It was a revelation to discover exactly why good fats are crucial to our health, and why bad fats are so damaging.
The path that took me to this revelation was quite extraordinary. I had a fascination with fats when I discovered that my body was very low in all the fat-soluble vitamins – such as A, D, E and K – and that these vitamins are crucial to protect against cancer.
I wanted to know why these were so low. Was it malabsorbtion of the gut? Well, that was part of the picture. I learned that my gallbladder was full of stones and bile flow was inhibited, therefore my fat digestion was poor. I had also been put on a low-fat diet by an American practitioner, Dr Stephen Fry. There was a reason for this: I had been diagnosed with a newly-discovered protozoan infection. Protomyzoa Rhuematica thrived on fats and a low-fat diet was the most effective way to bring the infection down. I kept to his recommendations but the doctor hadn’t accounted for the fact that I was already suffering from oxidative stress.
Put simply, every cell in our body fires electrically. The nucleus in the center of the cell is positively charged, and the outer lining of the cell (cell membrane) is negatively charged.
In the 1950s, a physicist named Dr Johanna Budwig was considered one of the world’s leading authorities on fats and oils. Her research has shown the tremendous role of commercially-processed foods in destroying cell membranes and lowering the voltage in our body cells, which can result in disease.
Dr Budwig discovered that, when unsaturated fats have been chemically treated, their unsaturated qualities are destroyed and the field of electrons removed. This commercial processing of fats destroys the field of electrons that the cell membranes in our bodies must have to function properly. The fats’ ability to associate with protein and, thereby, to achieve water solubility in the fluids of the living body is destroyed. As Dr Budwig stated:
“The battery is dead because the electrons in these fats and oils recharge it.”
When the electrons are destroyed, the fats are no longer active and cannot flow into the capillaries and through the fine capillary networks. Without the proper metabolism of fats in our bodies, every vital function and organ is affected. This includes the generation of new life and new cells.
Dr Budwig’s diet sounded peculiar at first. The mixture of flax oil and cottage cheese sounded too nice, simple and affordable to work. After reading the science behind it, however, the diet seemed to make sense. After all, she was a well-educated and Nobel-nominated physician.
“The Budwig Protocol has at its heart a diet with its roots in a scientific phenomenon known as the ‘Warburg Effect’, discovered by 1931 Nobel Prize winner, medical doctor and biochemist, Otto Heinrich Warburg. Through his work on respiration, he discovered that, in the absence of oxygen, cancer cells would metabolise sugar which enabled them to multiply. In the same era, Budwig found that highly unsaturated cold-pressed linseed oil (flax oil) would carry oxygen into the cells to fight cancer.” http://www.budwig-diet.co.uk/
Flax contains high levels of Omega-3, which is an important component of almost all cell membranes. It is a polyunsaturated fat and contains alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which constitutes 57% of the total fatty acids in flax. Every tablespoon of flaxseed oil contains eight grams of ALA. Other, perhaps more beneficial, oils are found in fish, but fish oil and flax oil are highly unstable and it is important that these oils do not become rancid.
Antarctic krill oil is said to be superior to fish oil because it contains phospholipids, antioxidants and omega-3s bonded together in a way that may keep them safe from oxidation. Nonetheless, these good oils should always be refrigerated.
Krill oil contains eicosapentaenoic acid (EPAs) anddocosahexaenoic acid (DHAs). EPA and DHA are both long chain omega 3 fatty acids, and both come from animal sources. DHA keeps your nervous system functioning and provides anti-inflammatory benefits. Higher consumption correlates with improved mood, greater insulin sensitivity, increased muscle growth, and better sleep.
The risk of getting any mercury contamination is extremely low as krill are so low in the food chain that they don’t accumulate the toxins that larger fish do.
The ugly oils become ‘ugly’ essentially when they are heated – i.e. what we do to them almost every time we eat. Deep frying at high temperatures and microwaving messes around with the structure of fats and, contrary to the benefits that fat can offer us, they become dangerous and potentially carcinogenic (cancer causing) by oxidising.
“Oxidised omega 6 does damage to your DNA, inflames your heart, and raises your risk for several types of cancer, including breast cancer. It also interferes with brain metabolism.” https://www.bulletproofexec.com/omega-3-vs-omega-6-fat-supplements/
The most common source of omega 6s is linoleic acid, found in corn oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, poultry, and some nuts and seeds.
These oils are cheap to produce, so they are used in processed foods such as chocolate, biscuits, crackers, margarine, frozen pizza and other snacks.
To add to this recipe for disaster, food companies stabilise these oils to increase shelf life through a process called hydrogenation. Hydrogenation takes already harmful fats and converts them into synthetic trans fat. This is the nail in the coffin when it comes to the western diet. It’s clear that the ratio of omega 3 vs omega 6 fats is inbalanced in our diets and the prevalence of vegetable oil and processed grains in western food is contributing to chronic inflammation, cancer, neuro-degenerative diseases, heart attack, and many of the other common health problems.
The Cholesterol Conspiracy.
It has previously been preached to us that cholesterol is bad for us. However, recent research has proven the contrary. In fact, it is essential to our health, as healthambition.com explains:
“The truth is we can’t live without cholesterol. It is an essential part of our diet – we need cholesterol to make a variety of hormones and other substances vital for good health.”
The link between cholesterol and conditions such as heart disease and stroke actually comes from the molecules that transport cholesterol. These carrier molecules are called low density lipoproteins (LDL).
Modern research has identified two different types of LDLs – small and large. Small LDLs are the troublemakers because of their high density. Large LDLs – the type commonly found in saturated fat – are fluffy and low in density. According to research, large LDLs are not associated with increased risk of heart disease (source).
Another type of carrier for cholesterol is high density lipoprotein (HDL). The purpose of HDLs are to transport cholesterol out of the blood stream to the liver, where it can either be recycled or removed as a waste product.
This is probably why HDLs are known as good cholesterol. The higher the amount of HDLs, the lower the risk factor for heart disease. Consuming saturated fat has been shown to increase the amount of HDLs in the body (source).’ https://www.healthambition.com/saturated-fat-bad/
In fact, it appears that the right kind of cholesterol can actually reduce your LDL levels, and the right cholesterol can be found in a healthy diet. It can be gained from foods such as salmon and oily fish, avocados and nuts, and the good oils mentioned above such as olive oil, flaxseed oil and krill oil. Avoiding alcohol and regular exercise are obvious lifestyle choices geared towards healthy LDL levels and stopping smoking is crucial.
https://www.bulletproofexec.com/omega-3-vs-omega-6-fat-supplements/
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