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THE IMPACT OF ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS
ON THE AGING PROCESS (10)
Rashid Buttar, D. O. and Andrew Halpner, Ph. D.
Additionally, Kruger et al supplemented women with calcium, in combination with GLA and EPA or a placebo, for 18 months. Women who received the EFAs and calcium showed improvements in femoral and lumbar bone density, while those receiving a placebo did not.
Das further discusses the significant role of EFA supplementation in preventing osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Given the amount of work that has been done on eicosanoids and their effect on bone metabolism, and our knowledge on the effect of EFAs on eicosanoid metabolism, it is unfortunate that the area of EFAs and bone health has not been further expanded.
The future: Beyond EFA supplementation
EFAs and their imperative role in health and development are well recognized among many scientists and clinicians today. However, they have not drawn the interest of the majority of the medical community, as they justifiably warrant.
The limited space in this chapter allows us just a brief glimpse of how significant EFAs, especially of the n-3 variety, are to our overall health and well being. The range of health conditions and disorders resulting from EFA deficiencies is virtually endless.
Referenced journal articles and studies on EFAs, in just the first 100 of over 900 references found, ranged the entire gamut of medicine. They included the role of EFAs in deficiency states, hepatic function, alcohol metabolism, bone density, developmental delays, neurologically disabilities, hypertension, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), vision impairment, fertility, maternal nutrition and health, breast milk, neonatal nutrition and development, structural and functional role in normal development, hormonal responses, and bronchial asthma. EFA deficiencies are also involved in impaired glucose metabolism, insulin resistance, NIDDM, IDDM, gastrointestinal absorption and digestion, altered gastrointestinal function, blepharospasm, and multiple sclerosis (MS). Furthermore, they are believed to contribute to effects in various types of cancer, cytotoxicity to cancer cell lines, schizophrenia and other behavioral problems, addictive personalities, and depression. In addition, EFA decifits are associated with cardiovascular conditions, glioma, malaria, cigarettes and metabolism, drug resistance, eclampsia, obesity, aging, peptic ulcer disease, degenerative joint disease, dermatological conditions, chronic fatigue, renal impairment, systemic lupus, cystic fibrosis, and exercise metabolism. They are also linked to impaired immune function, anti-bacterial action, insomnia, lipid metabolism, neuropathy, and decubidus ulcers, just to name a few.
EFAs as mode of transport
The subject of EFAs goes far beyond that of supplementation in diet and utilization in deficiency states. A relatively uncharted area of science utilizes EFAs as a mechanical means of therapy, such as employment in a drug delivery system. Already, EFAs have been effectively used as the mode of transport for a number of unique, experimental treatment modalities. These include B-lymphocyte stimulators, as well as growth hormone-releasing hormone analogs, which use polypeptide synthesis technologies far more advanced than the solid state synthesis or polymerase units.
Traditional drug delivery mechanisms have been ineffective with these polypeptide structures. Their sensitive nature results in actions analogous to hormones. Because of their fragility, these polypeptide sequences are susceptible to denaturing by the gastrointestinal acids and enzymes. In addition, our modern-day lifestyle has created a tremendous vacillation in gut function and poor gut absorption. These factors also prevent oral delivery mechanism from being a viable option. Conventional paraenteral routes (IV, IM or SQ injections) raise the issues of compliance and convenience, due to the necessity for daily injections. |