomachs.39,40 Commercially-raised cows that only eat soybeans or corn

meal produce little, if any, CLA. New Zealand's butter and meat products are

from grass-fed livestock, as are those from smaller farms (see end of this

article for sources). It should be pointed out here that non- or low-fat

dairy foods will obviously contain little or no CLA (or the fat-soluble

vitamins A and D). Consuming skim or low-fat milk, cheese and yoghurt will

automatically deprive the health-minded woman of several important

nutrients.

How sad that modern farming methods, with their de-emphasis on grass

feeding, deprive us of such a healthful fat! It is also unfortunate that

establishment nutritionists have urged women and the public away from

full-fat dairy products and butter: the best sources of CLA.

 

The Right Fat Diet

Avoiding phoney fats like margarine and vegetable shortening, as well

as processed vegetable oils that are high in polyunsaturates, is a must for

any woman looking to prevent breast cancer and ill health. Taking extra care

to include organic sources of healthy fats like olive oil, butter and

coconut oil, as well as CLA-rich foods from grass-fed cattle, will help

prevent breast cancer and other diseases. Dr Enig agrees, 'The best dietary

advice is to avoid partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and high levels of

omega-6 oils. Use a broad balance of natural fats and oils and consume as

many whole foods and whole food mixtures as possible.'

 

References

1. Lasserre M et al. Lipids. 20(4): 227. 1985

2. Fallon S and Enig M. Nourishing Traditions. 2nd ed. New Trends

Publishing. Washington DC. pp10-11. 1999.

3. Kinsella JE. Food Technology. p134. October 1988.

4. Horrobin DF. Reviews in Pure and Pharmacological Sciences. Freund

Publishing House. 4: 339-383. 1983.

5. Devlin TM ed. Textbook of Biochemistry. 2nd ed. Wiley Medical. pp429-430.

1982.

6. Fallon S and Enig MG. Tripping Lightly Down the Prostaglandin Pathways.

Jnl of Price-Pottenger Nutr Fnd. 20(3): 5-8. 1996. Posted at

www.WestonAprice.org

7. Rizek RL et al. Fat in Today's Food Supply. Jnl Amer Oil Chem Soc. 51:

244. 1974.

8. Mann G. Metabolic Consequences of Dietary Trans-fatty Acids. Lancet. 343:

1268-71. 1994.

9. Enig MG et al. Fed Proc. 37: 2215. July 1978.

10. Kummerow F. Nutritional Effects of Isomeric Fats. in Horisberger and

Bracco eds. Dietary Fats and Health. Amer Oil Chem Soc. Illinois. pp391-402.

1983.

11. Schantz EJ et al. Jnl Dairy Sci. 23: 181-89. 1940.

12. Watkins BA et al. Br Poul Sci. 32(5): 1109-19. December 1991.

13. Enig MG. Trans Fatty Acids in the Food Supply: A Comprehensive Report

Covering 60 Years of Research. 2nd ed. Enig Associates Inc. Maryland. 1995.

14. Enig MG. Personal interview. 4 January 2001.

15. Wolk A et al. Arch of Inter Med. 158: 41. 1998.

16. Studies summarized by Lieberman S and Bruning N. The Real Vitamin and

Mineral Book. 2nd ed. Avery Publishing Group. New York. pp299-302. 1997.

17. Shanks L et al. in Kabara J ed. Symposium on the Pharmacological Effects

of Lipids. American Oil Chemists Society. Illinois. pp51-62. 1978.

18. Fallon S and Enig MG. Why Butter is Better. Posted at

http://www.WestonAPrice.org. Accessed on 4 January 2001.

19. Enig MG. Lauric Oils as Antimicrobial Agents: Theory of Effect,

Scientific Rationale, and Dietary Application as Adjunct Nutritional Support

for HIV-Infected Individuals. in Watson R ed. Food and Nutrients in AIDS.

CRC Press. Florida, pp81-97. 1999.

20. Isaacs CE, Kim KS and Thormar H. Inactivation of Enveloped Viruses in

Human Bodily Fluids by Purified Lipids. Annal NY Acad Sci. 724: 457. 1994.

21. Sadeghi S et al. Dietary Lipids Modify the Cytokine Response to

Bacterial Lipopolysaccharide in Mice. Immunology. 96(3): 404-10. 1999.

22. Felton CV et al. Dietary Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Composition of

Human Aortic Plaques. Lancet. 344: 1195. 1994.

23. Garg ML et al. FASEB Jnl. 2(4): A852. 1988.

24. Oliart Ros RM et al. Meeting Abstracts. AOCS Proceedings. Chicago. p7.

May 1998.

25. Dahlen GH et al. J Intern Med. 244(5): 417-24. Nov 1998.

26. Khosla P and Hayes KC. J Am Coll Nutr. 15: 325-339. 1996.

27. Clevidence BA et al. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 17: 1657-61. 1997.

28. Enig MG. Fat Facts: Trans Fats and Saturated Fats are Not the Same. Jnl

of Price-Pottenger Nutr Fnd. Winter 1998.

29. Watkins BA et al. Importance of Vitamin E in Bone Formation and in

Chondrocyte Function. ACOS Proceedings. Purdue University. Lafayette.

Indiana. 1996.

30. Watkins BA and Seifert MF. Food Lipids and Bone Health. in McDonald RE

and Min DB eds. Food Lipids and Health. Marcel Dekker Inc. New York. p101.

1996.

31. Kabara JJ. The Pharmacological Effects of Lipids. The American Oil

Chemists Society. Champaign. Illinois. pp1-14. 1978.

32. Cohen LA et al. Meeting Abstracts. FASEB Jnl. 204(1): A222. Mar 1999.

33. Lawson LD and Kummerow F. Lipids. 14: 501-503. 1979.

34. Garg ML. Lipids. 24(4): 334-9. 1989.

35. See also Ip C, Banni S, Angioni E, Carta G, McGinley J, Thompson HJ,

Barbano D and Baumann D. Conjugated Linoleic Acid-Enriched Butter Fat Alters

Mammary Gland Morphogenesis and Reduces Cancer Risk in Rats. Jnl of Nutr.

129: 2135-2142.

36. Hubbard NE, Lim D, Summers L and Erickson KL. Reduction of Murine

Mammary Tumor Metastasis by Conjugated Linoleic Acid. Cancer Lett. 150(1):

93-100.13 Mar 2000.

37. Gavino VC, Gavino G, Leblanc MJ and Tuchweber B. An Isomeric Mixture of

Conjugated Linoleic Acids but not Pur Cis-9, Trans-11-Octadecadienoic Acid

Affects Body Weight Gain and Plasma Lipids in Hamsters. Jnl of Nutr. 130(1):

27-9. January 2000.

38. Ostrowska E, Muralithraran M, Cross RF, Bauman DE and Dunshea FR.

Dietary Conjugated Linoleic Acids Increase Lean Tissue and Decrease Fat

Deposition in Growing Pigs. Jnl of Nutr. 129(11): 2037-42. November 1999.

39. Belury MA. Nutr Rev. 53(4): 83-89. April 1995.

40. Kelly ML et al. Jnl Dairy Sci. 81(6): 1630-6. June 1998.

 

§ - PULSE ON WORLD HEALTH CONSPIRACIES! §

 

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