This is a simplified summary of the last two posts.
Polyunsaturated fats in the diet are mostly omega-6 or omega-3. These get converted into a diverse and influential class of signaling molecules in the body called eicosanoids. On their way to becoming eicosanoids, they get elongated. These elongated versions can be measured in tissue, and the higher the proportion of elongated omega-6 in the total pool, the higher the risk of a heart attack.
Eicosanoids are either omega-6 or omega-3-derived. Omega-6 eicosanoids, in general, are very potent and participate in inflammatory processes and blood clotting. Omega-3 eicosanoids are less potent, less inflammatory, less clot-forming, and participate in long-term repair processes. This is a simplification, as there are exceptions, but in a broad sense seems to be true.
In the modern U.S. and most other affluent nations, we eat so much omega-6 (mostly in the form of liquid industrial vegetable oils), and so little omega-3, that we create a very inflammatory and pro-clotting environment, probably contributing to a number of chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease.
There are two ways to stay in balance: reduce omega-6, and increase omega-3. In my opinion, the former is more important than the latter, but only if you can reduce omega-6 to below 4% of calories. If you're above 4%, the only way to reduce your risk is to outcompete the omega-6 with additional omega-3. Keeping omega-6 below 4% and ensuring a modest but regular intake of omega-3, such as from wild-caught fish, will probably substantially reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and other chronic illnesses.
Bottom line: ditch industrial vegetable oils such as corn, soybean, safflower and sunflower oil, and everything that contains them. This includes most processed foods, especially mayonnaise, grocery store salad dressings, and fried foods. We aren't meant to eat those foods and they derail our metabolism on a fundamental level. I also believe it's a good idea to have a regular source of omega-3, whether it comes from seafood, small doses of cod liver oil, or small doses of flax.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Awards Banquet
The Global Health Council's 2009 Awards Banquet was held last night. As an insider, it was amazing to see how everything has come together to create such a huge gathering of people from around the world. As I stood by the front doors I was shocked to look around at everything in the Regency ballroom - the decorations, the sheer numbers of chairs and tables, and the enormous stage - it all came crashing down upon me. A staff of 45 people organized an event so gigantic and so important. It was amazing!!
After ushering people in to their seats, helping them if they did not know where they were supposed to be seated, I was able to sit down for dinner and enjoy the awards banquet. I sat and discussed global health with others at my table, and listened in quiet awe of the award winners. The work they have done has made such tangible and enormous impact around the world and in their home countries. Dr. Douglas Gwatidzo spoke emotionally of those who he believed were more deserving of the award he received, (The Jonathan Mann Award for Health and Human Rights) and of those who made his work and that of others possible. He has worked tirelessly to help beleaguered colleagues in Zimbabwe's collapsed health sector; and has provided medical and legal documentation and care for victims of state torture in Zimbabwe. His defiance of Robert Mugabe's policies and actions is inspiring and amazing. I had tears in my eyes.
The Award for Best Practices in Global Health was presented to Dr. Harshad Sanghvi, whose work in Kenya, Indonesia, Nepal and Afghanistan focuses on providing post-partem hemorrhaging medicines to women and midwives in rural areas that have no access to doctors. In his speech, he discussed the role that we all play in helping the world to be a better place, saying, "We create change because the current situation regarding the very high mortality and morbidity in developing nations, combined with the inequity in access to health care between poor and rich people is just not acceptable in civilized nations." I don't think anyone could have said what we do, and what we aim to do, better than he did.
And finally, the Gates Award for Global Health was awarded to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for the more than 100 years of education and awareness that they have provided to thousands of graduates in more than 140 countries around the world. Truly a global organization, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine was recognized for its dedication to combating tropical diseases and improving hygiene in the world, and for its off campus program in which students around the world can become educated without having to study in London. The one million dollar grant awarded by the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation will help to improve their ability to educate and create change around the world.
