1 00:00:00,012 --> 00:00:06,303 To understand how Omega-3 fatty acids and plaque help we must first recognize that 2 00:00:06,303 --> 00:00:10,058 our bodies are made up of various types of cells. 3 00:00:10,058 --> 00:00:15,665 These cells consist of standard components including, a lipid bilayer. 4 00:00:15,665 --> 00:00:20,564 These make up the cell wall, and are comprised of phospholipids. 5 00:00:21,820 --> 00:00:26,710 That contain 2 fatty acids. These fatty acids can be liberated and 6 00:00:26,710 --> 00:00:32,480 metabolized to form other substances in the body in our immune system, such as 7 00:00:32,480 --> 00:00:36,747 eicosanoids. Specifically, the fatty acids arachidonic 8 00:00:36,747 --> 00:00:42,276 and eicosapentaenoic acid are used to form eicosanoids, cell signals that 9 00:00:42,276 --> 00:00:46,672 control information and immune response across the body. 10 00:00:46,672 --> 00:00:52,946 So what we eat will dictate the infection of eicosanoids, which then go into the 11 00:00:52,946 --> 00:00:58,319 body causing immune reaction. Inflammation is a normal part of your 12 00:00:58,319 --> 00:01:03,005 body's immune response. But when it occurs in excess, as in 13 00:01:03,005 --> 00:01:09,892 autoimmune diseases, it can cause pain, reduced mobility, tissues damage, delayed 14 00:01:09,892 --> 00:01:16,264 healing or cardiovascular damage. Depending on which fatty acid was used, 15 00:01:16,264 --> 00:01:22,937 to synthesize a given eicosanoid, your body will actually have differing degrees 16 00:01:22,937 --> 00:01:25,989 of inflammation. Let's look at that. 17 00:01:25,989 --> 00:01:35,553 So we could have consumed fatty acids, or fats that provide arachidonic acid, or 18 00:01:35,553 --> 00:01:44,152 eicosapentanoic acid. Arachidonic acids and eicosapentanoic 19 00:01:44,152 --> 00:01:47,461 acids both. Form, eicosanoids. 20 00:01:47,461 --> 00:01:53,516 They are slightly different when you see just the 4-series versus the 5, the E2 21 00:01:53,516 --> 00:01:57,532 versus the E3. So these eicosanoids both do the same 22 00:01:57,532 --> 00:02:01,125 thing overall. In case of arachidonic derived 23 00:02:01,125 --> 00:02:05,632 eicosanoids, they will signal one inflamatory response. 24 00:02:05,632 --> 00:02:10,037 Now we can consider these pro inflammatory but really they're causing 25 00:02:10,037 --> 00:02:14,662 what would be the normal level, and if for you if you have heart disease or 26 00:02:14,662 --> 00:02:17,637 rheumatoid arthritis normal becomes too much. 27 00:02:17,637 --> 00:02:21,997 When someone with one of these conditions can stand entire amounts of 28 00:02:21,997 --> 00:02:28,135 eicosapentanoic acid they form different eicosanoid And these have a diminished 29 00:02:28,135 --> 00:02:34,558 immune signalling response. What's most interesting, as we'll talk 30 00:02:34,558 --> 00:02:41,162 about, is that it's not just a matter of making different elcosanoids. 31 00:02:41,162 --> 00:02:47,720 These fatty acids will also affect inflammation at the genetic Level. 32 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:52,800 So, as we've mentioned, both sugars and fat have been accused of crimes. 33 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:55,883 They've been put on trial. Fats make us fat. 34 00:02:55,883 --> 00:03:00,208 The carbs make us fat. They do all kinds of things, but fat is a 35 00:03:00,208 --> 00:03:03,653 good thing. We do need it, and let's talk a little 36 00:03:03,653 --> 00:03:09,095 bit about how fat is important for our diet, and the good fat here, the Omega-3 37 00:03:09,095 --> 00:03:12,906 fatty acid. Earlier studies showed that, indicated 38 00:03:12,906 --> 00:03:17,904 that Eskimos, though they were overweight, consumed high amounts of 39 00:03:17,904 --> 00:03:21,313 omega-3 fatty acids. They had a high-fat diet. 40 00:03:21,313 --> 00:03:26,367 But they were not suffering from significant levels of autoimmune and 41 00:03:26,367 --> 00:03:32,150 inflammatory disease compared to their westernized ethnic out, counterparts. 