The autoimmunity problem

The immune system has among its functions that of protecting the body from external agents such as viruses or bacteria through the production of antibodies (acquired immunity) or specific classes of leukocytes (innate immunity). Normally this defensive structure attacks foreign antigens but not the cells of its own body. In some cases, however, the system goes into confusion and mistakenly attacks the cells it should defend, its own “self”, giving rise to all the pathologies defined as autoimmune. There are about a hundred autoimmune diseases from the most common to the rarest and they have different characteristics and target tissues.

Some of the well-known autoimmune diseases

This long list includes rare and less rare diseases. Among the least ones there are: alopecia aerate, lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease, autoimmune thyroiditis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis and diabetes mellitus type 1 (DMT1).

The incerasse in cases and genetics

The prevalence of autoimmune diseases is recording a marked increase in the most developed countries since the post-war period and, in the USA, it is estimated that 1 in 13 people are affected. For some of these, such as DMT1 and celiac disease, a genetic component is known, but the growth of cases over a generation or two cannot be explained by genetic determinants alone; In support of this, and on the importance of the environmental component in the context of autoimmunity, are the genetic studies on homozygous twins which show that only in less than 50% of cases both siblings develop the disease (1).

Role of environmental factors

Environmental factors are represented by external so-called “non self” elements. For an example giving of an external factor, we can quote celiac disease in which gluten, contained in cereals and derivatives, represents the external element that triggers the defensive reaction against tissue components of the small intestine. In other cases, such as in Guillain Barré neuropathy, the environmental factor triggering an aberrant immune response is represented by an infectious agent such as Campylobacter jejuni, Epstein Barr virus, or the flu virus to name a few.

Several studies have also identified other environmental factors involved in the mechanisms of autoimmunity in the numerous additives that are present in processed foods (2), and others in chemical residues including the widespread herbicide glyphosate.

Hygiene hypothesis

The hygiene hypothesis arises from the observation that in the most industrialized countries there has been, in the last 40 years, a decrease in infections and a parallel increase in autoimmune diseases and allergic phenomena. Higher hygiene determines the body’s lack of contact with a variety of microorganisms – pathogenic and non-pathogenic – that stimulate the immune system such as regulatory T lymphocytes and Toll-like-receptor. This hypothesis, born in the late 1980s (4), has expanded over time to include other predisposing factors related to lifestyle that accompany economic development, such as changes in nutrition. And it is precisely the dietary changes that have a major impact on the intestine and the microbiome.

The mechanism linked to intestinal immune phenomena begins with the activation of dendritic cells by the antigen and ends with the production of regulatory T lymphocytes that will help to counteract future contacts with the external agent. In allergies and autoimmunity, an excessive response to the antigen is determined. The regulation mechanism induced by intestinal parasites starts from the antigen-antibody bond (IgG or IgE) which triggers other elements of immunity. These, like dendritic cells, produce mediators (interleukins) that stimulate the production of Th2 and T reg class lymphocytes that regulate the immune response to antigens, avoiding hypersensitivity phenomena.

The emerging role of the intestine and microbiota

The intestinal epithelium together with the mucus layer and colonies of microorganisms (intestinal microbiota) represent the barrier that effectively separates the organism from the external environment represented by what enters through the digestive tract. Knowing that over 70% of our immune system resides in the intestine, it is clear that the state in which this organ is found – including the functional system represented by the microbiota that hosts it – plays an important role in immune regulation.

In particular, the key role of the tight junctions between the cells of the intestine emerged which – together with the mucosal immune system – guarantee the integrity of the small intestine barrier which must not show abnormal phenomena of permeability called “leaky gut”. An intestine in conditions of impaired permeability does not act as a selective barrier to the unwanted entry of antigens, toxins or bacteria that pass into the underlying tissues and into the bloodstream, giving rise to inflammatory phenomena.

Another element of fundamental importance is a balanced microbiota that presents colonies of bacteria, viruses and fungi in a balanced condition (eubiosis) and protective from pathogenic species and inflammation. Leaky intestines and dysbiosis * are an emerging element in the context of autoimmunity phenomena.