It was an amazing evening, and as an intern, it was frankly humbling and inspiring to see all these amazing individuals all around and to hear such stories of bravery and selflessness. Music was provided by the amazing band, Nation Beat, an outfit of musicians from the Southern United States and Brazil. It was fun music, great food, and inspiration all around as the evening came to an end!
- Geoff Calver
After ushering people in to their seats, helping them if they did not know where they were supposed to be seated, I was able to sit down for dinner and enjoy the awards banquet. I sat and discussed global health with others at my table, and listened in quiet awe of the award winners. The work they have done has made such tangible and enormous impact around the world and in their home countries. Dr. Douglas Gwatidzo spoke emotionally of those who he believed were more deserving of the award he received, (The Jonathan Mann Award for Health and Human Rights) and of those who made his work and that of others possible. He has worked tirelessly to help beleaguered colleagues in Zimbabwe's collapsed health sector; and has provided medical and legal documentation and care for victims of state torture in Zimbabwe. His defiance of Robert Mugabe's policies and actions is inspiring and amazing. I had tears in my eyes.
The Award for Best Practices in Global Health was presented to Dr. Harshad Sanghvi, whose work in Kenya, Indonesia, Nepal and Afghanistan focuses on providing post-partem hemorrhaging medicines to women and midwives in rural areas that have no access to doctors. In his speech, he discussed the role that we all play in helping the world to be a better place, saying, "We create change because the current situation regarding the very high mortality and morbidity in developing nations, combined with the inequity in access to health care between poor and rich people is just not acceptable in civilized nations." I don't think anyone could have said what we do, and what we aim to do, better than he did.
And finally, the Gates Award for Global Health was awarded to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for the more than 100 years of education and awareness that they have provided to thousands of graduates in more than 140 countries around the world. Truly a global organization, The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine was recognized for its dedication to combating tropical diseases and improving hygiene in the world, and for its off campus program in which students around the world can become educated without having to study in London. The one million dollar grant awarded by the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation will help to improve their ability to educate and create change around the world.
It was an amazing evening, and as an intern, it was frankly humbling and inspiring to see all these amazing individuals all around and to hear such stories of bravery and selflessness. Music was provided by the amazing band, Nation Beat, an outfit of musicians from the Southern United States and Brazil. It was fun music, great food, and inspiration all around as the evening came to an end!
- Geoff Calver
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Poster session
Everyone come see the New Investigators poster session today! 2:15 in the Blue Room. Tea will be served.
(I had mine yesterday, so I can freely promote my colleagues without being accused of self-aggrandizement)
(I had mine yesterday, so I can freely promote my colleagues without being accused of self-aggrandizement)
Pay No Mind to the Gap
Hans Rosling gave a great talk this morning. The website he founded (along with his son and daughter-in-law) is called Gapminder, which presumably refers to the gap between developed and developing countries.
Ironically, the thrust of his talk was about how we shouldn't be minding the gap so much. He showed how there's no clear division between "developed" and "developing" --- how mixed the countries of the world are in life expectancy, infant mortality, income, HIV infection. It's clearly more of a continuum.
He's a great speaker, and I see his point. But I do think most people who work in global health already understand it. The terms "developing" and "developed" are not perfect, but we need some kind of language to describe the differences between countries. I prefer Low, Middle, and High income myself.
Whatever language we choose, we're inevitably going to divide the world into categories in order to understand it. What Dr. Rosling didn't do today was propose an alternative set of categories.
Maybe that will be his talk next year.....
Ironically, the thrust of his talk was about how we shouldn't be minding the gap so much. He showed how there's no clear division between "developed" and "developing" --- how mixed the countries of the world are in life expectancy, infant mortality, income, HIV infection. It's clearly more of a continuum.
He's a great speaker, and I see his point. But I do think most people who work in global health already understand it. The terms "developing" and "developed" are not perfect, but we need some kind of language to describe the differences between countries. I prefer Low, Middle, and High income myself.
Whatever language we choose, we're inevitably going to divide the world into categories in order to understand it. What Dr. Rosling didn't do today was propose an alternative set of categories.
Maybe that will be his talk next year.....
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