Essential Fatty Acids
The dietary essential fatty acids are the building blocks for a very powerful group of hormone-like chemicals in our body called "prostaglandins". Prostaglandins regulate many vital body functions such as hormone production, circulation, immune function and inflammation, just to name a few! It is helpful for you to know that there are three different families of prostaglandins and the prostaglandin 2 family promotes inflammation and pain, whereas the prostaglandin 1 and prostaglandin 3 families reduce inflammation and pain. (At least, it's 2 to 1 in favour of the good guys). See Table 2 to see what foods provide you with certain essential fatty acids which in turn are used to form prostaglandins.
Doctors frequently prescribe the powerful anti-prostaglandin drugs which suppress production of all three families of prostaglandins (good and bad alike) and that is why there are sometimes side effects from these drugs. These drugs are called anti-inflammatory drugs (examples are indocid, napro-gesic, ponstan) and can be very effective in stopping the pain and inflammation of headaches, arthritis and period pains.
I have found that in many cases of PMS, headaches, or period pains, it is possible to rebalance the three prostaglandin families simply by changing the diet and taking supplements of essential fatty acids. This reduces pain and inflammation in a natural way.
To reduce the amounts of the undesirable prostaglandin 2 family, you should reduce saturated fats and fried foods.
To increase the amounts of the desirable prostaglandin 1 and prostaglandin 3 families, you should consume a diet that is high in seeds, vegetables, fish and polyunsaturated oils.
Foods ► |
Essential Fatty Acids |
Prostaglandin Family |
Effect In Body |
Sesame, Sunflower seeds and oil, cold-pressed vegetable oils (polyunsaturated), blackcurrant seeds and their oil, evening primrose oil, borage oil |
Linoleic acid, ► Gamma linolenic acid |
Prostaglandin 1 (desirable) |
Reduces pain and inflammation |
Saturated animal fats in animal meats, (especially red meat) full-cream dairy products, preserved meats, fried foods, processed and take away meals |
Arachidonic ► acid |
Prostaglandin 2 (undesirable) |
Increases pain and inflammation, can result in sticky platelets and poor circulation |
Linseed oil, blackcurrant seeds and their oil, cod liver oil, mackerel and fresh fish (from cold deep oceans) sardines, tuna, salmon, (must not be fried) |
Alpha linolenic ► acid, |
Prostaglandin 3 (desirable) |
Reduces pain and inflammation |
Another efficient way to balance the prostaglandin families is to take supplements of essential fatty acids. The best known one is evening primrose oil (EPO) which contains the essential fatty acids linoleic acid and gamma linolenic acid (GLA). GLA can be hard to come by in a normal western diet (See Table 2), the highest source being found in breast milk, which partly explains why breast-fed babies are generally healthier than bottle-fed babies. EPO will increase the prostaglandin 1 family and can be remarkably effective in reducing pre-menstrual headaches, arthritis, breast tenderness, period pains and other symptoms of PMS. EPO is helpful for ovarian function and helps to return regularity to the menstrual cycle and reduces ovarian cysts.
My sister, Madeleine, an actress, finds it superb for her hair and skin and says that she is happy to go without several of life's little luxuries provided she can have her capsules of EPO. Initial doses of EPO required may be quite high ranging from six to nine capsules daily, however, after six to eight weeks a maintenance dose of two to four capsules daily usually keeps PMS under control.
Supplements offish oil, linseed oil and blackcurrant seed oil will increase the production of the desirable prostaglandin 3 family which is helpful in reducing many PMS type symptoms. For those who don't like to swallow too many capsules a potent source of the precious essential fatty acid GLA is available in the form of "Super Naudicelle'' capsules which contain EPO, borage oil and fish oil. If you have trouble absorbing or tolerating capsules of essential fatty acids, EPO is available in a non-oily and highly absorbed liquid form — "EPO Micelle".
*5\5*
