Inhaled cannabis reduces self-reported headache severity by 47.3% and migraine severity by 49.6%, according to a recent study. The study also found no evidence that cannabis caused 'overuse headache,' a pitfall of more conventional treatments. The researchers did see patients using larger doses of cannabis over time, indicating they may be developing tolerance to the drug.
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The holidays are a time when family and friends gather to enjoy each other’s company — and eat! Indulgent meals, bountiful buffets, cookie swaps, holiday parties… it’s no surprise that maintaining a healthy weight can present even more challenges during the holidays than throughout the rest of the year. Each year, on average, we tend to gain a small amount of weight (about one pound per year). According to some research, most of that weight is gained over the holiday season.
Study suggests you can control holiday weight gain
Does that mean we are destined to see a bigger number when we step on the scale in January? Or can we keep the end-of-year weight gain at bay?
A study published in The BMJ sought to find out. Researchers examined the effectiveness of a brief (four to eight week) behavioral intervention to prevent weight gain over the Christmas holiday period. The researchers randomized 272 adults into one of two groups. The intervention group was given a behavioral intervention intended to increase their restraint of food and beverage consumption. The intervention involved three components: encouraging participants to regularly weigh themselves and record their weight; providing specific weight-management strategies; and providing information on how much physical activity would be needed to burn off the calories consumed in typical holiday foods and drinks. The control group received information on healthy living.
Results showed that the intervention group lost an average of 0.3 pounds, while the control group gained 0.8 pounds. This may not seem like much, but research shows that weight gains are not fully lost in the months following the holidays. Although the yearly gain is small, it can add up to an increase of 10 pounds over 10 years.
10 top tips for weight management
Study participants in the intervention group were encouraged to follow these 10 tips to help prevent weight gain:
Keep to your meal routine. Try to eat at roughly the same times each day.
Go reduced-fat. Choose low-fat foods when possible.
Walk off the weight. Aim for 10,000 steps each day.
Pack a healthy snack. Choose fresh fruit or low-calorie yogurt instead of chocolate or chips.
Look at the labels. Check food labels for fat and sugar content.
Caution with your portions. Don’t heap food on your plate, and think twice before having second helpings.
Up on your feet. Stand up for 10 minutes every hour.
Think about your drinks. Choose water or calorie-free drinks, and limit alcohol.
Focus on your food. Slow down, and don’t eat in front of the TV or on the go.
Don’t forget your 5-a-day. Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
How much activity would it take to burn off this eggnog?
Physical activity — or at least understanding how much physical activity it would take to burn off calories, and possibly considering that information when making choices about what to eat — also played a role in preventing weight gain. In the study, the researchers provided the intervention group with a chart that showed the approximate amount of activity it would take to burn the calories found in a given amount of festive foods. For example, it would take approximately 12 minutes of walking or six minutes of running to burn off the calories in five pigs in a blanket, and it would take approximately eight minutes of walking or four minutes of running to burn off the calories in 5 tablespoons of gravy.
More strategies to prevent holiday weight gain
Here are a few more tips to help you keep your weight in check without foregoing your holiday traditions.
Mark all of the holiday events you’ll be attending on your calendar so that you’ll remember to plan ahead. If the meal is not at your home, eat lighter the day of the event to balance the extra calories you may consume at the party. If the event is in the evening, have a healthy breakfast and satisfying lunch, with a light snack before the event to avoid overindulging later.
If you are the host and struggle with tasting while cooking, try chewing sugar-free gum while preparing the meal, or have a small snack before you start cooking. Serve plenty of raw vegetables and yogurt-based dips to start the event and fresh fruit to finish. After the meal, send leftovers home with friends and family.
The workplace can be hazardous around the holidays; holiday lunches and office parties can make it difficult for even the most health-conscious employee to make smart choices. If the team is going out for a special holiday lunch, choose lower-calorie items and go light on dinner that evening. Move holiday cookies and candies to a high-traffic area to spread the goodies around.
Start new traditions that don’t revolve around food. For example, attend a holiday concert or show, or take a drive or walk to see holiday lights. Catch up with a friend over a yoga or Zumba class instead of meeting for a peppermint mocha latte.
Preventing weight gain over the holidays can be a challenge. But it is possible!
Sydney-based health and wellness influencer Cassey Maynard recounts her breast 'explant' journey, and how a Facebook group gave her the courage she needed to remove her E-cup implants.
