By Benjamin V. Treadwell, Ph.D.
Certain fats, known as essential fats because our cells cannot
synthesize them, are required to remain healthy. Two major
categories of essential fats are the omega 6 and omega 3
fats. They are so labeled to designate the carbon atom where the
most distal double bond is located (either the 6th or 3rd carbon in
from the terminal carbon atom of the respective fatty acid). The
omega 6 fatty acids are generally associated with promoting
inflammation and pain, whereas the omega 3 fatty acids seem to
be the nice guys who douse the fire and soothe the pain.
For
maximum health we need both types, but as recent research is
demonstrating, biological systems and pathways virtually always
involve self-regulating events to maintain a delicate and healthy
balance. Today's article is about how we can help promote a
healthy, pain-free balance through diet, and by taking a reasonably
safe dietary supplement along with a modest amount of an old
plant-derived analgesic.
How can diet promote a healthy omega 6
/ omega 3 balance?
Our
human ancestors evolved in coastal areas and consumed large
quantities of marine animals, as well as plants containing high
levels of the omega 3 fatty acids. The estimated early human intake
ratio of the omega 6 fatty acids to the omega 3 was
approximately 1:1. In the modern western diet this ratio has
deviated significantly, and is currently estimated to be as high as
20:1, skewed towards the inflammatory omega 6 fatty acids. Why?
First, we eat a significant amount of meat from grain-fed animals,
and due to putative advances in agriculture, the grain is low in
the omega 3 and high in the omega 6 fats. Furthermore,
the omega 3 fats are more susceptible to destruction by
techniques used in processing various plants to make oils, such as
vegetable oils. The consequence is a preponderance of the
omega 6 fats in these oils. So, in effect we are consuming a
pro-inflammatory diet. "We are what we eat" is painfully true with
respect to the fats in our diet.
If the omega 6 fats are
pro-inflammatory, why do we need them?
The
omega 6 fats are converted into numerous important metabolic
products, some of which function as signaling molecules to inform
the cell of invasion by a toxic agent, such as a bacteria or virus.
These molecules activate cells and mediators of the immune system,
and cause subsequent inflammation (leaky blood vessels which
promote redness and swelling), all for the purpose of eliminating
the pathogen.
What stops this inflammatory
process?
How
does the tissue shut off the immune system once the pathogen is
eliminated? The omega 3 fats activate the pathway leading to
the resolution of the inflamed condition.
It
is truly amazing that we survive as long as we do with so many
complex mechanisms involved in maintaining our health. Research
data, generated from a number of laboratories working together,
reveal how one switch can activate two opposing pathways. It turns
out that the same enzyme (COX-2), acting on an omega 6 fatty
acid to produce inflammatory signaling molecules, can also act on
omega 3 fatty acids to produce anti-inflammatory molecules.
How is this possible? It appears that when these functionally very
different molecules interact with certain enzymes and chemical
receptors, they can twist them into either pro-inflammatory or
anti-inflammatory units. Once the inflammation has reached some
critical point, the omega 3 fatty acids become prominent and
interact with the enzyme, COX-2, which converts the omega 3
fat to a metabolite that induces production of a newly discovered
class of anti-inflammatory metabolites, the resolvins (for
resolution of inflammation). The resolvin binds to a receptor,
which in turn activates anti-inflammatory pathways. If all is in
balance, the net result is the elimination of the pathogen and the
return of the tissue from an inflamed war-zone condition to normal
pain-free tissue.
Where does aspirin come into the
story?
Unfortunately, as we all know, aches and pains don't always
disappear quickly after an infection or inflammation-producing
trauma. This delay in resolution of inflammation is more common
with age, and is exacerbated by an imbalance in the ratio of the
omega 6 – omega 3 fats. It has been discovered that
aspirin, a partial inhibitor of the COX-2 enzyme, can largely
convert this enzyme to a machine that prefers acting on the
omega 3 fats. Therefore, the anti-inflammatory resolvins are
produced in significantly greater amounts. Consequently the tissue
is more likely to return to a normal pain-free state.
It
is now believed that at least part of the positive effect of
aspirin on cardiovascular health is due to the production of the
anti-inflammatory resolvins. Cardiovascular disease, inflammatory
bowel disease, and others involve an inflammatory component, and
there is now evidence that certain neurological degenerative
disorders such as Alzheimer's disease are associated with excess
inflammation. The symptoms of these diseases may be attenuated by
aspirin and a healthy ratio of omega 6 to omega 3.
So
what can you do to maintain balance between inflammatory and
anti-inflammatory fat-derived mediators? Eat a healthy nutritious
diet, and try to hold the consumption of meats and vegetable oils
(use olive oil when possible) to a minimum. Eat fish 2-3
times/week. It is recommended to consume about 1-2 grams/day of the
omega 3 fats. If fish is not your dish, supplements are
available. In supplement form, omega 3 is typically labeled
for its two main components, DHA (docosohexaenoic acid) and EPA
(eicosapentaenoic acid). For relief of pain such as that associated
with arthritis, you might want to try ½ aspirin (160mg) along with
an extra dose of the supplement of DHA/EPA before bed time, but be
sure first to consult with your physician.
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