Shannon wrote:
In my opinion (and I am acronym challenged so perhaps prejudiced in
favour of clarity) it's important to always state what the abbreviations
are for. In essential fatty acid speak, LA is often linoleic acid (plant
omega-6) and ALA is often (not always) alpha linolenic acid (plant
omega-3). The website referred to by Bill Giman did not bother to
stipulate but it fits the context of the website later on.
I'm concerned that anyone would even consider omega-6 relevant to eczema
unless the individual has a *seriously* weird diet of all fish oil and
no other oil - or ate no essential acids to speak of. The American diet
is seriously skewed to excess omega-6, and too low DHA and EPA as found
in fish oil (viz docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid
respectively).
Unlike the "ALA" omega-3 found in plants such as flax, the omega-3s
of DHA and EPA in fish oil are anti-inflamamtory. So is the omega-9
fatty acid in extra virgin olive oil. All other plant oils are
inflamamtory at cell wall phospholipid layer level.
At the cell wall phospholipid layer level, all the omega-6 fatty
acids are actually inflamamtory, due to the prostaglandins being more
powerful than other eicosanoids from omega-6 fatty acids and due to
their proinflammatory leukotriene LTB(4).
What's important about omega-6 oils is that they do have essential
functions in the body - but they are not functions associated with the
health of the cell wall phospholipid layer.
What's needed is the right balance to ensure that the phospho-lipid
layer of all the cell walls of all body cells is in an anti-inflammatory
(flexible) state. To do this requires a diet with a net
anti-inflamamtory total especially in essential fatty acids - but also
in other food components. So even if the fatty acids are fantastically
well selected - mostly fish oil and EV olive oil - and a high
carbohydrate load is added, the carbs can tip the scales back to an
inflammatory result. so can an excess of omega-6 containing oils or flax
or other plant oils with high plant omega-3.
If the cell wall lipid layer is in a NET anti-inflammatory state,
then the cell wall will flex to allow in nutrients and flex to allow out
toxins. It's the physical flexibility and the shape of the "holes" so
created in the phospho-lipid layer of cell walls, that allows the cells
to hand-hold nutrients wanting to come in and toxins needing to go out.
Eczema is more complicated than whether the cell walls are in an
anti-inflamamtory state or an inflammatory one though this IS an
essential aspect. It also is a function of the state of the immune
system, which involves skewing to TH-2 cytokine overproduction in
eczema. However it needs the cells in anti-inflamamtory state as a
prerequisite to coming right. As to what else is needed nutritionally
in eczema, it is indiviaul and any number of nutrients might be
undersupplied as a result of either dietary imbalances or stress
over-consumption of nutrients. (Eczema is a stress disease and uses up
lots of nutrients.)
It is the immune system imbalance that IMO needs serious homeopathy
- and diet is needed in addition to that. Neither will succeed alone in
resolving eczema permanently.
Quote from his website:
"Brian Peskin earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical
Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) in 1079."
I'm not sure how this is supposed to impress me in terms of claimed
knowledge about EFA's in 2007. The fact that he states only 2 fatty
acids are essential worries me. Arachidonic acid is also essential.
"Essential" in this context means we can not make our own - it does not
mean other fatty acids are not essential - it just means that in theory
we can make the others that are essential to us.
But that's not really representative of the truth. We can make a
VERY limited amount - not enough for good health.
For example we need EPA and DHA which come from fish oil. In theory we
can make some from the "essential" ones but in practice we can make VERY
little due to a mechanism we have that prevents conversion of more than
a little "essential" fatty acid. So we NEED to get the rest from fish
oil directly (no doubt due to a built-in mechanism to "protect" the
supply of "essential" fatty acids.)
We also need the arachidonic acid from meat.
Fatty acids are indeed relevant in eczema to get back to the subject,
but the experiment in 1942 that showed patients improved on corn oil is
out of date. There are too many factors in eczema to consider this proof
of omega-6 being "the fix" for eczema.
In fact there is more recent research to show that EPA and DHA actually
reverse the skewed cytokine production, reducing the atopy that is part
of eczema (essentially making the individual less allergic.)
A LACK of omega-6 oils is rare but would interfere with growth, if
that were an issue. Eczema is seldom growth-related (as in associated
with lack of growth). On the contrary it is classified a chronic
aoto-immune disease, as a result of atopy, and skewed cytokine production.
It's thus likely to respond to anti-inflamamtory fatty acids best.
(Fish oil and extra virgin olive oil.)
[See PubMed for lots of detailed research on this.]
It was when I limited dietary fat back in the 1970s that I had
eczema...... Now - you could not pay me to add plant oils other than
e.v. olive to my diet in any quantity
) that and fish oil has
improved my health by leaps and bounds as the research would predict:-)
Namaste,
Irene
--
Irene de Villiers, B.Sc AASCA MCSSA D.I.Hom/D.Vet.Hom.
P.O. Box 4703 Spokane WA 99220.
www.angelfire.com/fl/furryboots/clickhere.html (Veterinary Homeopath.)
"Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt one doing it."