Have you discovered seaweed salad? Since it has become a popular restaurant item as an appetizer or garnish in Japanese restaurants and sushi bars, some consider it the new coleslaw. Also called hiyashi wakame and goma wakame, seaweed salad is usually seasoned with sesame oil and seeds with red pepper flakes, vinegar, salt, mushrooms and seaweed-based agar agar added.1
While many people enjoy the taste of marine-derived greens, which include kelp, nori, kombu and wakame, seaweed is also one of the world's best sources of iodine.2 It has also been credited with significant health benefits such as neuroprotective,3 anti-inflammatory4 and anti-viral properties.5
Seaweed is also being studied as useful for high blood pressure6 — yes, your seaweed salad may lower your blood pressure. In an observational study in children,7 seaweed consumption was shown to lower diastolic blood pressure in boys and systolic blood pressure in girls.
As for adults, research published in the American Journal of Hypertension found that a preparation made from seaweed decreased mean blood pressure in 62 middle-aged patients with mild high blood pressure.8 An article in Marine Drugs also cited several studies linking seaweed consumption to decreased blood pressure.9 The associations are encouraging.
Seaweed Actions That May Lower Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is defined as a condition in which the long-term force of blood against artery walls is too high and may eventually cause health problems.10 Although there are many prescription drugs available to treat high blood pressure, their side effects are numerous.
That is why natural treatments such as seaweed are so important. This is how researchers writing in Marine Drugs explain the likely potential actions of seaweed compounds on high blood pressure:11
"Polyphenols have been described to act as Angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. ACE is a zinc-containing metalloproteinase that catalyses the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II, the latter is a potent vasoconstrictor involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension.
ACE also facilitates the degradation of the vasodilator bradykinin. This enzyme has a crucial role in the control of BP [blood pressure]. In consequence, its inhibition has become a major target for hypertension control …
… several polyphenolic compounds from plant extracts have been reported to inhibit ACE activity through the sequestration of the enzyme metal factor, Zn2+ ion. Similarly, phlorotannins might be found to be associated with proteins or glycoproteins, forming a complex. This complex inhibits the ACE activity, following a noncompetitive profile.
In contrast, commercial ACE inhibitors, such as captopril, show competitive inhibition. In fact, several studies have confirmed this activity for different phlorotannins, such as those present in extracts from Ecklonia cava or Ecklonia stolonifera, including phlorofucofuroeckol A, dieckol and eckol …
… In addition to E. cava and E. stolonifera, other marine algae containing phlorotannins, such as Lomentaria catenata, Lithophyllum okamurae, Ahnfeltiopsis flabelliformis and Fucus spiralis also exert potent ACE inhibitory activity."
In short, seaweed polyphenols exert effects similar to ACE inhibitor drugs, which in conventional medicine are often prescribed as a first-line treatment for high blood pressure.
High Blood Pressure Is a Modern Condition
High blood pressure is a condition fueled by lifestyle behaviors. It began to emerge in adults in higher income countries from changes in how people live, eat and work.12Contributors to high blood pressure include:
Unhealthy diet — Processed food, trans fats and too much sugar can lead to high blood pressure over time.
Sedentary lifestyle — Lack of physical activity weakens the heart, contributing to weight gain, high stress levels and high blood pressure.13
Excessive alcohol intake — Regularly drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can significantly increase blood pressure levels.15
Stress, anxiety and depression — These conditions can cause short-term blood pressure spikes and lead to overeating and consuming too much alcohol.16,17,18
Sleep deprivation19and chronic dehydration20— These symptoms of an overactive lifestyle can also put you at risk of high blood pressure.
Acute pain, medications and stimulating drinks — These factors can also cause high blood pressure with symptoms like dizziness or shortness of breath.21
High Blood Pressure Is a Dangerous Condition
One in 3 Americans suffers from high blood pressure, which amounts to 75 million people.22 People may not be aware that they have high blood pressure, but the condition is far from harmless. Worldwide, high blood pressure causes 9.4 million deaths each year, according to the World Health Organization.23 Here are some of the major complications of high blood pressure, according to the Mayo Clinic:24
"Heart attack or stroke. High blood pressure can cause hardening and thickening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), which can lead to a heart attack, stroke or other complications. Aneurysm. Increased blood pressure can cause your blood vessels to weaken and bulge, forming an aneurysm. If an aneurysm ruptures, it can be life-threatening.
Heart failure. To pump blood against the higher pressure in your vessels, the heart has to work harder. This causes the walls of the heart's pumping chamber to thicken (left ventricular hypertrophy). Eventually, the thickened muscle may have a hard time pumping enough blood to meet your body's needs, which can lead to heart failure.
Weakened and narrowed blood vessels in your kidneys. This can prevent these organs from functioning normally. Thickened, narrowed or torn blood vessels in the eyes. This can result in vision loss.
