Omega 3 Fatty Acids: ALA, DHA & EPA.
ALA - ALPHA-LINOLENIC ACID Overview Information
Alpha-linolenic acid is an essential omega-3 fatty acid. It is called “essential” because it is needed for normal human growth and development. Nuts, such as walnuts, are good sources of alpha-linolenic acid. It is also found in vegetable oils such as flaxseed (linseed) oil, canola (rapeseed) oil, and soybean oil, as well as in red meat and dairy products.
Alpha-linolenic acid is popular for preventing and treating diseases of the heart and blood vessels. It is used to prevent heart attacks, lower high blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and reverse “hardening of the blood vessels” (atherosclerosis). There is some evidence that alpha-linolenic acid from dietary sources might be effective for all these uses except lowering cholesterol. Not enough is known yet to be able to rate alpha-linolenic acid’s effect on high cholesterol.
Alpha-linolenic acid is also used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA), multiple sclerosis (MS), lupus, diabetes, renal disease, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease.
Other uses include treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), migraineheadache, skin cancer, depression, and allergic and inflammatory conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.
Some people use alpha-linolenic acid to prevent cancer. Ironically, alpha-linolenic acid may actually raise some men’s risk of getting prostate cancer.
You have probably heard a lot about other omega-3 fatty acids such as EPA and DHA, which are found in fish oil. Be careful. Not all omega-3 fatty acids act the same way in the body. Alpha-linolenic acid may not have the same benefits as EPA and DHA.
How does it work?
Alpha-linolenic acid is thought to decrease the risk of heart disease by helping to maintain normal heart rhythm and heart pumping. It might also reduce blood clots. Although alpha-linolenic acid seems to benefit the cardiovascular system and might reduce the risk of heart disease, research to date does not show it has a significant effect on cholesterol levels.
DHA - DOCOSAHEXAENOIC ACID Overview Information
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is a fatty acid found in the meat of cold-water fish, including mackerel, herring, tuna, halibut, salmon, cod liver, whale blubber, and seal blubber.
Don’t confuse DHA with EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). They are both in fish oil, but they are not the same. DHA can be converted into EPA in the body. See separate listings for fish oil and EPA.
DHA is used as a supplement for premature babies and as an ingredient in baby formula during the first four months of life to promote better mental development. This practice probably started because DHA is found naturally in breast milk. DHA is also used in combination with arachidonic acid during the first four to six months of life for this purpose.
DHA is used for treating type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease (CAD), dementia, and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Some people use DHA is for improving vision, preventing an eye disease called age-related macular degeneration (AMD), preventing and treating depression, and reducing aggressive behavior in people in stressful situations.
DHA is used in combination with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) for a variety of conditions, including the prevention and reversal of heart disease, stabilizing heart rhythm, asthma, cancer, painful menstrual periods, hayfever, lung diseases, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and certain kidney diseases. EPA and DHA are also used in combination for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, psoriasis, Raynaud’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, bipolar disorder, certain inflammations of the digestive system (ulcerative colitis) and preventing migraineheadaches in teenagers.
It is also used in combination with evening primrose oil, thyme oil, and vitamin E (Efalex) to improve movement disorders in children with a condition called dyspraxia.
How does it work?
DHA plays a key role in the development of eye and nerve tissues. DHA may also reduce the risk of heart and circulatory disease by decreasing the thickness of the blood and lowering blood levels of triglycerides.
DHA Dosing:
Experts recommend increasing your daily dietary intake of cold-water fish, including mackerel, herring, tuna, halibut, and salmon.
DHA is usually administered with EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) as fish oil. A wide range of doses have been used. A typical dose is 5 grams of fish oil containing 169-563 mg of EPA and 72-312 mg of DHA.
EPA (EICOSAPENTAENOIC ACID)
EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) is a fatty acid found in the flesh of coldwater fish, including mackerel, herring, tuna, halibut, salmon, cod liver, whale blubber, or seal blubber.
EPA is used for high blood pressure in high-risk pregnancies (eclampsia), age-related macular degeneration (AMD), heart disease, schizophrenia, personality disorder, cystic fibrosis, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, and diabetes.
