BeingWellAgingWell
  • Home
  • About Dr. Dave
  • Elements of Aging
  • Blog
  • Links
  • Low Carb and High Anti-Inflammatant
    • Healthy Guidelines

Fat for Skin Health--Rub It on or Eat It?

6/20/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Sharon asked me if the oils that we apply to our bodies in lotions, conditioners, and shampoos make a difference for skin health.  The evidence is that you can eat oils or apply them to your skin.  Oils that we rub on skin also get absorbed into our bodies.  Whether eaten or rubbed on, they become part of our cell walls.  The effect is most obvious on the skin where they are applied. 

Evening primrose


Topical application works.

Studies show that oils are absorbed into the body both by skin application and by mouth.

What do these oils do?

Oils that we apply to our skin are mostly plant based fatty acids, most notable are omega 3’s, omega 6’s, and omega 9’s.  They are all involved in healing and protection of our skin and other parts of our bodies.  Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids are considered essential fatty acids, EFA's.  Our bodies cannot make them.  They work best if they are present in a proper ratio, not too much, not too little, just right.

Omega 3 and Protection from Skin Aging.

Ultra violet light causes an inflammatory response in skin. UV can be from the sun or a tanning bed. Smoking or other toxins can cause inflammation as well.  An omega 3, EPA, reduces it  by suppressing some of the enzymes that react to toxic stimuli. These enzymes can break down collagen.  When skin is injured, there is a 3 step healing process of inflammation, tissue formation, and tissue remodeling.  The inflammation should be shut down right after it has served it’s purpose of recognizing the injury. Shutting down inflammation is also a key role of EPA.  Without enough EPA, the inflammation lingers and the remaining tissue formation and remodeling are compromised. This protective effect works best in the presence of nutrients such as vitamin C that act as antioxidants, protecting the delicate omega 3. Omega 3 fatty acids are necessary but fragile.  EPA is abundant in cold water fish but can also be manufactured in your body from plant omega 3's, albeit inefficiently.  If you are a vegetarian or don't like fish, eat plenty of flax oil and other high omega 3 sources.  Grass fed butter and meat can be a modest source as well.

Omega 6 and Protection from Infection


On the other hand, omega 6 (linoleic acid) is needed for protection, allowing for an inflammatory response to signal the body's healing system.  Without enough, skin is more vulnerable to infection.  Skin barrier recovery requires omega 6 high oils.  High GLA omega 6 oils such as borage or evening primrose are especially useful for sensitive or chronically irritated skin since GLA has antioxidant properties.  Omega 6 is abundant in the food supply and requires no special effort.  It would make sense to rub it on damaged, irritated skin.

Omega 9


Omega 9 (oleic acid) has been shown to accelerate wound closure.  Omega 9 competes with omega 3 and omega 6 in metabolism and besides, your body can manufacture it.  Little or no need to supplement with omega 9.  A proper balance is the most desirable situation.  It would be safer to consume or apply a variety of oils rather than focusing on one.  Cooking only with a high oleic  oil, while healthy in moderation, may shift the balance.

The best ratio for your body.

No more than 4 parts omega 6 and at least 1 part omega 3.   Excessive omega 9 is unwise too but a lesser concern.  This should apply to food or lotion.  The diet in North America tends to be heavily loaded with omega 6 and short of omega 3.  Ratios of more than 30 to 1 omega 6 to omega 3 are common.  Not surprising, because omega 3 will shorten the shelf life of products because it readily oxidizes and becomes rancid.

Dave

0 Comments

Butter Coffee!!

6/10/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Butter coffee!? exclaimed Lhalung, my Tibetan friend.  Tibetans have drunk butter tea for eons.  The Sherpas claim that it allows them to carry loads up Mt. Everest.
This “new” thing makes Lhalung smile.  Drinking butter coffee runs counter to nutrition advice that dates back to the 1950’s.  The science is now telling us the opposite.  Saturated fats are good and carbohydrates need to be curbed.   The reports are perhaps not surprising, that people feel focused, energetic, and sated after a cup of butter coffee.  They even lose weight!  What is the recipe?