Metabolic syndrome. This syndrome is a cluster of disorders of your body's metabolism, including increased waist circumference; high triglycerides; low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol; high blood pressure and high insulin levels. These conditions make you more likely to develop diabetes, heart disease and stroke."
Other Serious High Blood Pressure Complications
There are other serious complications increasingly linked to high blood pressure, such as dementia and cognitive decline.25 Those with high blood pressure are at risk of memory and understanding problems as well as vascular dementia, likely because of narrowed or blocked arteries that can limit blood flow to the brain.
Here is what scientists sharing their research in Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology wrote in 2016:26
"Hypertension and dementia are two of the most prevalent and damaging diseases associated with aging. Chronic hypertension, particularly during mid-life, is a strong risk factor for late-life cognitive decline and impairment.
Hypertension is also the number one risk factor for stroke and a major contributor to the pathogenesis of vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Despite the vast epidemiologic and mechanistic evidence linking hypertension to cognitive impairment, and the positive effects of blood pressure lowering on reducing the risk of post-stroke dementia, uncertainty remains about the benefit of antihypertensive medication on other forms of dementia."
Researchers are also now exploring the links between high blood pressure and the development of breast cancer. Evidence of links exist, wrote researchers in Scientific Reports in 2017:27
"Observational studies examining the relationship between hypertension and breast cancer risk have reported conflicting findings … We included observational studies that reported relative risks (RR) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (Cis) … We observed a statistically significant association between hypertension and increased breast cancer risk.
In the subgroup analysis, we found a positive association between hypertension and breast cancer incidence among postmenopausal women … This meta-analysis collectively suggests a significantly association between hypertension and breast cancer risk, specifically for postmenopausal hypertensive women."
Other Studies Cite Seaweed Benefits for High Blood Pressure
There is more evidence of seaweed's value in controlling high blood pressure. This is what researchers wrote in a 2009 issue of Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition about seaweed's effect on metabolic syndrome, a condition in which high blood pressure is central:28
"Incidence of the metabolic syndrome is increasing worldwide, with notable exceptions of some Asian countries where seaweeds are commonly consumed. 13 men (mean age 47.4+/-9.9 yr) and 14 women (average age 45.6+/-12.2 yr) with at least one symptom of the metabolic syndrome were recruited in Quito Ecuador to a randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled trial.
Subjects were assigned to either Group 1 (1 m[onth] placebo, followed by 1 m[onth] 4 g/d seaweed [Undaria pinnatifida]) or Group 2 (1 m of 4 g/d seaweed, followed by 1 m of 6 g/d of seaweed).
Blood pressure, weight, waist circumference, inflammation biomarkers, and lipids were measured monthly … Consumption of 4 to 6 g/d seaweed, typical for most people in Japan, may be associated with low metabolic syndrome prevalence."
Further, even as only one part of an improved diet, seaweed has been found useful in treating high blood pressure, according to research in Current Hypertension Reviews.29
The study found that following a diet that includes traditional Japanese foods, including seaweed, green/yellow vegetables and mushrooms, supports the prevention and improvement of high blood pressure for people with readings in the high-normal range.
More Seaweed Benefits
As I noted earlier, seaweed is a good source of iodine, which is an important nutrient. In fact, kelp is credited as the largest known dietary source of iodine — capable of providing close to 2,000% of the recommended daily intake.30 Iodine helps regulate the thyroid gland to produce strong, healthy hair, skin and nails and forms the important thyroid hormones, thyroxine and triiodothyronine.
Iodine is also crucial for regulating the body's energy and brain metabolism, which are under the effect of the pituitary gland, and for formation of your skeletal framework itself. Iodine is an especially important nutrient for developing babies.
Balanced iodine during pregnancy and breastfeeding is central to the myelination process, correct formation of the baby's central nervous system and the development of a baby’s brain cells.31
Edible seaweed contains other valuable substances such as potassium, calcium, iron and alginic acid. Alginic acid naturally protects marine plants from bacteria and binds to heavy metals in humans, a process sometimes called chelation. This makes seaweed an important detoxifying food.
It is not a surprise that alginic acid is used, medically, as a chelator to remove heavy metals from blood. It is also used to make dental and prosthetic molds and in wound and burn dressing.32
Compounds containing alginic acid are also used in the treatment of patients with symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) because it displaces the postprandial gastric acid pocket in people in whom GERD medications don't work.33 In fact, seaweed outperformed antacids for this purpose in some studies.34 Alginic acid is also used in weight loss.35
Clearly any new treatments for high blood pressure, especially natural ones, are good news for those affected. So, don't forget to enjoy your seaweed salad — and be sure any seaweed you consume is harvested from nonpolluted waters.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for many groups in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention1 reports that nearly 25% of all deaths are the result of heart disease. Coronary artery disease is the most common type, and every year 735,000 Americans suffer a heart attack.
