THE IMPORTANCE OF CELLULAR OXYGEN – PART 2

This month, I would like to continue my discussion of the information contained in Brian Peskin’s book, “The Hidden Story of Cancer“. Some additional research will also be included.

To prevent cancer, adequate cellular oxygen must be maintained.

Remember, from last month’s newsletter (The Importance of Cellular Oxygen – Part 1) , that Dr. Warburg could get a cell to become cancerous 100% of the time by decreasing cellular oxygen by 35%. Research indicates that essential fatty acids (EFA’s) play an extremely important role in maintaining cellular oxygen levels.Therefore let’s focus our discussion on EFA’s.

Essential fatty acids are termed “essential”, because we require them from our diet; they cannot be made within our body.

The two EFA’s are omega six (linoleic acid) and omega three (alpha linolenic acid).Peskin calls them “parent essential oils”(PEO’s), because it is from the parent that the offspring come. Derivatives like EPA and DHA are the “offspring” ingested when taking fish oil.

The problem with fish oil is that most have too many omega three derivatives. On the other hand, if you consume a parent oil, your body will make the precise amount of the derivatives it needs.

PEO’s come mainly from plants. Years ago I wrote about Barry Sears’ “The Zone” diet. He stressed the importance of consuming lots of fish oil. He stated that fish oil will help offset the effects of arachidonic acid, which is derived from omega six oil. This is important because too much arachidonic acid is pro-inflammatory. However, I now see the flaw in his thinking. A certain amount of arachidonic acid is beneficial and essential. Arachidonic acid does produce certain prostaglandins, which are pro-inflammatory; but, it also produces anti-inflammatory prostaglandins.

Research shows that arachidonic acid and its derivatives are extremely important in growth and development. Arachidonic acid makes up approximately 14% of the cell membrane and is critical to its function.

Interestingly, arachidonic acid is depressed in the presence of heavy metal toxicity.Just like cholesterol, arachidonic acid has unfortunately gotten a bad rap. Most people who take a lot of fish oil, upon red cell lipid analysis, have been found to have an over abundance of the omega three fatty acids and a suppression of omega six fatty acids, including arachidonic acid. This is not ideal.

It is therefore important to consume the parent oils. Unfortunately, many supplements today contain the formulated derivatives such as EPA and DHA from omega three, or CLA and GLA from omega six. Also, many supplements will claim to contain essential oils, and their derivatives, but do not specify the amount of essential oil. It is the PEO’s that are critical, because the body converts only about 5% of the parent oil to the derivative form. It is mainly the parent form that is present in the cell membranes.

That presence of EFA’s in the cell membrane is especially important because they are there to help absorb oxygen. Peskin describes EFA’s as oxygen magnets. If you are deficient in PEO’s your cells will not absorb enough oxygen from your bloodstream and you will thus be more susceptible to cancer and other health problems.

The cell membrane is much more than just something protecting the inner contents of a cell. Research shows, that because of the presence of fatty acids, the cell membrane is constantly vibrating and is responsible for intercellular communication. I can postulate that this is where the effects of vibrational medicine may occur. (See past newsletters on the nature of disease, Some Musings on the Nature of Disease – Part 1 and The Nature of Disease – Part 2).

I hope you now realize how important PEO’s are. What are the best sources for obtaining them? Good plant-based sources include grass, leafy vegetables, seeds and nuts. Meat, chicken, and fish also contain PEO’s. But cooking ruins most of them. Also, the commercialization of our food supply has changed the EFA content and ratios. For example, grass fed beef has more EFA’s, and, has these EFA’s in the proper ratio, as compared to corn fed beef. Once beef is cooked to anything but rare, very few PEO’s remain.

The EFA’s which are oxygen magnets will cause food to go rancid as oxidation occurs. So, in order to increase shelf life, manufacturers either replaced EFA’s or made them inactive. EFA’s are called unsaturated fats. This means they have a chemical structure that allows them to attract oxygen. By converting them to saturated fats, they do not readily absorb oxygen and, thus, will not go rancid as quickly. This process is called hydrogenation and it creates trans fats. This is why you can leave margarine out of the refrigerator for months. These trans fats (altered EFA’s) take the place of the real EFA’s in your cell membranes, and now function is impaired, and you are not getting adequate oxygen into your cells. No wonder our cancer rates have skyrocketed!

For most people, I feel that it is a good idea to take a PEO supplement. Brian Peskin recommends a PEO supplement with the ratio of Omega six to omega-3 of 1:1-2:1. Other research indicates taking a ratio of Omega six to omega-3 of 4:1.

I personally take an oil which has a 4:1 ratio. This is also the one I use in our office for patients. Whatever your source, even if you want to blend the oils yourself, make sure the oil is organic and has been cold pressed; remember light is also a problem, so make sure your oils are stored in a dark container.

Next month, I will talk about the article that a patient gave me with reference to periodontal disease, and how it relates to our discussion.

© 2009, Mark A. Breiner, DDS

The information presented is for educational purposes only. You should consult a qualified health practitioner for diagnosis and treatment. 

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