Ridding Your Body of Acidic Wastes 29
Fat, along with carbohydrates and protein, is one of the basic food
types that the body requires to sustain itself. The body itself has a high
fat content. Aside from water, there is more fat in the body than any other
substance. Cellular membranes that cover the cell are made up almost
entirely of fatty acid (the form of fat into which the fat we eat is broken
down), and the brain is more than 60 percent fatty acid. Moreover, fatty
acids, along with protein (in the form of amino acids) play a vital role in
the manufacture of energy. Transportation of oxygen by the red blood
cells would not be possible without the fatty acid–protein membrane cov-
ering the red blood cell through which oxygen gains entry into the cell.
There is evidence that too little fat is harmful to the body. When
Max Gerson began using nutrition to treat cancer, the diet he recom-
mended contained only fats and oils that were intrinsic to the food.
Later on he included fat and oil supplements and got a better rate of
recovery. Mental as well as physical health is dependent on the con-
sumption of enough fats and oils. This is shown in studies in which
children with emotional disorders who were put on a low-fat diet
became more aggressive and violent.^14
Given the role of fat in the production of cellular energy, hormones,
and bile; in blood clotting; in the digestion of meat protein; and in
immune system function, a more realistic ratio of fat in relation to the
other food types in the diet is 25 to 30 percent. A study at MIT using
human subjects concluded that the ratio of the three main food types
should be the following: carbohydrates 60 percent, fat 25 percent, and
protein 15 percent. Establishing the minimum daily fat requirement
leads to the next problem, namely, the kinds of fat the body needs. Cel-
lular membranes contain saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsatu-
rated fats, while the brain structure is made up of a mix of saturated and
polyunsaturated fats of the omega-3 family, such as docosahexaenoic
acid (DHA), and the omega-6 family, such as arachidonic acid (AA).
The wide range of fatty acids in the body point out the variety of fats
and oils we should eat to satisfy the body’s fat requirements. The fatty
acid requirements of the brain are one part omega-3 oils (found in salt-
water fi sh; green, leafy vegetables; and eggs) to four parts omega-6 fats
(found in meat and polyunsaturated oils). (Don’t satisfy your omega-6
fatty acid requirements by including corn, soy, and saffl ower oils in
your diet. These oils should be avoided, since they raise stress hormone
levels and are associated with cancer.)