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The
list of symptoms of n-6 deficiency garnered from research is long,
and is found in an overview article on www.udoerasmus.com
called Fats
that Heal Fats that Kill. I have experienced myself and have
seen in other people using flax oil exclusively the following symptoms:
dry eyes, skipped heart beats, thin skin, joint pain, eczema and
psoriasis-like skin problems, increased susceptibility to infection,
and deterioration of immune function.
A recent
review article points out that prostate cancer is increasing, and
is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the Western world.
The "etiology of prostate cancer remains unclear, course and
progression are unpredictable, and definite treatment is not yet
established". Lifestyle and diet could contribute to the progression
from small, latent, non-metastatic tumors to clinically significant,
invasive, metastatic lesions.1
Research
on the involvement of fats and fatty acids in prostate cancer has
led to inconsistent conclusions. Most of the available information
comes from epidemiological (or population) studies. Direct data
from animal and human studies are limited.1
Further
confusion results from the fact that results from rat studies cannot
be automatically generalized to humans, because rats and humans
metabolize fats differently. Also, rats don't fry steaks, don't
use salad dressings and mayonnaise made with oils that have been
highly processed, and don't eat butter that has been exposed to
light and air, sometimes for weeks. The reason I make this point
will become clear a little later.
Studies
done on cell cultures do not take into account the effects of fats
on glands and organs, which can affect tumor development and tumor
growth. In particular, some fatty acids up- or down-regulate the
functions of genes, and it appears that some fatty acids also change
the effectiveness of hormones even if they don't change hormone
levels present in tissues.
Within this context, the
suggestion has been made in published literature that flax oil should
not be used because it can increase prostate cancer. The Prostate
Forum2
lists six studies showing positive correlation between ALA (in serum,
adipose tissue, and red blood cell membranes) and prostate cancer.
Of the six studies, one showed no correlation3.
One found a small (not statistically significant) positive correlation.4
Four studies found a strong positive correlation between ALA and
prostate cancer5,6,7,8.
At least two other studies have also shown a correlation of alpha-linolenic
acid with increased prostate cancer.9,10
According
to Prostate Forum, several labs have found that ALA is one of the
most powerful growth stimulants for human prostate cancer cells
in tissue culture.2
The Prostate Forum has recommended against the use of flax oil by
men with prostate cancer because flax oil is the richest available
food source of ALA. The reasoning is that this oil should cause
the most prostate cancer because it contains the most ALA.
The 'ALA' in human population
(epidemiologic) studies comes from two main sources: vegetable oil,
and red meat animal products. Both were shown to correlate with
similar increases in prostate cancer. In cell studies, chemically
'pure' fatty acids are usually used. In the cited studies, the source
of ALA-the n-3 EFA that is 5 times more easily destroyed by light,
oxygen, and heat than LA (the n-6 EFA)-was foods that have been
processed destructively and treated with great carelessness. Let
me illustrate this point.
In
one of the epidemiologic studies, five sources of ALA - butter,
red meat, bacon, salad dressing, and mayonnaise-were listed.
The
animal sources included butter, red meat and bacon.
Butter is extensively exposed to light and air between the time
the cow is milked and the time the butter is consumed. Butter also
contains some trans- fatty acids which, research suggests, may also
correlate with increased cancers.
Red
meat and bacon are rich sources of iron, a pro-oxidant that can
damage EFAs (especially the n-3, ALA). Both are usually fried, and
it has been known for at least 30 years that frying damages EFA
molecules. Damage caused by frying is well documented in research.
All
three animal sources of ALA usually contain traces of sex hormones,
pesticides, and antibiotics. Sex hormones are known to increase
the growth of certain cancers, especially those of prostate and
breast. Many pesticides have cancer-causing properties. Antibiotics
lower immune function. No one knows whether the synergy of these
three can augment the detrimental effects of each of them individually,
but chances are good that this is the case.
The
vegetable sources included salad dressing and mayonnaise.
These are made from soybean and/or canola oils that have been destructively
processed by degumming, refining, bleaching, and deodorizing (so-called
'RBD oils'). While these oils are generally free of hormones and
antibiotics, they can contain carcinogenic pesticides. Insecticides,
herbicides (weed killers) and fungicides are used in agriculture.
Of these, the fungicides have the most potential for increasing
cancer.
(Article
Continued on Udo's Website ... >> )
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