Newsgroup: sci.med.nutrition
Date: Sun, 21 Sep 1997 03:03:45 GMT
From: [log in to unmask] (Mark Thorson)
Subject: Re: Flax Oil - When?

In article <[log in to unmask]>, Tom Matthews  <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>If your contention is that "has little suppressive effect" is a
>"judgement" call, I would agree with you.

In other words, you're perfectly willing to make assertions
without having any actual data.

>However, I believe that the widespread recommendation of these oils
>(again, in moderation) by many scientists is sufficient initial evidence
>to make such a judgement. Surely, you are not saying that EFA's
>themselves are harmful?

I don't consider Udo Erasmus or his large following of quack
nutritionists to be "scientists".

>Here are some abstracts which support those opinions. I found the last
>one particularly interesting since it suggests that the immune
>suppression caused by heavy exercise can be eliminated by oral
>supplementation of flaxseed (linseed) oil.

Oh, really?  I've added my comments about these studies.

>Thank you, Mark, for "pushing me" :) to check medline on this topic.
>
>Am J Clin Nutr 1991 Jan;53(1):40-46
>
>Dietary alpha-linolenic acid and immunocompetence in humans.
>
>Kelley DS, Branch LB, Love JE, Taylor PC, Rivera YM, Iacono JM
>
>Western Human Nutrition Research Center, US Department of Agriculture,
>Presidio of San Francisco, CA 94129.
>
>period. Feeding of FD suppressed the proliferation of peripheral blood
>mononuclear cells when they were cultured with phytohemagglutinin-P (P =
>0.041) and concanavalin A (P = 0.054) and the delayed hypersensitivity
>response to seven recall antigens (NS). Concentrations of

Got that?  Flaxseed oil SUPPRESSED the proliferative response
which is how the cell-mediated immune system responds to
antigens (foreign proteins).

>J Leukoc Biol 1994 Nov;56(5):599-604
>
>Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid effects on immune cells of the
>porcine lung.
>
>Turek JJ, Schoenlein IA, Clark LK, Van Alstine WG
>
>Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Purdue University School of Veterinary
>Medicine, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-1242.
>
>produced more nitrite than m phi s from MC-fed pigs. Alveolar
>lymphocytes from pigs receiving the MC diet produced more T cell growth
>factors than LO and MO m phi s. Alveolar m phi s from the different

Got that?  You get more T-cell growth factors (T-cells being
of prime importance for cell-mediated immunity) with fish oil
mixed with corn oil than with pure fish oil.  This echoes my
original quote from the USDA publication, i.e. diets high
in flaxseed or fish oils are bad.

>J Toxicol Environ Health 1994 Oct;43(2):225-237
>
>Modulation of exercise-induced immunosuppression by dietary
>polyunsaturated fatty acids in mice.
>
>Benquet C, Krzystyniak K, Savard R, Guertin F, Oth D, Fournier M
>
>Department of Biological Sciences and TOXEN, University of Quebec at
>Montreal, Canada.
>
>linseed oil, where the normal response was noted. Phagocytosis of
>fluorescent microspheres by peritoneal macrophages, determined by flow
>cytometry, was significantly lower in exercised animals receiving the
>linseed oil diet, whereas other diets either increased or did not
>significantly change the macrophage phagocytic activity, compared to the

Got that?  Phagocytosis (i.e. T-cell activity) was "significantly
lower" with the linseed oil diet, but not any of the other diets.

Hmmm.... looks to me like all of your references support
my original comment.  And yet, you reached an opposite conclusion.
How can you be trusted to interpret the scientific literature?