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

Science Says...

1. Gluten protein triggers many disease processes.
2. Gliadin protein breaks down to opium like compounds that stimulate hunger and craving.
3. Wheat germ agglutinin contains a lectin that can damage intestines.
4. Amylopectin A is the complex carbohydrate wheat responsible for the very high insulin response.
5. Omega 6 is proportionally high and that promotes inflammation.
6. Consumption of wheat promotes visceral fat that is associated with diabetes, heart disease, and inflammation.  Inflammation is the underlying process to nearly all disease.

"Think, think, think. "  -- Winnie the Pooh

This is a powerfully destructive combination.  Even if you aren’t sensitive to gluten.

What do I do?

What does this mean for me and my family?  We don’t eat wheat or wheat products since August of 2010.  We avoid most grain. Rice is our most common compromise and that is much less than ever before.  We eat some “gluten free” products but we have come to realize that those products are full of carbohydrates we don’t need.  They can make us fat and unhealthy too.  We have gotten much thinner and feel better without dieting or changing our exercise habits.  We didn't feel bad before, we just feel better now.

What do you do? 

That is up to you.  I like to teach, not to preach.

For additional information I recommend Wheat Belly, by William Davis, MD,
The Diabetes Solution by Richard Bernstein, MD and The Perfect Health Diet by
Paul Jaminet, Ph.D.  and Shou-Ching Shih Jaminet, Ph.D.  All have good  bibiliographies for reference to research materials.  I recommend reading the papers, source material, but most people just can’t do that.  The above authors have distilled the science into something more understandable.

--Dave

Photo by Dave Carsten

Wheat Inflammation

Inflammation can be mediated by food.  As I have stated in previous posts, there is a competition between omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, omega 3 being anti-inflammatory and omega 6 being pro-inflammatory. As you might guess, wheat has excessive omega 6. One ounce of wheat germ contains nearly 1500 mg of omega 6 and only 200 mg of omega 3. 

Visceral Fat

Wheat consumption also promotes visceral fat.  That would be fat surrounding the liver, pancreas, kidneys, and so called “love handles” around the abdomen.  This particular fat releases pro-inflammatory compounds.

--Dave

Photo by Dave Carsten

This may seem complicated but let’s try to simplify.
All rancid oils are bad.  If it smells bad , it probably is bad.
Some people are more talented than others at detecting rancidity
but smell is not a guarantee.  Chemicals can be added that deodorize the oil.
Heat makes oils go rancid.  Some oils are more sensitive.

Healthy oils
Flax(unrefined)--high omega 3, quickly goes rancid so keep cold
Hemp--contains GLA(only anti-inflammatory omega 6)
Olive--very low omega 6, high flavanoids, often counterfeit (be careful of source)
Butter(grass fed)--conjugated linoleic acid (good), low omega 6,
                             if clarified it has smoke-point of 500o F
Lard (non-hydrogenated) and Duck fat--moderate mono-unsaturated fat, low omega 6
Avocado--high in omega3 and omega 9
Macadamia--high omega 3 and omega 9 plus unique anti-oxidants
Coconut(unrefined)--high in good saturated fat (lauric acid), low in omega 6
Almond, Peanut, Pecan, Hazelnut (refined), Apricot kernel(refined)--tolerate moderate temperatures, contain mono-unsaturated fats, eat in moderation

Unhealthy oils
Butter--grain fed--high in “bad” saturated fat and omega 6
Canola--may have pesticide traces, high heat processing damages omega 3”s
soybean--high omega 6
corn--high omega 6
Pumpkin seed--high omega 6, goes rancid easily
Walnut--high temperature processing damages omega 3’s
             high in omega 6, goes rancid easily.  eat the whole walnut
Sesame--high omega 6
Grapeseed--high omega 6
palm and palm kernel--high omega 6
Cottonseed--high omega 6, very low omega 3
Margarine, Hydrogenated Coconut, and Shortening--contain trans fats with are very bad

Dave

Photo by Dave Hutt, www.dmddigitalphoto.com

There are two fats that are essential to humans.  Alpha linolenic (Omega 3) and linoleic (omega 6) are required in our diet because our bodies can’t make them.  Other fats that are "conditionally essential" include, gamma-linolenic acid (an omega-6 fat), lauric acid (a saturated fat), and palmitoleic acid (a monounsaturated fat).  Conditionally essential means that most people do not make enough for health.  There are other omega fatty acids such as omega 7 and omega 9.  They are not required in the diet but do play a role.  (To a chemist, the omega followed by a number means that we start counting carbon atoms at the end of the carbon chain and the number is the point that we find the unsaturated spot.  The unsaturated spot has what we call a “double bond” between the carbons instead of having hydrogen atoms attached.)  Interesting to note, omega 7 break down products create “old person smell”.

Balance omega 3 and omega 6
In essence, the omega 3 and omega 6 play  “yin and yang” roles.  Omega 6’s are involved in inflammatory reactions in the body and omega 3’s are involved in anti-inflammatory reactions.  Both are needed but there needs to be a balance.  The current estimate of a proper balance is perhaps 4 parts omega 6 to one part omega 3.  Scientists estimate that our prehistoric ancestors ate a diet that was closer to 2 to 1 or even 1 to 1 rather than 4 to 1.  Scientists also estimate that most Americans eat a diet that may have as much as 60 times more omega 6 than necessary and not nearly enough omega 3.  Most people have a ratio between 15 and 20 to 1.  

Consequences from too much omega 6
What is the consequence of so much omega 6?  A huge problem is that omega 3 and omega 6 are processed by the same enzymes.  That means they are competitive.  In effect, excess omega 6 erases the potential benefit of omega 3.  We end up with nothing to shut off inflammatory processes.  Most disease has an underlying inflammatory component or even cause.  This imbalance has been implicated in higher rates of diabetes, cancer, heart disease, stroke, arthritis and skin disorders. 

Why so much omega 6?  
Commonly used oils such as peanut, sesame, safflower, sunflower, canola, rice bran, and corn oil are heavy in omega 6.  Also, most grains have a very high omega 6 content, the most obvious being wheat.  Animals that eat grass or algae have fat that contains omega 3.  That would mean grass fed herbivores (cattle, deer, etc.) and sea creatures (both algae eaters and the animals that eat them).  Olive oil and flax oil are omega 3 heavy.  Macadamia and avocado are also good sources.  Grape seed oil, coconut oil and clarified grass-fed butter are good oils for high temperatures.

Omega recommendation
Omega 3 consumption is recommended by health organizations around the world.  The public confusion seems to lie with omega 6.  The clear solution is to avoid omega 6 as much as you can.  Omega 6 is in so many food items that you will eat plenty no matter what you do.

--Dave

photo by Dave Hutt, www.dmddigitalphoto.com