* Dysbiosis: term describing a qualitative and quantitative change in intestinal microbial species that alters the normal balance and formation of fermentation products. Dysbiosis is often associated with inflammatory phenomena and intestinal problems.

Diet in autoimmunity

Currently the scientific world hasn’t found a consents on what the role of diet may be in autoimmune diseases and patients are generally not given indications on what diet to follow. There are some dietary approaches (mainly of US origin) based on exclusions of food groups, such as certain types of cereals or milk and derivatives, which should be explored; have shown positive results in preliminary studies, but also criticalities in the balance of nutrients or in the depletion of intestinal microbial diversity, generating other types of problems.

However, food remains an environmental factor on which it is worth intervening anyway, even in the absence of evidence that, in the nutritional field, is always difficult to obtain. It may be useful, for example, to follow a diet that preserves intestinal integrity, microbiota biodiversity and immune modulation.

Among the most studied protective micronutrients of intestinal permeability is vitamin D which induces the gene expression of proteins such as zonulin and occludin which are responsible for maintaining tight enterocyte junctions.

Another very important nutritional element for intestinal health are the fibers. A low-fiber diet lacks substrate for the microorganisms that ferment it to form protective short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and induce the formation of protective mucus typical of a healthy intestine. The modern diet has depleted both in the quantity of fiber (17 g / day against the 30 g / day provided for by the LARN) and in the variety (a few species of edible plants against the hundreds of the most archaic populations).

As for fats, it has been seen that long-chain saturated ones have an action on some bacterial types (eg Oscillibacter) that deplete the colon of mucus or induce an imbalance in the classes of T lymphocytes, increasing the proliferation of Th1 and Th17 involved in autoimmune phenomena and in the generation of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Exactly opposite activities were observed with SCFAs (produced by the fermentation of fibers) which showed a stimulatory effect on the expression of regulatory T lymphocytes with a positive effect on autoimmune and anti-inflammatory phenomena.

It is also worth mentioning Omega-3 fats, in particular EPA and DHA, for their direct immunomodulating and anti-inflammatory action through bioactive metabolites such as resolvins, protectins and maresine and the balancing of pro-inflammatory metabolic pathways. In addition to the more studied uses of Omega-3s for cardiovascular health, their beneficial effects can manifest themselves in problems that have an inflammatory nature and immune imbalance, as in the case of autoimmunity (6).

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For further information >> https://www.lipinutragen.it/en/omega-3-dha/

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Bibliography:

(1) Ermann J, et al. Autoimmune diseases: genes, bugs and failed regulation. Nature Immunology, volume 2, 759–761(2001).
(2) Lerner A, et al. Changes in intestinal tight junction permeability associated with industrial food additives explain the rising incidence of autoimmune disease. Autoimmun Rev. 2015 Jun;14(6):479-89.
(3) Okada H, et al. The ‘hygiene hypothesis’ for autoimmune and allergic diseases: an update. Clin Exp Immunol. 2010 Apr; 160(1):1-9.
(4) Strachan DP. Hay fever, hygiene, and household size. BMJ 1989; 299:1259–60.
(5) Zaccone P, et al. Parasitic worms and inflammatory diseases. Parasite Immunol. 2006 Oct; 28(10): 515–523.
(6) Haghikia A, et al. Dietary Fatty Acids Directly Impact Central Nervous System Autoimmunity via the Small Intestine. Immunity CellPress, Volume 43, Issue 4, P817-829, October 20, 2015

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Article by:

Francesco Bonucci – Nutritionist
The diet advise, written in the article, are not intended to be a substitute for a personal nutrition plan and should be adapted to specific cases

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Photo: 123RF Archivio Fotografico: 108757381 ©Tatjana Baibakova / 123rf.com

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Meat and its fats

Meats, especially red ones, have been demonized for years due to their saturated fat content, which inevitably brings with them what is considered the number one responsible for many diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases, cholesterol.

In reality, meats do not contain only saturated fats and it would be desirable to pay attention to their lipid profile exactly as it does with proteins and calories. Meat, fish, dried fruit have different lipid profiles, often with substantial differences from each other.

In meat muscle saturated fats, in particular myristic, palmitic and stearic fatty acids, represent 45 – 48% of total lipids, monounsaturated fats (MUFA) represent 35 – 45% and polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) 5 %.

