Column #275Balance Beam Scale

For decades Heart Disease has been our nation’s number one killer and, as such, it makes COVID-19 look like a walk in the park. But this question just came up: Are the best approaches for strengthening the immune system useless for preventing heart disease?1

The CDC tells us that 94% of the deaths attributed to COVID-19 are people who have multiple pre-existing conditions that include:

●    Cancer
●    Chronic kidney disease
●    COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
●    Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
●    Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant
●    Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 kg/m2 or higher but < 40 kg/m2)
●    Severe Obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2)
●    Pregnancy
●    Sickle cell disease
●    Smoking
●    Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Knowing this, you can imagine my shock two weeks ago after I read: “Effect of High-Dose Omega-3 Fatty Acids vs Corn Oil on Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Patients at High Cardiovascular Risk.” Its conclusion: “These findings do not support use of this Omega-3 fatty acid formulation to reduce major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with high cardiovascular risk.” The report actually recommended that doctors should not recommend Omega-3 supplements!2

To gain a professional perspective of the report I reached out to Dr. Douglas M. Bibus (MS, PhD). He is considered to be one of the top Omega-3 experts in the world plus he owns a highly respected lipid testing lab (Omega-3 Test) that serves the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, fortune 500 food companies, the Department of Defense, and university and clinical researchers. As a nationally recognized lipid scientist he provides peer reviews, so this wasn’t his first rodeo. When I asked him his opinion of the report, his initial knee jerk response was somewhat sarcastic. “Again, sweeping comments by MDs based on one study . . . 'Omega-3s are no good.’  I guess they need to remove Omega-3s from infant formula as well.”3 4

Then he continued. “Sad to see this result as it will push more MDs away from Omega-3 even though Omega-3 can’t fix certain sick people. Fish and Omega-3 consumption has a robust relationship with cardiovascular disease prevention. This study, and others like it, have addressed whether or not you can put someone on fish oil who has mostly lived on an Omega-3-deficient diet their entire lives and derive benefit. These folks were also given access to all modern day pharma and advanced cardiac care. To suggest that four grams of Omega-3 fat per day could change their trajectory may be a challenge. (For them) to suggest that there is no value in Omega-3 as a dietary component is wrong in my opinion.”

All the patients selected for the trial were high risks for cardiovascular issues. They were taking statin drugs, had high triglyceride levels, and had histories of plague buildup issues. Seventy percent were diabetic. They were all very sick people. To get sick people to change their body chemistry enough to restore their health takes more than just a little Omega-3. To expect otherwise is ignorant.

For change to occur during the study, the patients would have had to be on a very restrictive diet that eliminated the nutritionally deficient foods that caused their health issues. Instead, during the test period they kept on eating the same high glycemic, nutrient deficient foods they always ate. Consequently, even with an Omega-3 supplement they could not lower their Omega-6 to Omega-3 essential fatty acid (EFA) ratios enough to actually determine if Omega-3 could help. The report never even discussed the EFA ratio which is the only way to determine whether or not a person has an Omega-3 deficiency.

I’m guessing the participants probably had 18:1 EFA ratios when the study commenced. Maybe after six months or so they had lowered their ratios to 15:1 where they stayed for the duration of the study. Unfortunately it takes an EFA ratio of less than 4:1 to gain noticeable benefit. With a ratio of less than 2:1 there is no longer an Omega-3 deficiency. The only way the participants could have lowered their EFA ratios to 4:1 would have been to stop eating Omega-6 foods (or foods with high EFA ratios), high glycemic foods, and foods that are not nutrient diverse and dense. Unfortunately, these days those food selections are the most popular.5