Risk factors include high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, poor diet and physical inactivity. The annual cost for treating cardiovascular disease has been estimated at $351.2 billion, including direct and indirect costs.2
According to a report released by the American Heart Association3 in early 2019, 48% of all adult Americans experience some form of cardiovascular disease.4 The majority appears to be driven by the rising number who have high blood pressure. In 2016, cardiovascular disease claimed the lives of more than 840,000 in the U.S.
Vitamin K2 MK-7 Form Protects Endothelial Function
Inside your heart and all blood vessels is a thin membrane of cells called the endothelium.5 These are responsible for controlling the relaxation and contraction of the vascular system; a malfunction is a significant predictor for stroke and heart attacks.
Endothelial dysfunction can result from diabetes, smoking and high blood pressure. After testing, some physicians may turn to pharmacological interventions, including lipid-lowering statins and ACE inhibitors or beta blockers for blood pressure management. Another option with fewer side effects is the use of vitamin K2 MK-7.
One group of researchers6 developed an animal study in which atherosclerosis was induced and mice were given a four-week treatment of vitamin K2 MK-7 at low doses. The data revealed an improvement in acetylcholine and flow-induced endothelium dependent vasodilation in the aorta and femoral arteries.
The effect was measured using an MRI and was associated with an increased production of nitric oxide (NO). Higher doses did not demonstrate further improvement. The researchers found the data identified an endothelial profile activity for vitamin K2 that had not been previously described. Hogne Vik, Ph.D., NattoPharma Chief Medical Officer, commented:7
“The study demonstrated that vitamin K2 - MK-7 improved NO-dependent endothelial function in mice, and the results showed that K2 - MK-7 provided a vaso-protective effect independently whether endothelial dysfunction was treated with vitamin K2 - MK-7 prior to or concurrently with the occurrence of atherosclerotic plaques.
This contributes nicely to our already substantial body of research showing MenaQ7 is a cardio-protective nutrient, and reaffirms why the medical community is interested in ongoing study of this important nutrient for the betterment of global health.”
Do You Get Enough Vitamin K Each Day?
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin your body uses for several functions. Since the body stores little of it, you'll experience a rapid depletion without regular intake. Additionally, several common drugs can also reduce your levels of vitamin K. There are two main forms of vitamin K, and two common subtypes.
Vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) is found in green leafy vegetables and is best known for a role in blood clotting. Without enough of this, your blood does not clot properly, resulting in potentially life-threatening consequences.
Vitamin K2 (menaquinone) plays a primary role in bone and heart health. Your body can synthesize vitamin K2 in your gut using certain bacteria. There are two common subtypes. The first is menaquinone-4 (MK-4), a short chain vitamin K2 found in animal products. MK-4 has a short half-life, which makes it a poor candidate as a dietary supplement.
Menaquinone-7 (MK-7) is a longer chain found in fermented foods. There are several varieties of long-chain forms of vitamin K2, but the most common is MK-7. This is the form you'll want to look for in supplements.
One of the best ways to get a good source of vitamin K2 is to ferment your own vegetables using a starter culture with bacterial strains that produce K2 and the MK-7 form. MK-7 stays in the body longer, helping to prevent inflammation and reduce the risk of bone fractures as it's more effective at reaching the bone.
Vitamin K2 Plays a Preventive Role in Heart Disease
One of the ways vitamin K2 influences bone and heart health is through the activation of proteins, such as the enzyme matrix GLA-protein, in the vascular system and osteocalcin in the bone. “GLA” stands for glutamic acid, which is responsible for binding calcium found on your arterial walls and facilitating integration into your bone.
When calcium in the lining of your vessels is not removed the deposits become atherosclerosis, responsible for the hardening and narrowing of the arteries slowly blocking blood flow. This is a common trigger for heart attack, stroke and peripheral vascular disease.
In the Rotterdam study, participants who had the highest amount of K2 were 52% less likely to experience severe calcification of their arteries and 57% less likely to die from heart disease in a seven- to 10-year period. The researchers also found that those who consumed 45 micrograms (mcg) of K2 everyday lived an average of seven years longer than those who consumed just 12 mcg each day.
