Pete Vincent wrote: > it appears the ability to > metabolize omega-3s is to some degree contingent on dietary history, > in some sense similar to the problems with B12 ingestion. Generally, > people who get adequate supplies of ALA in their youth do not suffer > the conversion difficulties which lifelong deprived adults exhibit. > It appears to be related to how enzymes are enlisted over one's > lifetime. Furthermore, there is reason to expect that these enzyme > problems will correct themselves in time if the patient is exposed > to an _appropriate_ level of ALA for a sufficient length of time.
Even if these adventurous "appearances" (sic) are true (Pete provides no evidence for them, they don't make sense and I'd never heard of them), the fact remains that 2/3 of people can't synthesize nearly enough EPA/DHA from ALA, and these happen to be the 2/3 who would need it the most! The assumption that the conversion can be "learned" by eating more ALA is nonsense because the conversion fails due to deficiencies in various catalysts (such as vitamins C,B3,B6, zinc and magnesium -- all deficient in the general population) and excess in antagonists (omega-6 FAs & trans-fats -- excessive in the gen.pop.). But these parameters won't improve by eating ALA as such! Pete's claim is like saying that you start a bonfire by adding more wood instead of igniting the present wood. Now if Pete had said that the ALA->EPA conversion can be enabled by improving these parameters.... but "just feeding ALA" is simply a snake-oil sales pitch to maximize sales. Chris ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SpamWall: Mail to this addy is deleted unread unless it contains the keyword "igve". _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list Futurework@fes.uwaterloo.ca http://fes.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