The most represented PUFAs are linoleic and linolenic acid while the MUFAs are mainly represented by oleic acid.

The lipid profile of meat can go through important variations in relation to the animal’s diet. Grazing, for example, affects the decrease in palmitic acid in both ruminants and monogastrics.

The impact of saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in meat

We know that increasing the intake of saturated fats with the diet, especially myristic acid and palmitic acid, increases the synthesis of cholesterol and this favors the accumulation of LDL, a risk factor for the outbreak of cardiovascular diseases.

The relationship between polyunsaturated fatty acids and saturated fatty acids is a very important index for assessing how healthy the lipid component of meat is. This ratio should be 0.4, but in sheep and goat meat it is about 0.15 and even drops to 0.11 in cattle because in the rumen the unsaturated fatty acids undergo the so-called bio-hydrogenation process by microorganisms there present, even if a part of the unsaturated fatty acids in the animal’s diet, bypasses the rumen and is absorbed and deposited directly in the body fat.

If the proportion between polyunsaturated fatty acids and saturated fatty acids in meat is increased, the effect of consuming meat with this lipid profile will have a less important impact on the increase in plasma cholesterol.

Let’s choose the meat:

• On what considerations should we base our choice? It is not necessary to give up meat consumption, because ruminant meat is also a good source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, phospholipids and isomers of conjugated linoleic acid.
• What should be done? First of all, when we choose the meat, be ensure of its origin, avoiding the one from intensive farming, choosing the one from grass-fed animals (grazing) because this involves a decrease in the omega-6 / omega-3 ratio of meat and an increase in the proportion between polyunsaturated and saturated. Furthermore, animals grown according to their natural times contain more conjugated linoleic acid correlated with the high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids of the grass which generally has an omega-6 / omega-3 ratio of about 1 / 3.5. In this way we will be able to be more relaxed and consume a meat-based meal serenely, alternating beef with sheep meat and poultry according to the recommended consumption frequencies.

Nutrilipidomics recipe

Thyme-flavored beef stripsIngredients (2 people)

• 300 g of strips of grass-fed beef
• 30 g of extra virgin olive oil
• 20 g of pine nuts
• 20 g of black olives
• 5 g of fresh thyme
• 20 g of flour 00
• 1 clove of garlic (to be removed)
• 100 g of fresh carrot
• Salt

METHOD:

In a pan put the oil, garlic, chopped thyme, finely chopped carrot, pitted olives cut into chunks.

Heat until the ingredients are wilted and at this point remove the garlic. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes over very low heat.

Flour the strips well, add them to the sauce and cook for another 6-7 minutes, stirring frequently.

When the meat is colored, add the pine nuts, add salt and cook for another 2 minutes. Finally turn off and let it rest for a couple of minutes before serving.

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Nutritional values ​​per recipe and per person

	Kcal	Pro-teins (g)	Carbs (g)	Sugar (g)	Fats (g)	Satu-rated (g)	Monoin-saturated (g)	Polin-saturated (g)	Chole-sterol (mg)	Fibers (g)
Beef	243	36	7,29	–	7,56	3,54	2,85	0,48	153	–
Evo oil	269	–	–	–	30	4,14	21,8	3,15	–	–
Pine nuts	134,6	2,74	2,6	0,718	13,67	0,98	3,75	6.81	–	0,74
Olives	23	0,17	1,25	–	2,14	0,28	1,57	0,18	–	0,64
Thyme	5,05	0,28	1,22	–	0,084	0,02	0,004	0,026	–	0,7
Flour 00	77,2	1,94	14,5	0,09	0,29	0,06	0,038	0,17	–	0,48
Carrot	41	0,93	9,58	4,74	0,24	0,037	0,014	0,12	–	2,8
Total per recipe	792,8	42	36,44	5,54	53,98	9,06	30,02	10,93	153	5,36
Totale per person	396,4	21	18,22	2,77	26,99	4,53	15,01	5,47	76,5	2,68

 

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Article by

Dr.ssa Nicoletta Bocchino – Nutrition Biologist
The food recommendations in the article are not intended to replace a personalized food plan and are to be adapted to specific cases.