42 00:03:32,150 --> 00:03:37,716 What does that That means that when individuals left their homeland or 43 00:03:37,716 --> 00:03:43,634 changed their diets to western diet, they did start to have these autoimmune 44 00:03:43,634 --> 00:03:48,930 inflammatory conditions. The benefit of consuming more omega three 45 00:03:48,930 --> 00:03:54,935 fatty acids are wide spread, for various generations, lifestages, peoples, 46 00:03:54,935 --> 00:03:58,997 genders. Benefits have been shown in Inflammatory 47 00:03:58,997 --> 00:04:05,151 and auto immune conditions, which shows in cardiovascular disease, in helping 48 00:04:05,151 --> 00:04:11,367 infancy and pregnancy, in maintaining metabolic syndromes, in maintaining the 49 00:04:11,367 --> 00:04:16,402 eye health and even in preventing cancer, who knows what else. 50 00:04:16,402 --> 00:04:22,422 We know it specifically does have an immunological role, because we do know 51 00:04:22,422 --> 00:04:28,802 that we need those eicosanoids from the fatty acids and the phospholipods of our 52 00:04:28,802 --> 00:04:33,282 cell membrane. We process these different fatty acids, 53 00:04:33,282 --> 00:04:39,582 and when we are using these fatty acids, they are going to be in the longer chain 54 00:04:39,582 --> 00:04:42,024 form. So as we talk about the role, 55 00:04:42,024 --> 00:04:47,011 potentially, of diet in managing inflammation we will probably want to get 56 00:04:47,011 --> 00:04:51,011 the longer chain fat. This means consuming fish, this means 57 00:04:51,011 --> 00:04:56,295 maybe supplementing with EPA or DHA. The Plan Base ones are still useful, but 58 00:04:56,295 --> 00:05:00,222 they are going to need to be converted to the longer chain. 59 00:05:00,222 --> 00:05:04,281 Fatty acid. And how's this working? So I've already 60 00:05:04,281 --> 00:05:09,886 described to you how these different types of fatty acids have a modular 61 00:05:09,886 --> 00:05:14,624 affect of inflammation simply because of what they produce. 62 00:05:14,624 --> 00:05:20,778 But they also have a genetic component. So how so? Even if you don't know much 63 00:05:20,778 --> 00:05:25,753 about genes, I'll give you a simple explanation of your DNA. 64 00:05:25,753 --> 00:05:31,540 Your DNA controls your genetics. These genes program the synthesis of 65 00:05:31,540 --> 00:05:36,788 things like enzymes. Perhaps an enzyme response will form The 66 00:05:36,788 --> 00:05:43,178 inflammation process or maybe even for the synthesis of inflammatory components. 67 00:05:43,178 --> 00:05:48,997 This DNA, this gene, has an area on itself called the promoter region and in 68 00:05:48,997 --> 00:05:55,002 some cases a portion of that promoter region can actually have what's called a 69 00:05:55,002 --> 00:06:00,406 poofa sensitive region. So that polyunsaturated fat of the acid, 70 00:06:00,406 --> 00:06:05,372 that poofah /g, the omega three, actually controls the gene. 71 00:06:05,372 --> 00:06:11,919 So normally if you don't eat as mega, as many omega three fatty acids, you produce 72 00:06:11,919 --> 00:06:15,382 these inflammatory components. Well say. 73 00:06:15,382 --> 00:06:23,022 Now we change our diet and you gotta keep your diet changed it will be a constant 74 00:06:23,022 --> 00:06:28,045 process. That same DNA is differently affected, to 75 00:06:28,045 --> 00:06:34,672 the extent that we do not see symphysis of these inflamed products. 76 00:06:34,672 --> 00:06:38,043 So this is amazing. Not just are we making different 77 00:06:38,043 --> 00:06:43,336 products, we're controlling the degree to which we're making those products.at a 78 00:06:43,336 --> 00:06:46,250 genetic level. And not only do we see reduced 79 00:06:46,250 --> 00:06:50,845 inflammation, but everything that goes with inflammation is reduced. 80 00:06:50,845 --> 00:06:55,760 Pain, stiffness, and even if stiffness and even drug In conditions such as 81 00:06:55,760 --> 00:07:00,700 surgery you would expect to see some inflammation but if there's infection or 82 00:07:00,700 --> 00:07:05,494 excessive inflammation that can increase hospital stay or complications. 