The Japanese Paradox - Americans Have Changed the Fats in Their Diet

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The Japanese Paradox - Americans Have Changed the Fats in Their Diet

When Time magazine asked to Dr. Water Willett, of the Department of

Nutrition at Harvard, to name the most significant scientific news of the

20th century, he said simply, " We changed the fats in our diet. "

According to the September 2008 PUFA newsletter, the link between the

type and amount of fats consumed and long-term cardiac health is now dubbed

" the Japanese Paradox. " Why do Japanese men smoke, have high cholesterol,

diabetes, and high blood pressure, yet have half the mortality from heart

disease as Caucasian American men? And why do Japanese men who migrate to

the U.S. develop atherosclerosis (commonly known as hardening of the

arteries) as readily or more so than American white males?

Recent research indicates a long-term diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids

tends to counteract the development of atherosclerosis. Other studies

indicate the Japanese have less carotid artery plaque and a lower incidence

of nonfatal heart attacks simply because of their consumption of long-chain

omega-3 fatty acids.

Dr. Willett's point is that our fast and overly processed American

diet changed the traditional ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids. This

shift not only created more inflammation but more allergies than ever

before. And current research indicates that when the ratio is skewed above a

certain level, depression and suicidal behavior rise dramatically.

Giants in the field of orthomolecular psychiatry like Abram Hoffer,

M.D., and Kunin, M.D., have successfully treated schizophrenia,

bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, and other brain

biochemistry diagnoses by focusing on lifestyle choices that include diet

and supplements. Though they have solid scientific backing, these physicians

often suffered the attacks of peers and boards of medicine; at the same

time, the media were beginning to report that vested interests were

affecting many specialties in medicine, but psychiatry in particular.

Other new research showed that women who ate fish more than three

times a week had fewer non-fatal heart events; additionally, they had fewer

tiny hemorrhages in the brain. People without these brain lesions are less

likely to have a stroke or impaired cognitive/thinking ability. Another

study showed that EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) supplements reduced the

likelihood of having a second stroke in those who have already had one. The

incidence of stroke has increased dramatically in recent years, and is now

the leading cause of disability in the U.S. Omega-3 fatty acids now appear

to be integral to the healthy performance of nearly all the body's major

systems.

Dr. Phil Landrigan of Mt. Sinai School of Medicine says that one in

seven American children have a learning or behavior disorder. So it is

sobering indeed that there has been so little focus on omega-3 fatty acids

in the food pyramid, in school lunch menus, and in other federal guidelines.

Research shows that children whose mothers eat more than 12 ounces of fish

per week outperform those whose mothers avoid eating fish.

Practitioners like Carol Locke, M.D., and Stoll, M.D., author

of The Omega-3 Connection, found that U.S. women have the lowest levels of

DHA among all industrialized countries. Their work with bipolar disorder and

omega-3 supplements was groundbreaking, though far too few physicians use

key supplements like the omega-3 fatty acids in their treatments. You can

find a physician schooled in nutritional medicine at the AAHF website.

The science is clear: a public health campaign to " change the fats in

our diet " would have far-reaching health benefits for every American.