Book Kemetic Diet -C ePub.xhtml

metabolicprocessesinthebody,thus,itisunderstandablehowadeficiencyinthesevitalnutrients
canleadtoabreakdownandmal-functioningofsomanypartsofthebodyresultinginover 50 de-
generativeconditions.IntheEuropeanJournalofCancer(2000)36:335-40,Frenchresearchersre-
portedthattheresultsofastudyofwomenwithbreastcancershowedthatwomenwithhighlevelsof
alpha-linolenicacid(Omega-3fattyacids)intheirbreasttissuehada60%lowerriskforbreastcan-
cer than women with lower levels.
Omega-3fattyacidshavereceivedmuchmorenotorietythanOmega-6’sbecausemodernfoodprac-
ticeshaverenderedthedietoftheaveragepersonrichinOmega-6fattyacidsanddeficientin
Omega-3fattyacids,somuchso,thatthehistoricalratioofOmega-3toOmega-6inthehumandiet
whichusedtobe1:1isnowaround1:10to1:25.Thismeansthatmostpeopleinsocietyaresuffering
fromOmega-3deficiency 240 .Theyaretakingin 10 to 25 timestheamountofOmega-6’sasOmega-
-3,andsomehealthexpertsfeelthatthereisanoveralldeficiencyoftheEFA’s,bothOmega-3’sand
6’s.Thus,theemphasisinaddressingtheOmegafattyacidsifmostoftenintermsofrecommending
Omega-3fattyacids,asopposedtoOmega-6’s,andOmega-3issometimesgiventhetitleofbeing
the“good”guyandOmega-6the“bad”guy.However,thisisfarfromthetruth.Whatisimportantto
thebodyishavingtheproperratio,astheeffectsofthesetwogroupsoffattyacidsofferacounter
balancing within the systems of the body.
Forexample,oneofthereasonsthatOmega-3fattyacidsareknowntobebeneficialforheartdisease
isbecauseofitseffectofpreventingbloodclots.Whilethiseffectisbeneficialinpreventingheartat-
tacksandstrokes,ifoneweretoonlyconsumeOmega-3fattyacids,thiscouldleadtohemorrhage.
Butnatureisinherentlywise,andinstalledacounterbalancingmechanism,Omega-6fattyacids.The
effectoftheOmega-6fattyacidsistheopposite,thatofpromotingbloodclotting,thus,whenone
getsacut,theOmega-6’sassistintheabilityofthebloodtoclot.Similarlywiththeimmunesystem
andtheinflammatoryresponse,theOmega-3’shaveananti-inflammatoryeffect,whichisbeneficial
inpreventingconditionssuchasarthritisandimmunemediatedinflammatoryconditionssuchas
lupus,rheumatoidarthritis,etc.,whereasOmega-6’spromotetheinflammatoryresponse,whichisof
benefitinthehealingprocess.Autoimmunedisorders,whicharealsoprevalentinmodernculture,are
also related to Omega-3 deficiency.
Soitisnotamatterofgoodorbadfattyacids,butamatterofhavingthecorrectqualityandbalance
ofOmega-3andOmega-6’sinthebody,sothatthebodycaneffectivelymodulateitsresponsesac-
cordingtothesituation.WhenthebalanceoftheOmega-3andOmega-6fattyacidsisdisrupted,vari-
ousconditionseruptinthebodyaccordingtothenatureoftheimbalance.Yearsagoitwaswidelyre-
portedthatEskimosconsumelargequantitiesoffatbutdonotsufferfromhighratesofheartdisease,
aswouldbeexpected.WhatwasnotpublicizedbythemediawithrespecttotheEskimoseatingthe
highfatblubberbuthavinglowerratesofheartdiseasewasthatthestudiedEskimoshadahigherin-
cidenceofhemorrhagicstroke,presumablyfromingestingmoreOmega-3thanOmega-6’s.Inmod-
ernsocietyoutsideoftheEskimos,however,withratiosof1:10to1:25Omega-3:Omega-6fatty
acids,thereistheoppositeeffectinplace.TheeffectoftheexcessofOmega-6’s(relativetoOmega-
-3’s)inthebodypromotestheclottingofblood.Thisisexacerbatedbythestressofmoderndaylife