Interesting Articles
Anti-Inflammatory Eating
Cut back on fatty meat and high-fat dairy products Foods high in certain saturated fats, found in meats and dairy products, increase biomarkers of inflammation, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition last year. A story published in the journal Angiology in 2000 found that men and women eating a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet increased their CRP by 61 percent. "Low Carb diets may initially cause a drop in bad (LDL) cholesterol levels, however the risk of heart disease is still high because markers of inflammaton increase, said Richard M. Fleming, author of the study and the book "Stop Inflammation Now." [1]
The Importance of Saturated Fats for Biological Functions
Most Westerners consume very little myristic acid because it is provided by coconut oil and dairy fats, both of which we are told to avoid. But myristic acid is a very important fatty acid, which the body uses to stabilize many different proteins, including proteins used in the immune system and to fight tumors. This function is called myristoylation; it occurs when myristic acid is attached to the protein in a specific position where it functions usefully. For example, the body has the ability to suppress production of tumors from lung cancer cells if a certain genetically determined suppressor gene is available. This gene is called fus1 and is a protein that has been modified with covalent addition of the saturated fatty acid myristic acid. Thus, the loss of myristic acid from the diet can have unfortunate consequences, including cancer and immune system dysfunction. Lauric acid has several functions. It is an antimicrobial fatty acid on its own and as a monoglyceride. It also has the function of stabilization when it is attached to certain proteins in a similar fashion to myristic acid and palmitic acid.Stearic acid is the 18-carbon saturated fatty acid. The main sources are animal tallows, which contain about 20-25 percent stearic acid, and chocolate, which contains about 35 percent stearic acid. In other foods it occurs only on levels of 1-2 percent. [2]