Vitamin K2 improves arterial flexibility and reduces the risk of atherosclerosis. The synergistic relationship between vitamin K2, vitamin D, calcium and magnesium improves your bone and heart health.
Combination of Selenium and CoQ10 Reduces Mortality Risk
Optimal cell functioning depends on several factors, including the amounts of selenium and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) that are consumed. Researchers have written about the low intake of selenium in Europe and the production of CoQ10 that decreases with age. One interventional trial,8 involving selenium and CoQ10 as a dietary supplement, took place over a four-year period.
Participants from a rural area in Sweden showed a reduction in cardiovascular mortality as a result of the study’s intervention. Twelve years later, the researchers sought to determine if this reduction in mortality would persist after the study was completed.
After evaluating data from the original participants, they found a continued reduction in cardiovascular mortality among those who had used the selenium and CoQ10 supplements. The active treatment group experienced a mortality rate of 28.1%, while the placebo group had a mortality rate of 38.7% after 12 years.
The researchers also found a significant reduction in risk in those who suffered from ischemic heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and impaired functional heart capacity. The protective action was not confined to just the interventional period; it persisted during the follow-up as well. The study leaders cautioned this small study should be used to generate hypotheses and not conclusions.
The Difference Between CoQ10 and Ubiquinol
CoQ10 and the reduced version, ubiquinol, are popular supplements people use for heart health and mitochondrial health. The rapid growth in sales of these products suggest more people are becoming familiar with the importance of mitochondrial health.
A poll also revealed CoQ10 is the number one supplement recommended by cardiologists to their patients. CoQ10 is a fat-soluble antioxidant used to mop up potentially harmful byproducts of metabolism. Heart disease appears to be rooted in mitochondrial dysfunction, which means CoQ10 plays a unique and important role.
Researchers have found CoQ10 may improve recovery after bypass and heart valve surgeries and may help reduce effects from congestive heart failure and high blood pressure. CoQ10 and ubiquinol also help combat the negative effects of many drugs including antiarrhythmic drugs, statins, antibiotics, ACE inhibitors and diuretics.
Ubiquinol is the reduced version of CoQ10. The conversion from CoQ10 to ubiquinol occurs thousands of times inside the mitochondria, as it flips back and forth between the two molecular forms transforming food into energy. Your body begins increasing production of ubiquinol in early childhood, but by the time you reach 30 it begins to decline.
Those younger than 30 may effectively absorb CoQ10 supplements, but those who are older do better with ubiquinol because it's more readily absorbed and used. You may also improve your body's ability to convert CoQ10 to ubiquinol through sensible sun exposure and eating green leafy vegetables, which loaded with chlorophyll.
Micronutrient Selenium Important for Heart Health
Micronutrients9 are used by your body in energy production, immune function, blood clotting, bone health and other processes. These dietary components are only required in small amounts, yet they are vital to well-being and disease prevention. Micronutrients cannot be produced by the body so they have to be consumed in your diet.
Selenium is a micronutrient and trace element discovered nearly 200 years ago. Scientists from our time have recognized it is essential because of its potent anti-inflammatory, antiviral and anti-cancer activities.
At the cellular level, selenium is an active element of glutathione peroxidase, an enzyme responsible for converting hydrogen peroxide to water and serving as a first line of defense against harmful free radicals.
Researchers have found that those with higher levels of selenium experience lower rates of cancer. The best food source is Brazil nuts, which average 70 to 90 mcg of selenium per nut. Just two or three each day meet your daily requirement. Other food sources include sardines, pastured organic eggs, wild caught salmon and sunflower seeds.
While vitamin K2 MK-7, CoQ10 and selenium are all available as supplements, the nutrients are often more bioavailable when consumed from whole food. If you do choose to use a supplement, take care to use a quality product from a source you trust.
Dietary fats are a crucial component of a healthy diet, but the devil’s in the details, and the type of fats you choose can make a world of difference. Replacing dangerous oils with healthy fats is one simple way to boost your health and reduce your risk of chronic disease.
Sadly, the fats that promote ill health are the very ones we’ve been told are the healthiest, and vice versa. Among the absolute worst types of fat you can eat are vegetable oils, such as corn oil, soybean oil, sunflower and canola oil, found in most processed foods and restaurant meals.
According to the 2017 U.S. Department of Agriculture report,1 “U.S. Trends in Food Availability,” consumption of saturated animal fats such as butter, lard and beef tallow fell by 27% between 1970 and 2014, while consumption of vegetable oils rose by 87%. Intake of salad and cooking oils specifically rose by a remarkable 248%.
