Balancing the ABCs

It’s relatively easy to balance A, B, and C fats to promote a balance of the 1, 2, and 3 groups of eicosanoids. There are three main ways to do this:

 

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  1. First, eat approximately equal amounts of A, B, and C fats in your diet. It does not necessarily have to be at each meal, but in the course of a day or week, balance is of prime importance. And by eating a balance of A, B, and C fats, you’ll consume polyunsaturated (A and C) and saturated (B) fats in the optimal ratio of 2:1. In the typical Western diet, many people consume ratios of 5:1, 10:1, or even 20:1! It’s no wonder there’s an epidemic of chronic inflammation, pain, injury, and disease. (If you don’t eat meat or dairy, consume approximately an equal ratio of A and C fats; in this case, some of the A fats will convert to B fats.) Fat imbalances typically occur from some combination of eating too much A or B fats or too little C fats.
  2. Limit or avoid the two most common foods that cause an imbalance in fats: vegetable and omega-6 oils and refined carbohydrates, including sugar. Recall that insulin can be produced in higher amounts when these carbohydrates are consumed. This causes more A fats to convert to B fats and the group 2 eicosanoids. Two foods that can help prevent too much A fat from converting to B fat are EPA in fish oil and raw sesame oil, which contains the phytonutrient sesamin.
  3. Maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle. Certain factors can impair the conversion of A and C fats to their respective group 1 and 3 eicosanoids (but unfortunately, these factors won’t impair the conversion of B fats to group 2). These include reduced consumption of specific vitamins and minerals (such as vitamins B6, C, E, niacin, and the minerals magnesium, calcium, and zinc), trans fat contained in hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil, low protein intake, excess stress, and aging (although this can be compensated for by maintaining an optimal balance of fats).

Eat the best diet possible to ensure you obtain all necessary nutrients, avoid bad fats, and moderate stress. As noted earlier in this chapter, when using fats and oils:

 

 

 
  • For cooking, use only olive oil, butter, coconut oil, or lard, and primarily olive oil for salads and other items.
  • Avoid all vegetable and omega-6 oils such as soy, safflower, corn, and peanut, and avoid trans fats.
  • Balance consumption of omega-6 and omega-3 fats.