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| energy. This is where essential fatty acids come in. Alpha-linolenic add and linoleic acid possess the ability to transfer immense amounts of energy. The transferral of energy brought about by these particular fatty acids plays an important role in the functions of all cellular membranes. They are involved in the assimilation and transportation of oxygen, assisting in cell energy production. They are equally involved in the cell's detoxification of cellular waste products and poisons, including the detoxification of chemotherapeutic drugs and radiation. |
| The brain itself, as well as the nervous system, is primarily composed of unsaturated lipids or fats. To effectively utilize protein, we need fat. In creating the bridge between fats and proteins, hydrogen, the lightest of all atoms, boosts its energy level by absorbing photons, transferring and releasing electrons. Sulfur, mostly sulfur-rich protein, also plays a vital role in this process. The interaction of lipids with sulfur-rich proteins is the key to the successful nutrition protocol of Dr. Johanna Budwig, who has cured so many people of cancer. |
| A defect in the metabolism of EFAs can lead to a wide variety of illnesses, including cancer. EFAs are essential, just as their name implies. They are required components of all membranes within the body and, like vitamins and minerals, can only be obtained by diet. There are two groups of EFAs, omega-6 and omega-3. The parent compounds of these two groups are linoleic acid (LA), from the omega-6 group, and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), from the omega-3 group. LA and ALA are metabolized in the body by a series of alternating desaturations in which a new carbon bond is introduced. This process leads EFAs to biological pathways that alter eicosanoids and/or prostaglandins, thromboxanes, leukotrienes, and hydroxy fatty adds. If there are disturbances in this process, the delicate balance of prostaglandin formation and utilization will be altered. |
| There are two important enzymes involved in the conversion of essential fatty acids into the preferred anti-inflammatory and tumor-inhibiting series I eicosanoids. (Do not confuse these with the Series II eicosanoids, which are formed from arachidonic acid [AA] and are tumor-promoting.) The first enzyme is delta-6 desaturase and the second is delta-5 desaturase. Delta-6 converts linoleic acid into gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), which is then converted into dihomo-gamma linolenic acid (DGLA). Delta-5 is involved in the formation of DGLA to form either Series I eicosanoids or AA, the precursor of Series II eicosanoids. |
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