In my view, processed vegetable oils, rich in omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), are the most dangerous dietary factor of them all, taking a greater toll on human health than high fructose corn syrup even.
Not only have vegetable oils been linked to heart disease, gastrointestinal diseases such as irritable bowel disorder, and inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, they’ve also been linked to cancer, especially neuroblastoma, breast, prostate, colon and lung cancer. 2
Vegetable Oils — A Hidden Cause of Cancer
In a November 8, 2019, Medium article,3 Maria Cross, a nutritionist with a master of science degree, discusses the science behind vegetable oils and what makes them carcinogenic. She explains:
“There are two classes of PUFA: omega-6 and omega-3. Although functionally distinct and non-interchangeable, these two classes are perpetually engaged in a metabolic balancing act, pushing and pulling as they compete for absorption in the body.
There is nothing intrinsically wrong with omega-6 PUFAs: we need them … If omega-6 fat is essential to health, it makes no sense that it can also cause cancer …
That’s why scientists believe that it is not omega-6 per se that is to blame; it’s the balance between the two groups of PUFA that is out of kilter and wreaking havoc on our bodies.We evolved on, and are genetically adapted to, a diet that provides more or less equal amounts of omega-3 and omega-64 …
With the industrialization of our diets, and the vast quantities of vegetable cooking oils that go into them, the ratio between omega-6 and omega-3 has shifted enormously and we consume up to 25 times5 more omega-6 than omega-3 …
There can only be consequences, and indeed there are: experimental data6 supports the theory that it is this skewed balance between the two PUFAs that influences the development of a tumor.”
How Lopsided PUFA Ratios Promote Cancer
The cancer connection is also reviewed in a 2016 paper,7 “Role of Diets Rich in Omega-3 and Omega-6 in the Development of Cancer,” which points out that “Omega-6 and omega-3 PUFAs often compete with one another for metabolism and act in an opposing manner.”
Your body metabolizes omega-3 and omega-6 PUFAs into eicosanoids, which are hormone-like substances, and as a general rule, omega-3 eicosanoids are anti-inflammatory while omega-6 eicosanoids have proinflammatory effects.8 Part of the benefits of omega-3 fats is that they block the proinflammatory effects of omega-6 eicosanoids.
As noted in the 2016 paper9 cited above, “several studies have demonstrated that omega-6 PUFAs induce progression in certain types of cancer,” while “omega-3 PUFAs possess a therapeutic role against certain types of cancer.”
Table 1 in that paper lists eight known mechanisms by which omega-3 lowers your risk of cancer. For example, omega-3 has been shown to inhibit insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and down-regulate growth factor receptors involved in cancer.
Omega-3 fats also reduce angiogenesis and cell-to-cell adhesion, improve the structure and function of cells, combat inflammation (which is a hallmark of cancer10) and induce cancer cell apoptosis (cell death).11 Table 2 in that same paper lists the pro-tumor mechanisms of omega-6 fats, which include:12
Creation of reactive species that damage DNA
17-beta-estradiol epoxidation, which in turn generates a carcinogenic compound
Enhancing the genotoxic effects of other compounds
As explained in my book, “Superfuel,” co-written with James DiNicolantonio, Pharm.D., omega-6 also inhibits cardiolipin, an important component of the inner membrane of your mitochondria that needs to be saturated in DHA in order for it to function properly.13
Cardiolipin can be likened to a cellular alarm system that triggers apoptosis (cell death) by signaling caspase-3 when something goes wrong with the cell. If the cardiolipin is not saturated with DHA, it cannot signal caspase-3, and hence apoptosis does not occur. As a result, dysfunctional cells are allowed to continue to grow, which can turn into a cancerous cell.
Vegetable Oils Promote Virtually All Chronic Disease
Cancer is by far not the only health risk associated with vegetable oils. As mentioned, they promote virtually all chronic disease by throwing your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio off kilter. But they also influence your disease risk in other ways.
Importantly, vegetable oils degrade when heated, forming extremely toxic oxidation products, including cyclic aldehydes.14 Cyclic aldehydes cause oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) associated with heart disease. They also crosslink tau protein and create neurofibrillary tangles, thereby contributing to the development of neurodegenerative diseases.
As explained by Dr. Cate Shanahan in her book, “Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food,”15 in order to understand how dietary fats affect your health you need to understand how fats oxidize.
The omega-6 PUFAs found in vegetable oils have highly perishable bonds that react with oxygen, creating a free radical cascade that turns normal fatty acids in your body into dangerous high-energy molecules that zip around, wreaking havoc in a way similar to that of radiation.