83 00:07:05,494 --> 00:07:10,409 And there are research studies that indicate consuming fish oils for example 84 00:07:10,409 --> 00:07:15,102 before during and after surgical procedures help manage inflammation. 85 00:07:15,102 --> 00:07:21,207 Omega 3 fatty acid consumption has been shown to be beneficial in cardiovascular 86 00:07:21,207 --> 00:07:26,072 diseases, stroke. In relation to the inflammatory processes 87 00:07:26,072 --> 00:07:31,582 such as infla, basic inflammation, arrhythmia, or thrombosis and helps 88 00:07:31,582 --> 00:07:35,827 benefit heart health. We've also seen benefits in metabolic 89 00:07:35,827 --> 00:07:40,443 conditions, specifically metabolic syndrome and diabetes, as well as 90 00:07:40,443 --> 00:07:43,751 obesity. Increased consumption of Omega-3's over 91 00:07:43,751 --> 00:07:48,838 other fats and I want to sort of iterate here that it's a matter of replacing one 92 00:07:48,838 --> 00:07:53,703 with the other, it's not add fish and keep eating the steak, it's eat fish 93 00:07:53,703 --> 00:07:57,997 instead of the steak. We've seen imrovements in lipic profile, 94 00:07:57,997 --> 00:08:02,645 that means the fats in your blood. So recall, I mentioned that there's a 95 00:08:02,645 --> 00:08:07,675 genetic component with these PUFA, these PUFA sensitive regions of your DNA. 96 00:08:07,675 --> 00:08:13,112 While there's also PUFA sensitive regions of DNA that controls fatty acid oxidation 97 00:08:13,112 --> 00:08:17,022 and lipid deposition. There is research indicating that, 98 00:08:17,022 --> 00:08:22,528 consuming a diet higher in omega-2 fatty acids, rather than the other fatty acids, 99 00:08:22,528 --> 00:08:28,132 can actually help decrease deposition and increase oxidation of fat, thus aiding in 100 00:08:28,132 --> 00:08:29,572 weight loss. Loss. 101 00:08:29,572 --> 00:08:34,939 What research has indicated is that the change in diet, where we increase our 102 00:08:34,939 --> 00:08:40,075 Omega-3 fatty acid consumption and decrease other fat consumptions, is a 103 00:08:40,075 --> 00:08:45,860 decrease in the synthesis of components responsible for fatty acid synthesis, the 104 00:08:45,860 --> 00:08:49,592 enzymes, triglyceride synthesis and fat storage. 105 00:08:49,592 --> 00:08:56,055 And up regulation of components of fatty acid oxidation, heat production with 106 00:08:56,055 --> 00:09:00,844 reduced fat deposition. So how much should you eat? Well, 107 00:09:00,844 --> 00:09:07,035 certainly if you don't eat a lot of fish, you can increase your fish intake. 108 00:09:07,035 --> 00:09:11,492 Perhaps once to twice a week will show to have benefits. 109 00:09:11,492 --> 00:09:16,602 Supplements might be required if you do actually have a disease condition such as 110 00:09:16,602 --> 00:09:21,222 rheumatoid arthritis or heart disease. And the key here, as I've already 111 00:09:21,222 --> 00:09:24,252 mentioned, is the ratio of one fat to the other. 112 00:09:24,252 --> 00:09:29,337 We're replacing the saturated and mono unsaturated fats, fatty acids with these 113 00:09:29,337 --> 00:09:32,387 Omega-3's. And depending on where you live, you 114 00:09:32,387 --> 00:09:35,502 might want to also reduce the amount of Omega-6. 115 00:09:35,502 --> 00:09:39,399 That you consume. Western diets, or any diet high in quan 116 00:09:39,399 --> 00:09:42,688 for example, is going to much higher in 6 than 3. 117 00:09:42,688 --> 00:09:47,926 And you're always going to see more 6 than 3, but we'd like to bring that ratio 118 00:09:47,926 --> 00:09:51,748 closer together. Eskimos and even our ancestors when we 119 00:09:51,748 --> 00:09:56,936 were living in caves, and chasing our food had a ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 of 120 00:09:56,936 --> 00:10:00,239 about 4 to 1. Or even lower in some cases. 121 00:10:00,239 --> 00:10:04,136 Now in a western diet, that ratio is 10 to 1. 122 00:10:04,136 --> 00:10:08,428 10 Omega-6's grow in every 1 Omega-3 fatty acid. 123 00:10:08,428 --> 00:10:14,644 So, again, replace, replace, replace. Balance the diet leading to health.