On Tue, 3 Jun 1997, Andrew S. Bonci, BA, DC, DAAPM wrote:

> > According to Barry Sears, this is the same problem that
> > accompanies the "therapeutic" use of flaxseed oil for its ALA
> > content.  It supposedly downregulates D6D, so you get less of the
> > pro-inflammatory series 2 stuff, but you also get less of
> > everything else.
>
> Hmmm, I vaguely recall Sears' discussion on this topic.  It's been a
> while since I read Sears.

From page 123 of _Enter the Zone_:  "ALA is like a wet blanket
for the enzymes that control the eventual flow of omega-6
essential fatty acids toward eicosanoids.  In many ways ALA is
the biological equivalent of aspirin: by limiting the activity of
the delta 6 desaturase enzyme, it knocks out the production of
both good and bad eicosanoids."

On the other hand, over on the Zone list there has been
discussion of a recent study that shows that ALA supplementation
offers significant protection against heart disease, and *not*
simply by acting as a precursor to EPA.

> > On a related subject, do you know any reason why saturated fats
> > would inhibit D6D?  I have a chart in front of me that says they
> > do.  If true, this would seem to be problematic.
>
> I am unaware of any reason unless you are talking transfatty acids; that
> being vegetable oils which have been hydrogenated.  However, this
> stretches me a bit.

I am skeptical myself.  If SFAs inhibit D6D and ALA inhibits D6D
and LA inhibits D6D and TFAs inhibit D6D then I think there are
some confounding variables floating around...

Todd Moody
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