What’s more, many of the vegetable oils produced today — especially corn and soy oil — are genetically engineered and a significant source of glyphosate exposure, and glyphosate has also been linked to gut damage and other health problems.
Shanahan’s book also expounds on the hazards of 4-hydroxynonenal (4HNE), which forms during the processing of most vegetable oils. 4HNE is highly toxic, especially to your gut bacteria, and consumption of 4HNE has been correlated with having an obesogenic balance of gut flora.
4HNE causes cytotoxicity and DNA damage, and instigates free radical cascades that damage the mitochondrial membrane. As noted by Shanahan in our 2017 interview, featured in “Dietary Fats — The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”:
“You can’t design a better delivery vehicle for a toxin that’s going to destroy your health slowly over the course of maybe 10, 20 years, depending on the genetics of your antioxidant system capacity.”
Shanahan also notes that organic vegetable oil is not the answer, as 4HNE occurs even if the oil is obtained from organic crops. It’s an intrinsic byproduct of the refining and processing of the oil, no matter how healthy the oil initially was.
The omega-6 found in vegetable oils also damages the endothelium (the cells lining your blood vessels), allowing LDL and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) particles to penetrate into the subendothelium.
In other words, these oils get integrated into your cell and mitochondrial membranes, and once these membranes are impaired, it sets the stage for all sorts of health problems.
They also make cell membranes less fluid, which impacts hormone transporters in the cell membrane and slows your metabolic rate, and inhibit the removal of senescent cells — aged, damaged or crippled cells that have lost the ability to reproduce and produce inflammatory cytokines that rapidly accelerate disease and aging.
Vegetable oils also strip your liver of glutathione (which produces antioxidant enzymes), thereby lowering your antioxidant defenses,16 and inhibit delta-6 desaturase (delta-6), an enzyme involved in the conversion of short-chained omega-3s to longer chained omega-3s in your liver.17
Address Your Omega-6 to Omega-3 Ratio to Protect Your Health
Marine-based omega-3 is one of the most important fats in the human diet, as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are actually key structural elements of cells, including your brain cells, and not just simple fuel. If you don’t have enough DHA and EPA, your body’s ability to repair and maintain healthy cell structures is seriously impaired.
The key that many overlook is the importance of getting the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 right. Simply adding in more omega-3 might not be sufficient if you’re not also taking steps to significantly lower your omega-6 intake, and vegetable oils are a primary source.
As noted in the 2002 paper,18 “The Importance of the Ratio of Omega-6/Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids”:
“Excessive amounts of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and a very high omega-6/omega-3 ratio, as is found in today’s Western diets, promote the pathogenesis of many diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, whereas increased levels of omega-3 PUFA (a low omega-6/omega-3 ratio) exert suppressive effects.
In the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, a ratio of 4/1 was associated with a 70% decrease in total mortality. A ratio of 2.5/1 reduced rectal cell proliferation in patients with colorectal cancer, whereas a ratio of 4/1 with the same amount of omega-3 PUFA had no effect.
The lower omega-6/omega-3 ratio in women with breast cancer was associated with decreased risk. A ratio of 2–3/1 suppressed inflammation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, and a ratio of 5/1 had a beneficial effect on patients with asthma, whereas a ratio of 10/1 had adverse consequences.
These studies indicate that the optimal ratio may vary with the disease under consideration. This is consistent with the fact that chronic diseases are multigenic and multifactorial.
Therefore, it is quite possible that the therapeutic dose of omega-3 fatty acids will depend on the degree of severity of disease resulting from the genetic predisposition. A lower ratio of omega-6/omega-3 fatty acids is more desirable in reducing the risk of many of the chronic diseases of high prevalence in Western societies …”
Since most processed foods and restaurant foods contain these oils, ridding your diet of them means ditching processed fare and restaurant meals, and cooking from scratch using healthier cooking fats. While you do need omega-6, it should be in its unprocessed form, not industrial vegetable oils. Good sources are whole, raw plant seeds and tree nuts.
Healthiest Fats for Cooking
While the devil’s in the details, and the details may be complicated, the simplest way to understand what a healthy diet consists of is to think back 100 years or so and consider what food was back then, and how it was prepared.
What you’re aiming for is real food — whole food that is as close to its natural state as possible. This may be particularly important when it comes to fats. Again, ditching vegetable oils and any food cooked with it can go a long way toward lowering inflammation and mitochondrial and cellular damage, which will protect you from a variety of common killers, including cancer. As for what to replace the vegetable oils with, the following are among your healthiest options:
•Organic pastured pork lard — A 2015 analysis19 of more than 1,000 raw foods ranked raw separated pork fat, also known as pork lard, as the eighth healthiest food on a list of 100.20 Valuable nutrients found in lard include vitamin D,21 omega-3 fats,22 monounsaturated fats23 (the same fats found in avocados and olive oil24), saturated fats25 and choline.26
•Coconut oil is another excellent cooking oil that is loaded with health benefits.