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Photo: 123RF Archivio Fotografico: 42778619 ©Victoria Shibut / 123rf.com | 114419679 ©Olga Yastremska / 123rf.com

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LipiMagazine blog was born to be a container of articles and information of great scientific relevance with a practical side in everyday life.

Today’s article is the opening line of a series of issues on the INTEGRATION.

The world of integration

The definition of SUPPLEMENT in itself is related to its action of “reestablish the levels ” of a certain element.

The fact around us is that we are bombarded every day with countless product slogans to improve or rediscover an ideal state of well-being. We speak of “supplement” in the broadest sense of the term, that is referring to a wide range of products, from the most common supplements of “magnesium and potassium” to those with targeted action, for example for weight loss.

The “bombing” is also responsible for the excellent commercial success of the sector. It is estimated that from 2018 to 2019, within the points of sale (pharmacy, drugstore, GDO), there was a global increase of more than 4% in the supplements’ sale, compared to the same period of the previous year, with a value overall over 3.2 billion euros.

This data and the widespread news that can be found on the internet, sometimes unclear, drove us to give a response to the following questions: how do we choose the supplement for us? Do we carefully read the information (list of ingredients and nutritional value table) on the packaging? Do we know what our body really needs? Do we ask for advice from a Specialist (pharmacist, doctor or nutritionist), or do we consider the news on the web or the opinion of a friend to be comprehensive?

Before buying and taking a supplement we must consequently know …

What are food supplements?

The term supplements already allows us to understand their ultimate goal, “food products intended to supplement the common diet and which constitute a concentrated source of nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, or other substances having a nutritional or physiological effect, in particular, but not exclusively, amino acids, essential fatty acids, fibers and extracts of vegetable origin, both single and multi-compound, in pre-dosed forms “(Directive 2002/46 / EC, implemented with the legislative decree 21 May 2004, n. 169).

This definition clarifies that the supplement is taken to “supplement” the diet, that is, knowing what we CANNOT provide with our eating habits. We will come to the concept of the supplement “need” later.

Food supplements are usually presented in small consumable units such as capsules, tablets, sachets, vials and alike.

While being over-the-counter and not entering the category of drugs, current legislation regulates the marketing of these products; in fact, this last one is subject to the notification procedure to the Ministry of Health. Once this procedure has been passed, the products are coded and included in a special list. (2)

Where can they be purchase?

Since these are freely sold products, they can be found on supermarket shelves, in pharmacies, parapharmacies, in sports shops, online. The purchase is therefore direct, it does not always require the involvement of a health professional. Pharmacist, doctor and nutritionist are the only figures who, thanks to their studies and practice, can provide support in the process of assessing the need and purchasing a supplement.

The supplements have a food label!

Many times, prompted by the advice of a friend or an advertisement, we do not ask for support from a professional in the field; it is therefore essential to read the label carefully in order not to spend money “unnecessarily” and above all not to bring excessive elements and / or quantities of components that the body does not need. Yes, supplements have a food label, just like any product in the food sector. On the package, in addition to the list of ingredients, it is mandatory to report the table of nutritional values.

Last but not least, particular attention must be paid to the methods of use, warnings and the presence of any allergens.

When to assume a supplement?

To this question cannot be given a generic answer; the use of supplements should occur only when necessary, in case of nutritional deficiencies – due to reduced intake and / or increased need – or to assist certain types of treatments, or when, on the evaluation of a Specialist, it is necessary to support certain functions of the body. Surely, however, the supplement should not be intended as a “substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a correct lifestyle”.

Do they always work?

In a person who is healthy and without an analytical finding of a deficiency, the use of a supplement that brings undetected elements may “not be ideal”. Having said this, in general, the risks of integration are very low; the few that may occur result from unbalanced nutritional dosages.

In this context, the European Food Safety Authority comes to support the consumer himself, which elaborates scientific opinions and advice that integrate the basis of European legislation and policies on the food chain. (EFSA).

Finally, it should be remembered that the activity of a supplement is subordinate to its formulation, that is: to the selection of ingredients and their quantities together with the choice of the consumption unit (capsule, tablet, etc.), which are indispensable aspects evaluated by those who produces, to ensure the right level in the body, but above all the reaching of the site where the ingredients perform their natural (physiological) function. This is a key point of effective formulation.

