Omega Galore in BAC

The Martial Art of Wellness
Volume 16 – March 2017

(Archive of Previous BioNews)

DEAR FRIENDS

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“ Scientists have found the gene for shyness. They would have found it years ago, but it was hiding behind a couple of other genes.”
– Jonathan Katz

THIS ISSUE’S TESTIMONIAL:  ( operating on a much more important level  )

” I wanted to thank you again for this incredible product. I really can’t believe that I have gone this long between usages. Just the tremendous difference in my energy, my mood, my desire for food has gone way down, my desire for quality food has gone up. I think this is operating on a much more important level than just the physical. Thank you. “

– Glenn Streeter, Certified Medical Fitness Specialist

THE MARTIAL ART OF WELLNESS ( Omega Galore in BAC )

Fatty Acids (EFA) “the good fats that heal” are the fats your body can’t live without. They’re needed for a healthy heart, a healthy nervous system, a healthy immune system and especially a healthy brain – they are the human brain’s second most important molecules after water.

These fatty acids sometimes collectively referred to as vitamin F, include linoleic, linolenic, arachidonic acid and many more. The human body uses fatty acids from food in particular essential fatty acids (EFAs), alpha-linolenic (omega-3) and linoleic acid (omega-6) providing the building blocks for your body to make prostaglandins, the hormonal regulators of blood pressure and capillary resilience that increase and decrease inflammation in the body. One major group of fatty acids is called ESSENTIAL fatty acids (EFA), because the body cannot make them but must get them from food. These EFAs are polyunsaturated and include two major groups, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The essential fatty acids are involved in respiration in all the cells, and are especially important to oxygen transport. They affect the health of the hair, skin and nails, and help break up cholesterol in the blood stream. They are not dangerous fats – indeed they are absolutely vital to your health.

The terms omega-3 and omega-6 actually designate two families of fatty acids; the former has the first double bond on the third carbon from the end of the fatty acid chain and the latter has the first double bond on the sixth carbon from the end of the fatty acid chain.

You’ve no doubt heard about omega-3. Perhaps you’ve also heard of GLA (gamma-linoleic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). If you’ve read anything about low-carb dieting or the “Mediterranean Diet,” you know that the consumption of healthy oils which contain these fatty acids produces astounding health benefits in the human body. Heart disease and various cardiovascular disorders respond quickly and positively. Brain function is improved, diabetes is brought under control, blood sugar is regulated, and cancer risk soon plummets.

BAC contains Omegas 3, 6, 9, and rare GLA!

Most of us think of these oils coming from fish or seeds. That’s why I was pleasantly surprised many years ago when I learned that these important nutrients were occurring in Bio-Algae Concentrates (BAC). I was stunned to learn that spirulina in BAC contains a relatively sizable amount of GLA and omega-3, 6, and 9 fatty acids. It is especially high in GLA, which is something that is almost universally lacking in our Western diet.

Focus on Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA)

The first fatty acid in the omega-6 family is called linoleic acid. It contains 18 carbons and has 2 double bonds.  GLA is the second fatty acid in the omega-6 family. It has 18 carbons and three double bonds (with the first double bond positioned six carbons from the end). The third fatty acid in the omega-6 family is dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA) with 20 carbons and three double bonds. Next comes arachidonic acid (AA) with 20 carbons and 4 double bonds. The Series 1 prostaglandins are made out of DGLA and the Series 2 prostaglandins are made out of AA. Thus, GLA is an important transition product for the production of these prostaglandins.

Human breast milk is high in GLA, probably due to the infant child’s need for brain-building fats. And since many infants never gained the important nutritional benefits of their mother’s’ milk, they’ve been GLA-deficient for their entire lives. The Western diet of processed foods contains virtually no GLA whatsoever. And low-carb dieters aren’t getting any either, unless they specifically supplement it.  GLA is found in certain algae, the plant seed oils of evening primrose, black currant, borage, and hemp oils.

GLA in BAC exhibits immune stimulating and boosting properties

GLA is not only known for regulating blood sugar and providing important nutrients to the brain; it also exhibits immune-boosting properties. In fact, according to Dr. Hass, author of Staying Health With Nutrition, GLA has been shown to be effective for the following health conditions:

• Cardiovascular disease – anti-inflammatory effect; reducing platelet aggregation, thereby reducing clotting; lowering blood pressure by decreasing vessel tone; cholesterol-lowering effect.
• Arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory disorders) – anti-inflammatory effect; immune support; correcting possible EFA and GLA deficiency.
• Skin disorders (eczema, acne, dermatitis) – anti-inflammatory effect; EFA functions; immune support.
• Allergies, asthma – anti-inflammatory effect; EFA function; immune support.
• Multiple sclerosis – nerve conduction; correction of possible EFA and GLA deficiency; immune support; decreased platelet aggregation; balancing prostaglandins.

Essentially, GLA helps support the immune system through a variety of mechanisms, and its benefits go far beyond mere immune system function. Many studies on the health effects of GLA have been conducted, and they show stunning results for this beneficial nutrient. In fact, in the 1980s, GLA was studied more intensively than any other nutrient: About 200 clinical trials took place in university hospitals and medical schools throughout the world. One of these researchers, Dr. Horrobin states:

“that his studies have led him to believe that a lack of essential fatty acids could turn out to be one of the most common defects in human biochemistry and a significant factor in many diseases“.

Essential fatty acids are especially important in the function of nerve, muscle, and immune systems, for when people lack the proper balance, the neurological, endocrine, and immune systems are shown to be adversely affected.

GLA has proven to be effective in the treatment of many serious diseases. Double-blind, placebo-controlled studies for atopic eczema demonstrate that GLA improves skin conditions, relieves itching, and reduces the amount of steroid medication required. In a large, placebo-controlled trial at Bristol University in England, both adults and children showed substantial improvements. In clinical trials for diabetes, GLA has reversed neurological damage and lowered plasma cholesterol and triglycerides. GLA has also been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of Sjogren’s Syndrome.

Get it from BAC every day of your life!

It is important to point out that many of the studies conducted on GLA used evening primrose oil as their source for this essential fatty acid. GLA from evening primrose oil is an isolated nutrient in a high concentration.

” The richest whole-food sources of GLA are mother’s milk, spirulina micro-algae, and the seeds of borage, black currant, and evening primrose. GLA is important for growth and development, and is found most abundantly in mother’s milk; spirulina (as contained in BAC) is the next-highest whole-food source. We often recommend it for people who were never breast-fed, in order to foster the hormonal and mental development that may never have occurred because of lack of proper nutrition in infancy.”

– On spirulina in Healing With Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford

Since BAC is a whole food containing a full spectrum of proteins, minerals, vitamins, fatty acids, and other nutrients, it’s GLA occurring with other EFA’s and other co-dependant nutrients will be incomparably more nutritionally functional and beneficial to overall health.  A standard daily intake of BAC contains a good source of GLA.

 

A few grams of BAC contain at least 100mg of EFA. That is about 5% essential fatty acids, 20% being GLA.