EPA is used in combination with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in fish oil preparations for a variety of conditions, including preventing and reversing heart disease, and decreasing irregular heartbeats; as well as asthma, cancer, menstrual problems, hot flashes, hay fever, lung diseases, lupus erythematosus, and kidney disease. EPA and DHA are also used in combination for migraine headache prevention in adolescents, skin infections, Behçet’s syndrome, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, psoriasis, Raynaud’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis.
EPA is also used in combination with RNA and L-arginine after surgery to reduce infections, improve wound healing, and shorten recovery time.
Don’t confuse EPA with DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and fish oils, which contain EPA and DHA. Most available data involving EPA are from research and clinical experience with fish oil products containing variable combinations of EPA and DHA.
How does it work?
EPA can prevent the blood from clotting easily. These fatty acids also reduce pain and swelling.
EPA Dosing:
EPA is usually administered with DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) as fish oil. A wide range of doses have been used. A typical dose is 5 grams of fish oil containing 169-563 mg of EPA and 72-312 mg of DHA.
For depression: 1 gram EPA twice daily.
For borderline personality disorder: 1 gram of EPA daily (as ethyl eicosapentaenoic acid) has been used for up to 8 weeks.
For symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes: 500 mg ethyl-EPA three times daily has been used for up to 8 weeks.
Many fatty acid preparations such as EPA also contain small amounts of vitamin E as an antioxidant to prevent spoilage.
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GLA - GAMMA LINOLENIC ACID Overview Information
Gamma linolenic acid is a fatty substance found in various plant seed oils such as borage oil and evening primrose oil. People use it as medicine.
Gamma linolenic acid (GLA) is used for conditions that affect the skin including systemic sclerosis, psoriasis, and eczema. It is also used for rheumatoid arthritis (RA), polyps in the mouth, high cholesterol and other blood fats, heart disease, metabolic syndrome (Syndrome-X), diabetic nerve pain, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, depression after childbirth, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and hay fever (allergic rhinitis). Some people use it to prevent cancer and to help breast cancer patients respond faster to treatment with the drug tamoxifen.
How does it work?
Gamma linolenic acid is an omega-6 fatty acid, which the body can convert to substances that reduce inflammation and cell growth.
The following doses have been studied in scientific research:
BY MOUTH:
For nerve pain due to diabetes: 360 to 480 mg of gamma linolenic acid per day.
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What Are Red Blood Cells?
Red blood cells play an important role in your health by carrying fresh oxygen throughout the body. The oxygen gives your blood its bright red color.
Illustration of blood components
Red blood cells are round with a flattish, indented center, like doughnuts without a hole. Your health care provider can check on the size, shape, and health of your red blood cells using tests, such as the complete blood count screening.
Red blood cells at work:
Hemoglobin is the protein inside red blood cells that carries oxygen. Red blood cells also remove carbon dioxide from your body, transporting it to the lungs for you to exhale.
Red blood cells are made inside your bones, in the bone marrow. They typically live for about 120 days, and then they die.
Nutrition and red blood cells:
Foods rich in iron help you maintain healthy red blood cells. Vitamins are also necessary to build healthy red blood cells. These include vitamin E, found in foods such as dark green vegetables, nuts and seeds, mango, and avocados; vitamins B2, B12, and B3, found in foods such as eggs, whole grains, and bananas; and folate, available in fortified cereals, dried beans and lentils, orange juice, and green leafy vegetables.
Illnesses of the red blood cells:
Most people don't think about their red blood cells unless they have a disease that affects these cells. Problems with red blood cells can be caused by illnesses or a lack of iron or vitamins in your diet. Some diseases of the red blood cells are inherited.
Diseases of the red blood cells include many types of anemia, a condition in which your body can't produce enough normal red blood cells to carry sufficient oxygen throughout the body. People with anemia may have red blood cells that have an unusual shape or that look normal, larger than normal, or smaller than normal.
Symptoms of anemia include tiredness, irregular heartbeats, pale skin, feeling cold, and, in severe cases, heart failure. Children who don't have enough healthy red blood cells grow and develop more slowly than other children. These symptoms demonstrate how important red blood cells are to your daily life.