Take home message

Advertising, news and information that we find on any mass-media affect us. Communication drives the market of any sector, but if we talk about health, attention must be very high in order not to fall into the slogans’ trap. In our own small way, we begin to be actors and not spectators, let’s ask ourselves questions and find the answers through the help of scientific-institutional channels.

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Bibliography:

1. Source: Unione Italiana Food, http://www.integratoriitalia.it/integratori-consumo-crescita-del-4-mercato-ora-vale-32-miliardi/
2. Food supplements and ministerial guidelines. Directive 2002/46 / EC, implemented with the legislative decree 21 May 2004, n. 169
3. Guide to making the purchases of supplements on the web safer, Federsalus, https://www.federsalus.it/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/1522311426Decalogo_ITA.pdf
4. Dietary supplements – general information. Epicenter: The epidemiology portal for public health by the Higher Institute of Health, https://www.epicentro.iss.it/integratori/

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Article by the editorial team of Lipinutragen

The information given should in no way replace the direct relationship between health professional and patient.

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Photo: 123RF Archivio Fotografico: 62564046 ©kwangmoo / 123rf.com | 39341567 ©ohyooha / 123rf.com

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Omega-3 DHA: what is it?

DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid of the Omega-3 series, is a fundamental molecule, component of the phospholipids of various organs, including the heart, brain and retina. Phospholipids (molecules composed of fatty acids with different chemical structures) are the basic constituents of the cell membrane, a vital covering for all cells in the body.

Each organ, therefore each tissue, has its own membrane that contains a composition of fatty acids, the same in type but different in quantity, creating a real identity card, which allows its recognition but above all its adequate functionality of that organ [1].

How much DHA is to assume:

Since 2010, the European Safety Authority EFSA has established the daily requirement of DHA per individual by indicating 250 mg per day for an adult and underlining its importance in pregnancy, breastfeeding and at certain stages of life, such as during growth (EFSA Journal 2010 8 (3): 1461).

In 2014 (EFSA Journal 2014; 12 (10): 3840) the effect of DHA on “normal brain development” was verified, especially for infants and children under 2 years of age with dosages of 100 mg / day and with dosages of 250 mg / day for growth from 2 to 18 years.

Furthermore, scientific research and studies show that sporting activity increases the inflammatory tendency and consumes some polyunsaturated fatty acids and anti-inflammatory and protective activity for the nervous and cardiovascular system, including Omega-3 DHA [2-4].

Source of DHA:

Omega-3 DHA is found in algae or fish (which feeds on algae). In 100 grams of fish there can be up to 500 mg of omega-3 (EPA and DHA); therefore the usual consumption of fish is recommended (to learn more about the varieties of fish and their Omega-3 content >> https://www.lipinutragen.it/en/fish-omega3-rich-food/).

What benefits does DHA bring?

From the metabolism of DHA, which occurs starting from the cell membrane, lipid mediators with protective and anti-inflammatory effects come.

The following activities are scientifically proven and also approved by EFSA:

• maintenance of normal brain function *
• maintenance of normal visual function *

Together with the other omega-3 EPA, in dosages of at least 250 mg, DHA contributes to maintaining proper heart function (EU regulation 432/2012).

* the beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 250 mg of DHA.

Why is it important to take DHA?

DHA can be formed in the human organism, through the enzymes, starting from its omega-3 precursor alpha-linolenic acid, essential fatty acid, which means that it must necessarily be introduced with food, since the human organism is not able to produce it independently. The transformation of alpha-linolenic acid into DHA requires many enzymatic steps (seven, to be precise) that may not work perfectly, for example due to a lack of cofactors, vitamins or even in some stages of life, including in aging; in these cases, DHA deficiencies may arise which must be appropriately rebalanced.

It is therefore important to know the level of DHA achieved in our cells, in order to be able to rebalance in case of deficiency and, given the low quantities obtainable with the diet, ask for advice on using supplements based on Omega-3 DHA.

