On Mon, 5 Feb 2001 10:56:21 -0500, Todd Moody <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

>> The unusual very low percentage of essential fatty acids.
>
>Yes, but this can be corrected by getting EFAs from other
>sources.

Of course. By proper conscious eating, the missing EFAs can be supplemented.
However to achieve the 1/3 EFA percentage found in --say wild game--
this could be quite some amount.

You mention that you assume that only the few grams needed for prostaglandin
synthesis were necessary. Possibly by eating more ready made LC-EFAs like
DHA or EPA,GLA,AA.
As prostaglandins are made from GLA or AA, this supplementation would IMO
probably work. However as the study mentioned by Erasmus and Price tells,
very small amounts of EFA (of LNA and LA), as beef fat has, would be
suppressed to be transformed into the GLA/AA.

Then, this all is only a theoretical solution to the derivation from the
natural way of eating, 1/3 of EFAs, of all fats.
There are more uses for EFAs. For example cell membranes, and there is some
connection of cell membrane structure to cholesterol use.

>> Plus the ratio of omega3 to omega 6 fatty acids in it.
>
>Not really.  Consider a lean cut of beef, such as beef flank,
>"lean only, trimmed to 0 fat".  The ratio of omega6 to omega3 is
>just 2.6, whereas for walnuts it is 4.7.  The beef has a better
>omega ratio than walnuts, and walnuts have the best ratio of any
>nuts.

Nuts are *the* high fat food of paleo times (out of the mammoth zone) and
many nuts are less favourable in the ratio, as i mentioned.
You mention beef "lean only", without fat. It was about beef fat.
Indeed the beef fat looks better at USDA as i remembered. Beef tallow ratio
at USDA is about 5:1 , not so bad.

So I could reason a bad omega6/3 ratio only by the very small EFA
percentage, possibly inactive according to the above study,
plus dietary AA, which would boost the PG series 2 side (in absence of GLA).

However eating lean beef, plus nuts or sardines would be a way to avoid or
overwrite the little fat left by other fat.
Who on the SAD does this?

> If the diet is calorically in
>balance, most or all of the SFAs and MUFAs in the beef will be
>used as fuel.

SFAs/MUFAs beeing continuously used as fuel, would in turn continuously
be recharged in the blood.
Have you ever looked at a blood analyse, which percentage of SFA / MUFA /
EFA is found there? I'll look at mine if I'm at home.

Health conscious people, like you, which are knowing about some facts could
better supplement what's probably ok.
But what about all the SAD and just ordinary people who eat predominately
animal fat from meat or dairy, or to the worse some trans-fatty acids and
bad refined heated sunflower or safflor and the like?
Who would never swallow cod liver oil.
Shouldn't they better fear beef fat, more than BSE?

regards

Amadeus S.