Longevity Institute Newsletter13-2video

Data and Illustrations Related to Newsletter13

The n-3 Essential Fatty Acids Videos from the National Institute of Health.

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1 - Conference by Bill Lands, Ph.D., Senior Advisor, NIAAA, NIH. Overview of essential fatty acids in health and disease

This talk notes how populations around the world have maintained certain food supplies in their surrounding ecosystem and neglected others without considering the resulting impact on eicosanoid functions in their body. Informed food choices can supply the essential fatty acids that keep a balanced supply of eicosanoid precursors within the body to maintain balanced omega-6 and omega-3 eicosanoid responses of the body's inner ecosystem. x

Comments :Bill Lands introduces the fascinating and fruitfull concept of the Inner Ecosystem

2 - Conference by Norman Salem, Ph.D., Chief, Laboratory of Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, NIAAA, NIH Essential fatty acids- different chain lengths and metabolism

Norman Salem describes the structure and nomenclature for fatty acids for the non-specialist. He describes the chemistry and metabolism of omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids to help people understand their nature in the context of more widely discussed saturated and unsaturated fats. The 18-carbon essential fatty acids can be metabolized to 20-carbon and 22-carbon forms that have different distributions in tissue membranes and have very different impacts on eicosanoid formation.

Comments : The conference by Salem covers in other words the topic described in part one : "The Nature of Fat " of this newsletter

3 - Eicosanoid formation, receptor functions, and clinical relevance by William L. Smith, Ph.D., Professor and Chairman of Biochemistry, Michigan State University

The talk describes the diversity of different eicosanoids that the body forms from the 20-carbon omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids. This diverse set of hormone-like agents acts through different receptors on tissues to regulate many different body responses in health and disease.

Comments :To follow this conference, one needs a solid biochemistry and physiology base

4 - Essential fats in foods Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., R.D., Professor of Nutrition, Pennsylvania State University.

This conference describes the amounts of omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids present in many different foods currently consumed during typical food choices by the USA population. The talk presents food sources to help plan diets that meet target levels of omega-3 fatty acid intakes.

Comments :A nice complement to "The Western Diet""

5 - An overview of functional foods by Jean Pennington, Ph.D., R.D., Research Nutritionist, DNRC, NIH

The talk addresses what people mean by the terms functional foods, designer foods, nutraceuticals, and medicinal foods. Surveys different functional foods from the viewpoint of their presumed bioactive, functional components and alternatively lists those foods that have the most abundant supply of some desired functional components.

Comments : The author enumerates foods that contains active ingredients and what they do.This conference explains why the diet should contain a rich variety of vegetables and fruits

6 - Differences between preventive nutrition and therapeutic intervention by Frank M. Sacks, M.D., Professor, School of Public Health, Harvard University

This talk describes principles involved in prevention and treatment interventions and notes the limitations in the types of evidence provided for forming personal decisions. Results from several large diet therapy trials are reviewed to show benefits from selected diet interventions. There is definitive evidence that eating omega-3 fats decrease cardiovascular deaths.

Comments : Sackx emphasize that for official entities, innovative health guidelines are a low priority, while historical uniformity and total security are imperative. One should not expect the latest health news from official agencies. The conference further highlights that in 1969 the randomized clinical Dayton trial proved that n-3 fatty acid supplementation reduces stroke by 43% and fatal heart attack by 31%.