“Smart integration” of DHA

Speaking of supplementation, there is one important thing to specify: the DHA supplement performs its task if, after taking, this fatty acid reaches the cell membrane, which is the natural place to carry out its activity. It is precisely the membrane (i.e. the envelope that surrounds the cells of all our tissues) the target of polyunsaturated fatty acids, including the precious DHA; it is reached through metabolic transformations, to then obtain important, indeed indispensable, biological effects. Therefore, the supplement must be formulated taking into account this metabolism (which is called bioavailability in technical terms). Furthermore, knowing that degradation can occur in the distribution of polyunsaturated fats within the body, especially if the cells are under conditions of radical and oxidative stress, appropriate molecules with protective activity must be used in the formula of the supplement to preserve DHA.

To reassume:

Before assuming fatty acid food supplements, we must know that supplementing means compensating for a deficiency, a deficit that may depend on one’s lifestyle and diet. To fill the deficiency, it is necessary to first understand IF it exists and ESPECIALLY check what type of deficiency is present in your body. In the context of Omega-3 fatty acids (but also omega-6), the analysis of the cell membrane comes handy, (technically called lipidomic analysis of cell membrane ) – which photographs the condition of this envelope indispensable to the cell, and highlights the quality and quantity of integration, if necessary. The Omega-3, including DHA, are among the basic constituents of the cell membrane, without which cells cannot function properly. If exist a deficiency of DHA, traceable at the cell membrane level, it will also be controllable as to the effectiveness of the treatment, i.e. by comparing the results before and after integration.

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Bibliography:

1. Harayama et Riezman. Understanding the Diversity of Membrane Lipid Composition. Rev Mol. Cell Biol. 2018, 19, 281-296).
2. Ji, L.L.; Leichtweis, S. Exercise and oxidative stress: Sources of free radicals and their impact on antioxidant systems. Age 1997, 20, 91-106.
3. Dekkers, J. C.; van Doornen L. J. P.; and Kemper H.C.G. The Role of Antioxidant Vitamins and Enzymes in the Prevention of Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage. Sports Med. 1996,21, 213-238.
4. Sjodin, T., Y.H. Westing, and F.S. Apple. Biochemical mechanisms for oxygen free radical formation during exercise. Sports Med. 1990, 10, 236-254.

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Article edited by the Lipinutragen Editorial Board:

The information provided must in no way replace the direct relationship between health professional and patient.

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Photo: 123RF Archivio Fotografico: 111426686 ©Artur Szczybylo / 123rf.com

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Omega-3 and sardines

The summer holidays are coming to an end, but we don’t have to renounced at the dishes that have colored our holiday tables, especially if they are “rich” in beneficial properties for the body.

Today’s nutrilipidomic recipe is a traditional Sicilian dish that marries the taste, flavors and well-being of a sunny land: pasta with sardines. There are many traditional versions, but ours will only include the use of the main ingredients, undercooked, so as not alter their beneficial properties. Among the ingredients there are: sardines, cheap blue fish rich in Omega-3, especially DHA, and unlike anchovies, have a proportionally lower content of saturated fat, together with wild fennel, with fragrant leaves well known for their digestive properties and purifying.

Nutrilipidomics recipe

Ingredients (for 4 people)

• Whole meal spaghetti 300 g
• Fresh sardines 400 g
• Wild fennel 150 g
• Pine nuts 15 g
• Raisins 25 g
• Chopped almonds 25 g
• Onion 70 g
• Extra virgin olive oil 50 g (about 3 tablespoons)
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Salt as needed
• Pepper as needed

METHOD

Wash the wild fennel in plenty cold water, removing any harder stems; cut the tufts into small parts and boil them in abundant boiling water for 20 min; drain and store the boiling water.

Clean the sardines, removing their heads, bones and entrails, rinse them under cold water to remove any residues. Dry the sardines well one by one.

Place the onion cut into small pieces in a large pan, the extra virgin olive oil, the pine nuts and the raisins; let it brown for a few minutes. Add the sardines and sauté for about 2 minutes; add the fennel and two tablespoons of its boiling water and let it dry. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.

Boil the pasta in the water previously used to cook the fennel, to which a pinch of salt must be added; sear the pasta in the sauce with the sardines and sauté by adding the cooking water to whisk.

