The Skinny on Fat and Your Hormones

Prostaglandins (PG) are hormones you should be aware of because they play a role in virtually all biochemical activity and knowing how to balance these hormones can radically improve the quality of your health. Prostaglandins are a part of the family of hormones called eicosanoids and until recently little has been known about eicosanoids. They are hard to detect because they are produced as well as perform their actions inside the cell, in a fraction of a second. Probably the most common relationship you have with the prostaglandins are their ability to control inflammation. What this means to you is that a PG imbalance will increase the severity of symptoms associated with any other metabolic imbalance. In other words, if you suffer from headaches, then the severity of the headache will be exacerbated by the PG imbalance. Some of the more common conditions that can result from a PG imbalance include allergies, allergic headaches, asthma, pre-menstrual syndrome, arthritis and chronic pain. If you experience these symptoms and get relief by taking PG inhibitors like aspirin, anaprox, steroids and other anti-inflammatory drugs then you probably have a PG imbalance. It should be noted that taking an anti-inflammatory on a repeated basis will damage the PG integrity. There are three prostaglandins to consider: PG1 and PG3, which have anti-inflammatory properties; and PG2 which is inflammatory. The most common situation leading to problems is to have too much PG2 with respect to PG1 and PG3. Probably the most notable factor causing a PG imbalance is the consumption of trans-fatty acids. To better understand trans-fatty acids we need to take a closer look at fats.

Fats can be categorized as saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and very resistant to spoilage because all the bonds are occupied or "saturated" by as many hydrogen atoms as its chemistry will allow. These are fats found in dairy products, butter, meats and egg yolk and contain arachidonic acid that is converted to PG2. Monounsaturated fat has lost two hydrogen atoms leaving the chemical bonds less stable. Polyunsaturated fats have lost four or more hydrogen atoms making them even more unstable. As a fat becomes more unsaturated it becomes more liquid at room temperature and more vulnerable to be attacked by an oxygen molecule causing it to become rancid. When a fat has oxidized it is very unhealthy and is linked to coronary heart disease. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in most vegetables, olives, safflower, peanuts and corn are chemically called omega-6 and are converted to PG1. Concentrated sources include primrose oil, black currant oil, and borage oil. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in fish, beans, sesame and soy are chemically called omega-3 and are converted to PG3. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) found in fish oils is a good concentrated food source to support production of PG3.

Can you see the tricky situation here and the reason for so much confusion over oils? Should you worry about getting too much PG2 or not enough PG1 and PG3 in your diet? Saturated fats are more stable but lead to increased PG2 levels while the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats give you the desired PG1 and PG3 but are more unstable and susceptible to becoming rancid. To answer these questions we need to re-introduce trans-fatty acids. Manufacturers use a process called hydrogenation, taking a polyunsaturated fat (corn oil) and with high pressure and heat will force hydrogen into the oil to artificially saturate it. This liquid is transformed into a solid, artificial flavoring added for taste and you have margarine. This process increases the spreadability and shelf life of their product but also will torque the structural integrity of the bonds making it unnatural and unsuitable for human consumption. This is important because clinical results has shown that the best way to restore PG balance is to avoid trans fats: margarine, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, and fried foods. Read the labels! Many breads, crackers, desserts contain trans fats.

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