Ground Floor Health

Consumption of fish is associated with a decreased risk of heart disease. Early research focused on populations that had high fish consumption and low incidence of heart disease. Now clinical evidence of the protective effect of omega 3 fatty acids such as EPA and DHA is abundant. The primary omega 3 fatty acids from fish are EPA and DHA.

Omega 3 fatty acids reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease through several mechanisms. They can lower the levels of triglycerides through increased fatty acid oxidation (breakdown). They also lower the production of cholesterol in the liver (especially VLDL). Omega 3 fatty acids also decrease cardiovascular risk by lowering the levels of inflammation in the body by altering the arachadonic acid metabolism. Absorption of Omega 3 fatty acids into the tissue and cells of the body may provide further benefit.

A study published this year by the Journal of Thailand Medical Association documented the effects of fish oil consumption on serum indices of cardiovascular disease. There were 9 participants in the study that consumed 6 grams of fish oil daily for 48 weeks as well as received dietary advice. Participants were between the ages of 39 and 72 years of age with a positive history for high triglycerides.

The researchers measured the effects of fish oil on triglycerides, VLDL, LDL and serum and red blood cell levels of EPA and DHA at 0, 12, 24, 36 and 48 weeks. They found that levels of EPA and DHA in the serum and blood increased over the study period. Levels of VLDL and triglycerides decreased over the treatment period. Surprisingly LDL levels increased over the treatment period.

The results show that EPA and DHA are very highly bioavailability. They are easily absorbed and have few side effects. Fish oils exerted a positive protective effect by lowering the levels of triglycerides and VLDL, but the increase in LDL may be due to long term consumption of high levels of fish oil. The study has several limitations: small sample size, lack of control, and lack of a dose dependence relationship.

Inflammation and chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes go hand in hand. Over the last decade treatment has focused on decreasing the amount of inflammation in the body as well as treating the symptoms of disease. Research has sought out causes to increased inflammation from many different areas of life including dietary and lifestyle issues.

Several observational studies have shown a positive relationship between the sugar content (glycemic load) of food and the levels of inflammatory markers in the blood. C-Reactive Protein (CRP), haptoglobin, Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR), and transferrin are several inflammatory markers that can be measured in the blood and used to determine the effects of diet and lifestyle on inflammation. They can also be used to measure treatment efficacy. In healthy humans, CRP has shown a strong relationship to dietary glycemic intake; implying that the types of foods we consume may influence the levels of inflammation in the body and perhaps our susceptibility to diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.

In August the Journal of Clinical Nutrition published an original study that compared the effects of a high sucrose diet to one high in artificial sweeteners on the levels of inflammatory markers in the blood. Forty-one participants enrolled in the study and were randomized to two groups. The first group received daily food and drink supplements high in sucrose while the second group had supplements high in artificial sweeteners. The majority of the treatment supplements were derived from soft drinks. The two groups were matched for body mass index (BMI). The study was conducted over a 10-week period.

After the completion of the study, it was determined that sucrose intake in the treatment group had increased by 151% while the control group (given artificial sweeteners) had an overall decrease in sucrose consumption by 42%. These changes resulted in an average weight increase of 3.5 pounds in the sucrose group and a loss of 2.6 pounds in the artificial sweetener group. Inflammatory marker concentration increased in the sucrose group and decreased in the artificial sweetener group. Haptoglobin increased by 13%, transferrin by 5%, and CRP by 6% in the sucrose group. In the control group the markers decreased by 16%, 2%, and 26% for haptoglobin, transferrin, and CRP respectively.

The authors expected a greater increase of CRP in the sucrose group because of evidence presented in previous studies. However, CRP decreased the most dramatically in the control group that had a diet low in sucrose. Perhaps more information could have been gained if a third group consuming a standard diet would have been included in the study. This study does show a positive relationship between dietary intake of sugars and the levels of inflammatory markers in the blood. More studies are needed to determine exact relationship.

Omega 3 fatty acid consumption during pregnancy has proven to promote optimal brain development and protect against atopic disease in the fetus/newborn. A recent trial from the University of Southern California studied incidence of asthma in children in relation to maternal fish intake.

Asthma is one of the triad conditions of atopic disease. It is marked by high inflammation, mediated by leukotrienes. Omega 3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory for conditions such as asthma because they shunt the production of leukotrienes from inflammatory mediators to non-inflammatory mediators.

Fish oils are high in omega 3 fatty acids, specifically DHA and EPA. Various sources of fish may be higher in omega 3 fatty acids. The study gathered information on fish consumption from mothers including type of fish and preparation. Mothers were also questioned about a past history of asthma.

Children in the study were either in the asthma group or used as controls if asthma had not been diagnosed by a physician by age 5.

After careful analysis the researchers at Keck School of Medicine found that fish oil consumption protected some children from developing asthma. Those children whose mothers had a past history of asthma were protected if mothers consumed oily fish at least once a month.

If the source of fish was fish sticks, there was no protection offered against developing asthma. In fact, fish sticks, which are often a source of trans-fatty acids, increased the risk of developing asthma.

In children whose mothers did not have asthma, fish consumption did not offer any protection.

Food allergies and food sensitivities have been considered a culprit when it comes to stomach pains and indigestion for many years. The conventional medicine community has recently adopted this idea, after many years of denying a potential “allergy” without a positive allergy test.

Many individuals seek medical help each year with various gastrointestinal complaints ranging from gas and bloating, diarrhea, constipation, irritable bowel, and abdominal pain. Alternative practitioners have held to the belief that the gut can become reactive to commonly consumed foods, especially if there has been a breakdown of the protective barrier in the small and large intestines.

The lining of the small and large intestine contains many protective antibodies, IgA type, that can become deficient. This deficiency can allow compounds in foods to get past the barrier and results in systemic symptoms. As well certain conditions result in a breakdown of the thick mucosal layer of the intestines, another aspect that weakens the barrier.

One of the most commonly accepted food allergens is cow’s milk. There are small samples of the population that actually lack the genes necessary for digestion the milk sugar lactose. Other individuals who have a milk allergy may have sensitivity, or some conditions that has caused the barrier in the gut to be inefficient. Other foods that are common allergens include wheat, soy, corn, and eggs.

A study was published in December that documented various gastrointestinal complaints that occur with a positive immunological reaction. Cows milk, as well as other common allergens was examined.

From a total of 827 subjects with GI complaints, a total of 49 had a clinical exam and blood test to determine immune reaction. A total of 10% of the participants had GI symptoms that were directly food related. Positive allergens were cows milk and wheat for the most part, but interestingly the majority of the food related complaints were not due to cow’s milk.

This study showed that food allergies do in fact exert an immunological response in 10% of individuals. However, in this population cows milk was not the most common allergen. This may be applicable to those who believed they had a milk allergy, but withdrawal of milk from the diet did not completely resolve symptoms. Perhaps they should try a different allergy.