Serve garnished with chopped almonds and lemon zest.

N.B.: it is possible to replace the fennel with dill, the doses will be halved.

Nutritional values per recipe and per person

	Kcal	Pro-teins (g)	Carbs (g)	Sugar (g)	Fats(g)	Satu-rated (g)	Monoin-saturated (g)	Polinsa-turated (g)	Fibeers (g)	Chole-sterolo (mg)
Sardines	900	81.2	6	6	61.6	20.9	12.8	27.95		260
Whole meal spaghetti	1044	43.89	225	0	3.027	0.774	0.585	1.668	8.3	0
Wild fennel	12.82	1.8	0	1.5	0	0	0	0	3.3	0
Evo oil	442	0	0	0	50	7	36,5	6,5	0	0
Pine nuts	100.9	2.05	1.96	0.53	8.65	0.73	2.81	5.11	0.55	0
Raisins	75.5	0.84	19.88	14.79	0.067	0.03	0.004	0.033	1	0
Chopped almonds	143.75	5.3	7.22	1.3	12	1.2	7.72	3.01	3.01	0
Onion	80	2,2	9,3	4,2	0,2	0,082	0,026	0,034	3,4
Total per recipe	2798.97	137.28	269.36	18.32	135.544	30.64	59.728	44.305	19.56	260
Total per persona	699.74	34.32	67.34	7.08	67.772	7.6	14.932	11.07	4.89	65

 

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Article edited by the Lipinutragen Editorial Board

The food recommendations in the article are not intended to replace a personalized food plan and are to be adapted to specific cases.

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Photo: 123RF Archivio Fotografico: 121033649 ©Fabio Balbi / 123rf.com  | ©Lonieke / pixabay.com

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Fatty acids in dermatology

The first evidences of the ability of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the protection of the skin were obtained 90 years ago with the work of the spouses Burr (J. Biol. Chem 1929, 82, 345-367). It was the time when fats were evaluated only for their “calories”, but the work of these researchers highlighted that animals on a diet of sucrose and casein, even if added with vitamins, created serious problems, primarily of a dermatological nature and in general inflammatory, which regressed precisely with the administration of oils in the diet. But not of oils containing saturated fats (palmitic, stearic, lauric acids), but a mixture of olive oil, linseed oil and even better of corn and cod liver (J Biol Chem. 2012 Oct 12; 287 (42) : 35439–35441).

In reality, with these first observations, the researchers began to evaluate the “essentiality” of the polyunsaturated fatty acids, which is well known today, being necessary the intake of linoleic acid (omega-6) and alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3) to form in the human body all the polyunsaturated fatty acids that our cells need, especially the cell membrane. The understanding of the mechanisms by which polyunsaturated fatty acids are involved in the well-being of the skin is constantly updated by new results, but everything points to the advice not to remain depleted of these important molecules. For example, the group of prof. Brash at Vanderbilt University showed how ceramide-bound linoleic acid is transformed into oxidized metabolites that bind to the proteins of the epidermis, producing a “barrier effect” to avoid water loss.

The skin: the portrait of the molecular state

We can say that the skin is the first “mirror” of the molecular state that is obtained in an absolutely personalized way by each of us, through diet and lifestyle, including exposure to the sun, as happens in the summer. And in fact, the eye of a good clinician turns to the complexion and condition of the skin for a first evaluation of the general conditions.

The skin is a multi-layered tissue (epidermis and dermis) with the most important function of creating a barrier, or a relatively waterproof layer of dead cells, to protect the body from dehydration and environmental stress. The intercellular lipid lamellae are composed of ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids in the stratum corneum. If the skin is in abnormal conditions, i.e. with the loss of these components, both an abnormal transdermal loss of water and an increased cell proliferation can occur; both of these situations are found in the case of deficiency of essential fatty acids. (Kim, J et al. Biosci.Biotechnol.Biochem, 2006, 70, 2086-2095; Zhoh, VA et al Am J Clin Nutr 2000, 71, 361S-366S)

