imately an equal ratio of A and C fats; in this case, some of the A fats
will convert to B fats.)
Fat imbalance typically occurs from some combination of eating
too much A or B fats, and too little C fats; but it can also can be affect-
ed by certain foods, vitamins and drugs. The most common food that
does this is refined carbohydrates, including sugar. Recall that insulin
can be produced in higher amounts when these carbohydrates are
consumed. This causes more A fats to convert to B fats, as AA, and
into the group 2 eicosanoids. This is another reason refined carbohy-
drates are so unhealthy. Two foods can prevent too much A fats from
converting to group 2 eicosanoids. These are EPA found in fish, and
raw sesame oil, which contains the phytonutrient sesamin.
An important item mentioned above is that a number of other
dietary and lifestyle factors can impair the conversion of A and C fats
to their respective group 1 and 3 eicosanoids as summarized in the
following table:
A Note about Inflammation
I’ve mentioned inflammation often in this book so far, and will con-
tinue to do so (including a whole separate chapter) because it’s such
an important issue. Balancing the body’s inflammatory/anti-inflam-
matory mechanism can help you attain optimal health and human
performance — that’s what balancing fats is all about.
Inflammation is the body’s way of responding to and repairing
itself from daily wear and tear, and injury. For example, just going for
a walk, working on the computer, washing the dishes, or any other
repetitive motion, not to mention exercise, produces chemicals that
cause inflammation as part of the body’s complex recovery process.
More serious injury produces inflammation, too — a cut hand, a dam-
76 • IN FITNESS AND IN HEALTH
Factors that Increase
Group 1 & 3 EicosanoidsVitamins B6, C and niacin, low
doses of vitamin E, magnesium,
zincand calcium, alcohol
in moderationFactors that Inhibit
Group 1 & 3 EicosanoidsTrans fats, excess B fats, stress,
aging, high-glycemic
carbohydrates, low-protein diet,
cigarette smoke, fever