Fish Oil 101
Okay — put on your biochemistry hat for a minute. Don’t turn away. If I can understand this, so can you. As Kris Carr says in her terrific book Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips (1), you have to send yourself to “cancer college” the minute you or your loved one is diagnosed with cancer. Knowledge is power. So, with a nod (and a cite) to Ms. Carr, think of this post as “Fish Oil 101.”
Love Your Fat
Even though we have been taught to hate fat, the body needs fat. Fats store nutrients and accumulated fat is burned for energy. There is, however, good fat and bad fat and — in the case of Omega 3 (the fat found in fish oil, nuts and seeds) — “essential” fat.(2)
Essential fats, or “essential fatty acids” (EFA) are nature’s primary healing fats. Omega 3, one of the most potent and pure forms of EFA, is a strong antioxident, an anti-viral and anti-fungal powerfood. Omega 3’s are the world’s best anti-infection agents.
Omega 3, and EFA in general, is absolutely essential for the storage of nutrients in the body. The body does not manufacture an EFA so you have to eat food containing EFA to have them in your body. Id.
Well, you might ask,we know we want to stay healthy but why are EFA’s essential for people with cancer? Good question. It requires a little explanation.
The Chemistry Of Fat
Fats are “lipids.” Fatty acids are the primary building block of lipids. Fatty acids are made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms. The atoms hook up to make molecules, which are strung together in what chemists call “chains.”
The carbon atoms are the center of the molecule. The hydrogen atoms attach to the carbon atoms at the top and bottom. At one end of the molecule is another hydrogen atom. At the other end of the molecule are two oxygen atoms followed by a hydrogen atom (which serves as the link to other molecules or other sections of the chain). A molecule with lots of hydrogen atoms is said to be “saturated.” That’s where the term “saturated fat” comes from. Saturated fat is solid at room temperature. Butter is a saturated fat.(3)
A molecule that contains only one bond between a hydrogen and carbon atom is called a “monounsaturated” fat (because the term “mono” means one). If it contains two or more bonds it is called a “polyunsaturated” fat (because “poly” means more than one). Mono and poly unsaturated fats are liquid because there aren’t enough hydrogen atoms in the molecule to hook up with other molecules, make chains and form a solid.
Like pant sizes, chains come in recognized lengths: short, medium and long. The size refers to how many of the molecules can link up and whether and to what degree they are soluble in water. Medium chain fatty acids contain between 8 and 12 carbon atoms. They are the focus of this discussion because they are easy to absorb into the system (carrying nutrients through the body).
Visual Aid Suggestion
(Yawn!) If you are a visual learner (like me), I recommend watching “Lorenzo’s Oil,” a movie starring Nick Nolte and Susan Sarandon, in which parents discover a cure for their son’s rare medical condition, ALD. They created “Lorenzo’s oil” the cure in the film, by removing 2 “long chain fatty acids” from olive oil. The parents figured out the fat chains by stringing together paper clips. It’s a great visual representation of what I’m talking about.
Medium Chain Triglycerides Or MCT
Medium chain fatty acids (Omega 3’s such as fish oil) are found in a substance commonly referred to as “Medium Chain Triglycerides” (MCT). A triglyceride is made up of 4 molecules: a molecule of glycerol (a different combination of carbon and hydrogen) and 3 fatty acids molecules. A “medium chain triglyceride” is a triglyceride that hooks up with 1 glycerol molecule and 3 medium chains of fatty acid.
This Is Important For Cancer Patients
A medium chain triglyceride does not need a great number of enzymes to dissolve in the body. It is easily absorbed into the blood stream. MCT’s are quickly sent to the liver where the body turns them into glucose and burned for energy.
A person with cancer often has a reduced enzyme level due to chemotherapy or radiation so the ease of absorption is critical. Some cancers trigger inflammation which excretes bad proteins that are, in essence, super-burners, causing an increased metabolism and an increased need for fat to burn. If the patient does not have enough glucose from fatty acids, the body will start creating energy by burning good protein (muscle). That’s when you get unintended weight loss (cachexia) and malnutrition, poor health and fewer treatment options.
Please note: Don’t take MCT oil on an empty stomach. It can cause a stomach ache or gastric problems. MCT oil shouldn’t be cooked. Use it in a smoothie or drink.
(1) Carr, Kris, Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips, 2007, skirt!, The Globe Pequot Press, Morris Publishing Group, LLC, p. 40.
(2) Beling, Stephanie, Power Foods, 1997, Harper Collins Publishers, pp. 135, 176-177.
(3) Keane, Maureen, and Chace, Daniella, What to Eat If You Have Cancer, 2007, McGraw Hill, pp. 91-95.
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