Breakfast…

8 ounces of strong, very fresh (not rancid), low toxin coffee (organic)
1 ounce of grass fed butter (Kerrygold from Costco is a good choice)
1 ounce of very clean coconut oil (organic in a glass container)
a pinch of stevia if you like it sweet
no carbohydrates but eat some protein if you wish
(you may want to try a teaspoon of butter and coconut if you want to work your way up)

Moderate caffeine consumption (2 to 3 cups of brewed coffee per day) can be good for the brain, associated with preventing Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.  Fresh coffee is also full of antioxidants like no other food item.  

Coconut oil contains approximately 50% lauric acid.  It boosts HDL, boosts the immune system, .  The medium chain triglycerides (MCT’s), fats can act like carbohydrates, metabolize directly in the liver and give twice the energy per gram.  Just don’t have carbohydrates available for your body and it will use fat.

Grass-fed butter, as well as having cancer fighting antioxidants, is full of good cholesterol (yes, it is OK to eat cholesterol), an excellent omega 3 to omega 6 ratio, vitamin K2, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) that helps burn body fat.  Avoid grain fed butter because the nutrients are not nearly as beneficial.  

If you try this, let me know how you feel.

Dave



0 Comments

Food and Neutrons

6/7/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Yesterday, I presented my nutrition workshop to the COORS dental study club of Clark County Washington.  "Aging Well, Healing Well, Being Well"
I did a similar, full day workshop in Juneau in April.  These workshops have been amazing, the participants and I laughing together and sharing our wonder about science and physiology. I have to give credit to my wife, Sharon, for asking questions to which I didn't have answers. That started this research.  A lot of answers are out there if you are willing to carefully read.  It has been a lot funnier,  more surprising, and much more ironic  than I ever expected.  Thank you, Dr. Christine Moleski of Juneau and Dr. Eugene Sakai of Vancouver for inviting me.  I also took a group of parents and students on a field trip to the nuclear reactor at Reed College in Portland this past week.  It was the last event this year for my science class, "Hot Topics in Science", a class about the science of everything for people ages 10 and up.  The image seemed fitting for the week.  (Amazon has a version on a T-shirt and Father's day is coming up.  Hmmm...)


Dave


0 Comments

    Dr. Dave

    Dentist Anesthesiologist, 30 years experience treating patients.

    Archives

    November 2014
    June 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013

    Categories

    All
    Amylopectin A
    Anti Inflammatory
    Anti-inflammatory
    Borage
    Bread
    Butter Coffee
    Caffeine
    Cannabinoids
    Cardiovascular Disease
    Celiac Disease
    Censorship
    Cleveland Clinic
    Coconut Oil
    Diabetes
    Einkorn
    Emmer
    Endocannabinoids
    EPA
    Essential Fatty Acids
    Evening Primrose
    Fatty Acids
    Food
    GLA
    Gluten Sensitivity
    Glycemic
    Glycemic Index
    Grass Fed Butter
    Hay Fever
    Hunger
    Hypertension
    Indigenous Diet
    Insulin
    Kamut
    Mediterranean Diet
    Metabolic Syndrome
    Multiple Sclerosis
    Mummy
    Myocardial Infarction
    Neurologic Damage
    Neutrons
    Nutrition
    Nutrition Workshop
    Obesity
    Omega 3
    Omega 6
    Omega 9
    Paleo Diet
    Perfect Health Diet
    Phytate
    Pre-industrial
    Scientific Bias
    Simple Sugar
    Spelt
    Stroke
    Sucrose
    Sweetener
    Topical Oil
    Triglyceride
    Visceral Fat
    Weight Loss
    Wheat
    Xylitol

    RSS Feed

    Anesthesia Blog
    Empathy Blog
Proudly powered by Weebly