Dietary Omega-6 fatty acid is responsible for the bodies ability to mount a lifesaving inflammatory response when needed. This includes spiking a fever to kill off bacterial and viral infections, swelling to protect bones, and clotting to prevent us from bleeding to death.
Biologist have now discovered that the smell of death or injury that repels living beings has been identified as Omega-6 linoleic acid. A biology professor at McMaster University, David Rollo, found that corpses all emit the same death stench produced by this fatty acid.
Dr. Rollo suggests that recognizing and avoiding the dead could reduce the chances of catching the disease, or allow you to get away with just enough exposure to activate your inate immunity.
He also suggests that linoleic acid is reliable and quickly released from cells following death. Evolution appears to have favoured such clues because they were reliable associated with demise, and avoiding contagion and predation are rather critical to survival.
I am always in awe of the the brilliant way the body uses nutrients.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
Keep up the good work. Omega-6 fatty acid is too often maligned by those who don't understand its importance.
Fish oil marketers are maligning the positive benefits of Omega-6 fatty acids to sell boatloads of product. Profit over science: so American!
I loved this article on the Omega-6 Jobs and I love the Friday Pearls. Out of all the newsletters I get - and it's a bunch these days - this one is the most informative for helping me with my patients and their nutritional challenges. We have a preventive route now, I believe, and I hope you will continue to provide practitioners with sound advices regarding the latest research and what we can do to insure our patients have good vision as long as possible throughout their lives. I'm grateful you are there and working! Thanks!
Dr. Sonenberg,
Thanks you so much! It means a lot to know that our work is appreciated by doctors and their patients. We try hard to serve both.
Ellen Troyer
I will have fun sharing this with my outdoors hunting frends. Who would have guessed Omega-6
Ellen, You constantly come up with out-of-the-box science information. I know you are having lots of fun. Jim
Dr. Sonnenberg,
I hope that will consider joining the ONS- Optometric Nutrition Society too! Biosyntrx is one of our platinum sponsors and we're dedicated to educating docs about the latest science in nutrition. And they have a cool president too!!! ;-)
thanks
Jeff
What great and educational information on Omega-6. Thanks for keeping us informed.
Let's hope Americans don't overload their systems with so much Omega-3 fish oil that they can't naturally spike a metabolic Omega-6 fever to help destroy the
H1N1 virus, should they become infected.
Post a Comment