Pattern of Fatty Acid Intakes in Traditional Indian Dietaries

• Main Author: K. T. Achaya
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Indian; eskimo*
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.630.224; http://nutritionfoundationofindia.res.in/admin/filedocument/pattern of fatty acid intakes in traditional indian dietaries-nfi_bulletin_jan 1990.pdf

Demonstration in the 1960s of the scavenging effect of linoleic-acid-rich oils like safflower, sunflower, com and soya on cholesterol deposition ' in the arteries was followed by a marked shift to their use in daily dietaries. Subsequently, evidence began to accumulate that an excess of linoleic acid in the body weakens the immune response, and generates undesirable free radicals that are carcinogenic. It was also found that linoleic and linolenic acids compete for the same enzymes in their metabolism to the prostaglandins and thromboxanes which regulate many important body functions. An over-supply of one could upset the balance that seems to be necessary between the two fatty acids. The finding that the Eskimo eats seal body and liver fats in quantities that make up 60 percent of dietary calories, and yet is free of cardiovascular disease, led to a rush for sources of the gamma-linolenic acid which appeared to be the protective factor. Demonstration of the utility of oleic acid in maintaining lipid balance was followed by yet another swing towards a Mediterranean type of diet, in which the cooking fat is olive oil, with 80 percent of oleic acid. All these twists and turns highlight the basic question: what is the optimal balance between the proportions of saturated, oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids required in the human system?