|
| Last month I wrote about omega-3 essential fatty acids, found in fish oil and flax oil. Now we’ll look at omega-6 essential fatty acids, mainly Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA). The richest natural source of GLA is evening primrose oil.
Evening primrose oil (EPO) and the GLA it contains is the subject of fascinating research in the areas of heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, weight loss, and PMS. This month I’ll discuss GLA and heart disease. Next month I’ll go on with research in the other areas.
The subject of GLA doesn’t make light bedtime reading. The literature inevitably goes into the GLA cascade, the complex chemical breakdown of GLA in to cis-, trans-, and conjugated linoleic acid. However, all you really need to know is that GLA is a key component in the production of a group of prostaglandins (called PGE for short) that are vital throughout the body—most importantly PGE1. A prostaglandin is a hormone-like chemical that influences the secretion of hormones and enzymes, and regulates inflammatory response, blood pressure, and blood clotting time.
A shortage of PGE1 leads to increased vascular reactivity, escalated blood clotting, elevated cholesterol production, diabetic-like changes in insulin release, increased risk of auto-immune disease, inflammatory disorders, and susceptibility to depression. PGE1 is needed for normal functioning of T-cells, the cells that reject foreign bodies. The problem is the American diet–both what we consume and what we don’t consume. PGE1 production is restricted if the body is deficient in vitamin C, B6, B3, zinc or magnesium–all of which can be found in a multi-vitamin, but many people don’t take these. Worse, PGE1 production can be blocked by saturated fats, alcohol, radiation, cholesterol, chemical carcinogens, and the process of aging.
Heart attacks are typically caused by an insufficient blood flow to the heart or a seriously irregular heart beat. Insufficient blood flow can be caused by clots in the coronary artery or by spasms in the artery brought on by emotional or physical shock. Risk of blood clotting increases when plaque builds up in the arteries. PGE1 helps prevent the clotting-type heart attack in two ways: by keeping the blood slippery; and by reducing platelet stickiness, thereby reducing the likelihood of a clot. The spasm-type heart attack starts as a constriction of the blood vessel brought on by shock. The body naturally reacts to a severe injury by decreasing blood flow. If oxygen flow to the heart muscle is greatly reduced, the heart goes into spasm. Normally, as the muscles relax, the arteries dilate and blood flows once more. However, the temporary sealing-off of the blood flow is sometimes fatal if a blockage from cholesterol and fat deposits already exists. Constriction of the artery could then cause the plaque to seal together and blood to clot, leading to a heart attack. Once again PGE1 helps prevent the heart attack by keeping the blood slippery and by reducing platelet adhesion.
|