These are common types of anemia:
Iron-deficiency anemia. If you don't have enough iron in your body, your body won't be able to make the hemoglobin that helps red blood cells carry oxygen. Iron-deficiency anemia is the most common form of anemia. Among the causes of iron deficiency are a diet low in iron, a sudden loss of blood, a chronic loss of blood (such as from heavy menstrual periods), or the inability to absorb enough iron from food.
Sickle cell anemia. In this inherited disease, the red blood cells are shaped like half moons rather than the normal indented circles. This change in shape can make the cells "sticky" and unable to flow smoothly through blood vessels, causing a blockage in blood flow. This blockage may cause acute or chronic pain and can also lead to infection or organ damage. Sickle cells die much more quickly than normal blood cells–in about 10 to 20 days instead of 120 days–causing a shortage of red blood cells.
Normocytic anemia. This type of anemia occurs when your red blood cells are normal in shape and size, but you don't have enough of them to meet your body's needs. Diseases that cause this type of anemia are usually long-term conditions, like kidney disease, cancer, or rheumatoid arthritis.
Hemolytic anemia. This type of anemia occurs when red blood cells are destroyed by an abnormal process in your body before their lifespan is over. As a result, your body doesn't have enough red blood cells to function, and your bone marrow cannot make enough to keep up with demand.
Fanconi anemia. This is a rare inherited disorder in which your bone marrow isn't able to make enough of any of the components of blood, including red blood cells. Children born with this disorder often have serious birth defects because of the problems with their blood and may develop leukemia.
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What Are White Blood Cells?White blood cells are an important component of your blood system, which is also made up of red blood cells, platelets, and plasma.
Although your white blood cells account for only about 1 percent of your blood, their impact is significant. White blood cells, also called leukocytes, are essential for good health and protection against illness and disease.
Think of white blood cells as your immunity cells. In a sense, they are continually at war. They flow through your bloodstream to battle viruses, bacteria, and other foreign invaders that threaten your health. When your body is in distress and a particular area is under attack, white blood cells rush in to help destroy the harmful substance and prevent illness.
White blood cells are produced inside the bone marrow and stored in your blood and lymphatic tissues. Because some white blood cells have a short lifespan of one to three days, your bone marrow is constantly producing them.
Types of white blood cells:
Among your white blood cells are:
1.Monocytes. They have a longer lifespan than many white blood cells and help to break down bacteria.
2.Lymphocytes. They create antibodies to defend against bacteria, viruses, and other potentially harmful invaders.
3.Neutrophils. They kill and digest bacteria and fungi. They are the most numerous type of white blood cell and your first line of defense when infection strikes.
4.Basophils. These small cells appear to sound an alarm when infectious agents invade your blood. They secrete chemicals such as histamine, a marker of allergic disease, that help control the body's immune response.
5.Eosinophils. They attack and kill parasites, destroy cancer cells, and help with allergic responses.
Problems affecting white blood cells:
Your white blood cell count can be low for a number of reasons—when something is destroying the cells more quickly than the body can replenish them or when the bone marrow stops making enough white blood cells to keep you healthy. When your white blood cell count is low, you are extremely susceptible to any illness or infection, which can spiral into a serious health threat.
Your health care provider can see whether your white blood cell count is normal through a blood test known as the complete blood count. If your count is too low or too high, you may have a white blood cell disorder.
A number of diseases and conditions may influence white blood cell levels:
Weakened immune system. This is often caused by illnesses such as HIV/AIDS or by treatments related to cancer. Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy can destroy white blood cells and leave you vulnerable to infection.
Infection. A higher-than-normal white blood cell count usually indicates some type of infection—white blood cells are multiplying to destroy an enemy, such as bacteria or a virus.
Myelodysplastic syndrome. This condition causes abnormal bone marrow cell production.
Cancer of the blood. Cancers including leukemia and lymphoma can cause uncontrolled growth of an abnormal type of blood cell in the bone marrow, resulting in a greatly increased risk for infection and or serious bleeding.
Myeloproliferative disorder. This disorder refers to various conditions that trigger the excessive production of immature blood cells. This can result in an unhealthy balance of all types of blood cells in the bone marrow and too many or too few white blood cells in the blood.
Other conditions, such as extreme physical stress caused by an injury or emotional stress, can trigger high white blood cell levels, as can inflammation, labor or the end of pregnancy, smoking, or even extreme exercise.
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