Dietary Fats Omega-6 and Omega-3: Impact Your Inflammation Gene Machine
Bottomline: The first human study shows that modifying diet changes the cellular levels of omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which directly impact inflammation genes. J Biol Chem. 2009 Jun 5;284(23):15400-7.
Background: Inflammatory diseases are on the rise. It is estimated that within the next two decades, more than one in three Americans will have an inflammatory disease, which include heart disease, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. Many scientists believe this upward trend is due to the dramatic rise in dietary omega-6 polyunsaturated fats, which outnumber omega-3 fats, by 10 to 1, in the typical American diet. In contrast, our hunter-gatherer ancestors consumed an estimated one-to-one balance of these fats.
Studies indicated that eating excess dietary omega-6 fat, increases the omega-6 derived eicosanoids, (which include leukotrienes); which in turn, may lead to a systemic pro-inflammatory state in the body. For example, when the LOX enzyme acts on the omega-6 fatty acid, arachidonic acid, it creates the potent leukotriene, LTB4, (which is the compound implicated in asthma and atherosclerosis). Yet, if this enzyme acts on the omega-3 fatty acid, EPA, it creates leukotriene compounds that are 10 to 100-fold less potent.
Additionally, animal studies indicate that polyunsaturated fatty acids modulate the genes effecting inflammation. But whether that holds true for people, has been unknown, until this study.
Background: Inflammatory diseases are on the rise. It is estimated that within the next two decades, more than one in three Americans will have an inflammatory disease, which include heart disease, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. Many scientists believe this upward trend is due to the dramatic rise in dietary omega-6 polyunsaturated fats, which outnumber omega-3 fats, by 10 to 1, in the typical American diet. In contrast, our hunter-gatherer ancestors consumed an estimated one-to-one balance of these fats.
Studies indicated that eating excess dietary omega-6 fat, increases the omega-6 derived eicosanoids, (which include leukotrienes); which in turn, may lead to a systemic pro-inflammatory state in the body. For example, when the LOX enzyme acts on the omega-6 fatty acid, arachidonic acid, it creates the potent leukotriene, LTB4, (which is the compound implicated in asthma and atherosclerosis). Yet, if this enzyme acts on the omega-3 fatty acid, EPA, it creates leukotriene compounds that are 10 to 100-fold less potent.
Additionally, animal studies indicate that polyunsaturated fatty acids modulate the genes effecting inflammation. But whether that holds true for people, has been unknown, until this study.