Lipid balance for the well-being of the skin

Epidermis and dermis are metabolically active organs and can synthesize saturated and monounsaturated fats, as well as cholesterol and ceramides. But they must receive essential fatty acids from external sources, since the activity of key enzymes of the metabolism (desaturase) is also scarce in these tissues. Even through the stimulation of ultraviolet rays, the skin is activated in the enzymatic oxidative transformations of fatty acids, and thus the well-being of the skin starts, however based on the balance of the lipid components. In fact, the balance between essential fatty acids is important in order not to create inflammatory conditions, therefore the omega-6 and omega-3 quotas must be well calibrated right from the feeding to allow you to control the efficiency of the skin. Excess of these polyunsaturated fats, as well as a strong intake of one of the two types, can also be detrimental to the balance that must be obtained (Balic, A. et al, Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Jan 23; 21 (3): 741 ; Kendall, AC et al. Biochim Biophys Acta Biomembr. 2017 Sep; 1859 (9 Pt B): 1679-1689. extensive description in: https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/health-disease/skin-health/essential-fatty-acids )

Are fats in balance? Lipidomics responds

The concept of CONTROL is obtained even more by balancing omega-3 fats with omega-6 fatty acid gamma linolenic acid GLA, coming from linoleic acid by enzymatic transformation, which, however, can also be slowed down for various reasons, such as the lack of enzymatic cofactors, stress and metabolic diseases (Figure 1).

Borage oil (Borago officinalis) contains variable quotas of GLA and there are also 70% pure sources of this fatty acid. In addition to its direct effect in the constitution of the layers of the skin, GLA transforms into DGLA which, once entered in the membrane phospholipids, is in turn a precursor of anti-inflammatory prostaglandin of the series 1 (PGE1) and of 15-hydroxyheicosatrienoic acid which have an effect immediate on hydration and reduction of inflammatory intensity at dermatological level. (van Gool CJ, et al Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Apr; 77 (4): 943-51; Brosche, T. et al. Arch. Geronol. Geriatr. 30, 139-150 (2000); Foster et al, Nutrition. 2010 Jul-Aug; 26 (7-8): 708-18)

On the basis of what is known about the effect of fatty acids for the well-being of the skin, the determination of the omega-6 and omega-3 state through FAT PROFILE ( lipidomic analysis of the membrane of the mature erythrocyte as a mirror of the systemic condition) should be indicated by dermatologists as the first basic molecular analysis to establish individual deficiencies and needs.

omegaControl to support cellular and skin reactivity

The possible lack of omega-3, -6 and -9 fatty acids can be integrated * with the help of nutraceuticals specifically designed to reach the cell membrane, the active site of fatty acids.

OmegaControl is a food supplement based on omega-3 fatty acids, from cold-pressed linseed oil with 70% alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), omega-6, from borage oil with 70% gamma-acid. linolenic (GLA) and omega-9 from extra virgin olive oil with a high content of oleic acid (OA).

A complete and balanced formulation which, thanks to the presence of particular ingredients such as Glycerylphosphorylcholine (alpha-GPC), Vitamins E and C and Astaxanthin, protects polyunsaturated fatty acids during absorption and distribution in the body.

Pack of 20 soft gel capsules; each capsule contains 455 mg of fat, of which 73 mg of saturated, 83 mg of monounsaturated and 299 mg of polyunsaturated.

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Bibliography:

1. Burr G. and Burr M. J. Biol. Chem (1929), 82, 345-367
2. Smit W. et al. J Biol Chem. (2012) Oct 12; 287(42): 35439–35441
3. Kim, J et al. Biosci.Biotechnol.Biochem. (2006) 70, 2086-2095;
4. Zhoh, VA et al Am J Clin Nutr (2000) 71, 361S-366S
5. Balic, A. et al, Int J Mol Sci. (2020) Jan 23;21(3):741
6. Kendall, AC et al. Biochim Biophys Acta Biomembr. (2017) Sep;1859(9 Pt B):1679-1689
7. Van Gool CJ, et al Am J Clin Nutr. (2003) Apr;77(4):943-51;
8. Brosche, T. et al. Arch. Geron- tol. Geriatr. 30, 139-150(2000);
9. Foster et al, Nutrition. (2010) Jul-Aug;26(7-8):708-18

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Article edited by the Lipinutragen Editorial Board:

The information provided must in no way replace the direct relationship between health professional and patient.

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