•Olive oil — Authentic olive oil contains healthy fatty acids that can help lower your risk of heart disease. While the standard recommendation has been to avoid using olive oil for cooking and to only use it cold, recent research27 in which 10 popular cooking oils were compared contradicts this advice, showing extra-virgin olive oil actually scored best for both oxidative stability and lack of harmful compounds produced when heated.
A word of caution is warranted, however. Fake olive oil abounds,28 so it’s important to take the time to investigate your sources. Many are adulterated with cheap vegetable oils or nonhuman grade olive oils,29 which are harmful to health in a number of ways. For more information, see “Is Your Olive Oil Fake?” where I cover this topic in-depth.
•Organic butter (preferably made from organic grass fed raw milk) instead of margarines and vegetable oil spreads — Butter is a healthy whole food that has received an unwarranted bad rap.
•Organic ghee is even better, as you remove the milk solids that many have problems with — Ghee is pure fat with no carbs and is what I personally use. The best way to make it is to place it in a glass container in a dehydrator and don’t heat it higher than 100 degrees F. to preserve the quality.
You can suck off the milk solids with a glass baster. Once you have the ghee you don’t even need to refrigerate it as it is stable at room temperature for many weeks.
To round out your healthy fat intake, be sure to eat raw fats, such as those from avocados, raw nuts, raw dairy products and olive oil. Also increase your animal-based omega-3 fat intake by eating more sardines, anchovies, mackerel, herring or wild-caught Alaskan salmon, or take a supplement such as krill oil.
1Which of the following nutrients has been shown to significantly improve insulin sensitivity in Type 2 diabetics?
Vitamin C
Calcium
Glucosamine
Magnesium
Type 2 diabetes is a common pathology associated with magnesium deficiency. In one study, diabetics who took 250 milligrams of magnesium per day for three months improved their insulin sensitivity by 28%; the placebo group's insulin sensitivity worsened by 39%. Learn more.
2Which of the following statements is accurate?
The CDC has accepted millions of dollars from private corporations since 1995
The CDC has long fostered the perception of independence by stating it does not accept funding from special interests. In reality, it receives millions of dollars each year from commercial interests through its government-charted foundation. Since its inception in 1995, the CDC Foundation has accepted $161 million from private corporations, which is then funneled to the CDC. Learn more.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not accept funding from commercial interests
The CDC is funded solely by commercial interests
The CDC is fully funded by U.S. taxpayers
3Which of the following toxic heavy metals is deposited in your body when you do high-contrast MRIs?
Lead
Gadolinium
Gadolinium, a toxic heavy metal, is commonly used in high-contrast MRI studies. To reduce its toxicity, the gadolinium is administered with a chelating agent. Research suggests as much as 25% of the gadolinium injected is not excreted, and deposits are still found in some patients long afterward. Learn more.
Mercury
Arsenic
4Which of the following shows promise for the prevention and treatment of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease?
Multivitamins
Vitamin C
Probiotics
Probiotics have been shown to help improve cognitive function and ward off dementia, including Alzheimer's. Learn more.
Saw Palmetto
5Which of the following statements accurately describes the primary difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes?
Type 2 diabetics produce little or no insulin while Type 1 diabetics are insulin resistant but still produce insulin
Type 2 diabetes is irreversible, while Type 1 is reversible
Type 2 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune disorder that destroys the pancreatic cells that produce insulin, while Type 1 diabetes is diet derived
Type 1 diabetics produce little or no insulin while Type 2 diabetics are insulin resistant but still produce insulin
Type 1 diabetics require a steady supply of insulin for their daily survival, as their bodies produce little or no insulin at all. While Type 2 diabetes is rooted in insulin resistance and faulty leptin signaling, caused by a high-sugar diet, Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which your immune system attacks and destroys the pancreatic cells that produce insulin. Learn more.
6Which country does Patagonia currently source its hemp from?
China
Patagonia sources its hemp from China. Learn more.
Brazil
Mexico
India
7Which of the following is an underutilized yet strongly indicated treatment for diabetic neuropathy?
Aromatherapy
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
While hyperbaric oxygen therapy can speed healing of any inflammatory condition, in the U.S., there are only 14 conditions for which insurance will pay, one of which is diabetic neuropathy. Learn more.