Another expert I sought out for perspective was Dr. William E.M. Lands, an American nutritional biochemist who is among the world's foremost authorities on essential fatty acids. He has authored more than 250 papers, has been recognized as one of the world’s 1,000 most cited scientists, and has received numerous professional awards. Dr. Lands’ major research interests were in the metabolism of fats, phospholipids, and prostaglandins. In addition to his work on dietary Omega-3 and Omega-6 EFAs, he is well-known for delineating the Lands Pathway for remodeling of membrane phospholipids and for his studies on the biochemical mechanism of prostaglandin synthesis and its inhibition by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Dr. Lands’ website, EFA Education, provides a treasure trove of information sources that point to evidence that give insight and understanding into how the combination of Omega-3 and Omega-6 nutrients affect health. The many peer-reviewed and sited studies provided on his site are only a part of the many studies that explain the benefits of a low EFA ratio. They do not just say take an Omega-3 supplement and that’s all you have to do. There is more to it than that with the primary emphasis being to “nix the six.”6 7

Posted on the Internet are four ten-minute videos of Dr. Lands discussing Omega-3 and it’s association with heart disease. They are excellent sources of information that, in my opinion, are required viewing if one is really interested in their health.8

Because many foods are misrepresented by pied pipers, I put together a Food Analysis Table to cut through the promotional schmooze and look at the actual chemistry of foods. This is what is required for selecting foods that cover all the bases for improving health across the board. Every food selection provides some benefits, even sugar. Some foods provide many benefits. But unless they provide all the benefits in a dense package, they are deficient in one aspect or another. For example, Dr. Lands’ favorite example of a highly regarded food that is very damaging to long-term health is peanut butter. Yet peanut butter is actually recommended by some health “professionals.”9

The bottom line is that all foods consumed must be low glycemic and nutrient dense and diverse without contributing to the Omega-3 deficit. That last stipulation depends on a goal of making sure the entire diet has an EFA ratio of 2:1 or less.10

There are many processed food options today that promise benefits because they have different ingredients. For example there is almond flour versus wheat flour. Marketers point to these ingredient differences as good reasons for labeling almond flour as a health food. But the differences are mostly in name alone. Quite often the replacements provide a nutritionally deficient chemistry that differs only slightly from the regular foods they replace. And worst of all, usually they still have big Omega-6 loads which maintain the high EFA ratio which defines the Omega-3 deficiency. Therefore, these so-called healthy alternatives, heavily promoted by “health professionals,” are just another subset of the many scams that are perpetrated on Americans every day.

If people have any of the COVID-19 associated chronic diseases listed above, or others such as Crohn's disease or inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, asthma, chronic inflammation, and more, then they need to change their diets. When they do, it doesn’t take long to see results which often is a total suppression of symptoms! Ten weeks usually shows dramatic change when the diet is properly structured. That’s no time at all in terms of a lifetime. And a big bonus is that the immune system also strengthens significantly and that can be a lifesaver more ways than one these days.

If an ailing body continues to be supplied with a nationally deficient diet, it will always perform like it always has. A little Omega-3 can’t change that reality.

To your health.

Ted Slanker

Ted Slanker has been reporting on the fundamentals of nutritional research in publications, television and radio appearances, and at conferences since 1999. He condenses complex studies into the basics required for health and well-being. His eBook, The Real Diet of Man, is available online.

Don’t miss these links for additional reading:

1. Leading Causes of Death from CDC

2. Effect of High-Dose Omega-3 Fatty Acids vs Corn Oil on Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Patients at High Cardiovascular Risk by Stephen J. Nicholls, MBBS, PhD1, et al.

3. Lipid Lab

4. Omega 3 Test use slanker as an offer code and save

5. The Western Diet and Lifestyle and Diseases of Civilization by Pedro Carrera-Bastos, et al.

6. EFA Education Home Page

7. Research Stories of Omega 3-6 Balance from EFA Education

8. Dr William Lands’ ten minute videos explaining the benefits of Omega-3
●    1 of 4 - Dr William Lands on Cardiovascular Disease Omega-6
●    2 of 4 - Dr William Lands on Cardiovascular Disease Omega-6
●    3 of 4 - Dr William Lands on Cardiovascular Disease Omega-6
●    4 of 4 - Dr William Lands on Cardiovascular Disease Omega-6

9. Food Analysis: EFA, Protein to Fat, Net Carbs, Sugar, and Nutrient Load by Ted Slanker

10. Ted Slanker’s Omega-3 Blood Test