On Mon, 18 Jun 2001 14:51:10 -0400, Todd Moody <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:


>> " Stearic acid is .. similarly cholesterogenic..."
>I think this claim is disputed.  See for example
>http://www.hhdev.psu.edu/research/Stearic.htm  From what I have
>read recently, stearic acid appears to be neutral in its effect
>on cholesterol.

It would be logical, that palmitic requires more cholesterol,
because when membranes are made with it, they will bis less stable
than with the longer stearidic, therefore require cholesterol.

Palmitic has been described to fight bacteria proliferation because it
weakens their cell walls so much..

However as these two are as SFA unbent, so I imagine the cellwall would be
less *flexible*.
I think there should be more properties of cell walls to gain optimal
structure than just "fluidity". They can be harder or less.
FLexible more or less. Capable to include transport proteins more or less.

Stearic:
>>   " Abnormal levels in erythrocyte membranes cause alteration in membrane
>> fluidity.  Increased fluidity is associated with active tumor
>> proliferation."
>
>Stearic acid in membranes would tend to *decrease* fluidity.

Right! I read that too and it sounds strange.
Now that study seems to assume that the alteration in membrane "fluidity"
are bad ones,how can it be that tumor cells have increased fliudity?

Strange. But the connection can be a different one. Tumor cells could be the
winners in robbing the good fluidid making EFAs from healthy cells.
Or is there a difference between flexibility made of more natural cell walls
(with EFAs) with cholesterol included or the stiffness of stearic acid cell
walls which would leave the cholesterol in the blood?

Todd, you are a miracle of references :-)
After reading you human studies I think I was somewhat too enthusiastic
about finding a matching cell wall study with some propositions about EFAs
and cell walls (..it was only about cholesterol, nothing about cancer).

However I *feel* that there must be a strong connection between altered
fatty acid profiles and health.
Particularly as the fatty acids changed in volume are essential.

Or could you say that low EFA in the diet was found anywhere in the
paleolithicum or any *lithicum, so that an adaption could occure?
And I mean LNA and LA in this.

>>   " The ratio of stearic to oleic acids in red cell membranes has been
found
>> to be a strong indicator of the presence of malignant tissue as it
reflects
>> the lowered ratio found in malignant tissue cell membranes."
>
>Yes, but they don't say (here) which way the ratio works.  The
>above quotation suggests that a *lower* ratio of stearic to oleic
>acid in membranes is indicative of malignancy.  In neither case
>is their any indication of a causal role, incidentally.

If it's lower ratio, is the culprit then oleic acid?
If the ratio so or so is only an indication of malignancy, then the
cause would be linked to it.
What is the cause of the altered ratio?

I cannot guess it. But I feel that altered fat compositions with a suddenly
low percentage of essential fats (like in the last 100 years) has something
to do with it. Not the high SFA. Just the low EFA.

Amadeus
waiting for more studies