Mead Acid associated with lower levels of Beta Amyloid Plaques in Alzheimer patients and Linoleic Acid associated with higher levels.

[imcoconut]

A Cross sectional study in Alzheimer patients found that higher concentrations of a PCA factor composed of 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids correlated with lower beta amyloid plaques while linoleic acid correlated with higher levels. One of the 3 "beneficial" PUFAs was mead acid. This is the first time I've heard anything about mead acid outside of Ray Peat. The others were clupadonic acid and adrenic acid which I've never heard of. Clupadonic had the highest regression coefficient and t-stat (lowest p-value) by far of the "beneficial" PUFAs. Very interesting.

Of all 4 PUFAs linoleic acid had the largest magnitude (negative) coefficient.

I've only read the abstract but plan reading the full study.

Associations Between Blood Nutritional Biomarkers and Cerebral Amyloid-β: Insights From the COGFRAIL Cohort Study

Abstract. Understanding the relationship between blood nutrients and neurodegeneration could contribute to devising strategies for preventing Alzheimer’s d

academic.oup.com

Understanding the relationship between blood nutrients and neurodegeneration could contribute to devising strategies for preventing Alzheimer’s disease. We investigated the associations between fatty acids, vitamins D, B6, B12, folate, homocysteine, and the cerebral load of amyloid β (Aβ). This cross-sectional study included 177 older adults (70–96 years, 65% female) with objective cognitive impairment, prefrail, or frail. Cerebral Aβ load was determined using positron emission tomography Standardized Uptake Value ratios. Fatty acids were assessed in erythrocytes, vitamins D and homocysteine in serum, and the other vitamins in plasma. Linear regression models corrected for multiple comparisons evaluated the associations between each nutrient and Aβ. The principal component factor followed by linear regression grouped the fatty acids strongly correlated (factor) and associated with Aβ. Higher concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs): clupanodonic acid (22:5n-3; β: −0.13; p = .001), mead acid (20:3n-9; β: −0.07; p = .036), and adrenic acid (22:4n-6; β: −0.05; p = .031) were associated with lower global Aβ load, whereas linoleic acid (18:2n-6) was associated with higher global Aβ load (β: 0.18; p = .042). Clupanodonic acid was inversely associated with Aβ in all cerebral regions except the thalamus. The factor composed of mead, clupanodonic, and arachidonic (20:4n-6) acids was associated with a lower global Aβ load (β: −0.02; p = .002). Some erythrocyte PUFAs were inversely associated with Aβ load in the brain, and most of them were metabolites of the essential fatty acids linoleic and α-linolenic. Given the cross-sectional design, these results must be carefully interpreted, and longitudinal studies are needed

@haidut

 

[Kray]

A Cross sectional study in Alzheimer patients found that higher concentrations of a PCA factor composed of 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids correlated with lower beta amyloid plaques while linoleic acid correlated with higher levels. One of the 3 "beneficial" PUFAs was mead acid. This is the first time I've heard anything about mead acid outside of Ray Peat. The others were clupadonic acid and adrenic acid which I've never heard of. Clupadonic had the highest regression coefficient and t-stat (lowest p-value) by far of the "beneficial" PUFAs. Very interesting.

Of all 4 PUFAs linoleic acid had the largest magnitude (negative) coefficient.

I've only read the abstract but plan reading the full study.

Associations Between Blood Nutritional Biomarkers and Cerebral Amyloid-β: Insights From the COGFRAIL Cohort Study

Abstract. Understanding the relationship between blood nutrients and neurodegeneration could contribute to devising strategies for preventing Alzheimer’s d

academic.oup.com

@haidut

What foods contain these higher levels of Mead acids? Are we talking about Omega 9s here?

 

[TucsonJJ]

A Cross sectional study in Alzheimer patients found that higher concentrations of a PCA factor composed of 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids correlated with lower beta amyloid plaques while linoleic acid correlated with higher levels. One of the 3 "beneficial" PUFAs was mead acid. This is the first time I've heard anything about mead acid outside of Ray Peat. The others were clupadonic acid and adrenic acid which I've never heard of. Clupadonic had the highest regression coefficient and t-stat (lowest p-value) by far of the "beneficial" PUFAs. Very interesting.

Of all 4 PUFAs linoleic acid had the largest magnitude (negative) coefficient.

I've only read the abstract but plan reading the full study.

Associations Between Blood Nutritional Biomarkers and Cerebral Amyloid-β: Insights From the COGFRAIL Cohort Study

Abstract. Understanding the relationship between blood nutrients and neurodegeneration could contribute to devising strategies for preventing Alzheimer’s d

academic.oup.com

@haidut

I think the amazing enzymes, serrapeptase and nattokinase (and probably lumbrokinase) are well worth a look for alzheimers...

Serrapeptase and nattokinase intervention for relieving Alzheimer's disease pathophysiology in rat model - PubMed

Serrapeptase (SP) and nattokinase (NK) are proteolytic enzymes belonging to serine proteases. In this study, we hypothesized that SP and NK could modulate certain factors that are associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathophysiology in the experimental model. Oral administration of aluminium...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[mostlylurking]

What foods contain these higher levels of Mead acids? Are we talking about Omega 9s here?

Your body makes the Mead acid when there is a "deficiency" in polyunsaturated fats. In other words, polyunsaturated fats, aka PUFA, linoleic and linolenic, block the internal production of the Mead acid. Presence of the Mead acid tells the doctor you have a "deficiency" in the polyunsaturated fats.

Suitable Fats, Unsuitable Fats: Issues in Nutrition

Ray Peat

raypeat.com

"Ordinarily, in biochemistry and physiology the inhibition of an enzyme is taken as a suggestion of toxicity, but when the point of reference is the idea of the goodness of PUFA, the activity of an intrinsic enzyme is taken to be evidence of harm, and its inhibition (by PUFA) is taken to be the proper, healthful situation. The enzyme that produces the Mead fatty acid is strongly inhibited by PUFA seed oils (less strongly by fish oils), and so the presence of the Mead acid in the tissues is taken as evidence that the animal is suffering damage resulting from the absence of PUFA. The Mead acid happens to have some valuable anti-inflammatory effects, and is associated with many biological advantages, but research in that direction is prevented by the lack of funding."

PUFA uses up/causes deficiency in thiamine. Thiamine supplementation is protective from the ravages of PUFA (at least when used in salmon hatcheries). Thiamine deficiency is implicated in all the dementias, including Alzheimer's.

Thiamine deficiency induces oxidative stress and exacerbates the plaque pathology in Alzheimer’s mouse model

Mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and reductions in thiamine-dependent enzymes have been implicated in multiple neurological disorders including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Experimental thiamine deficiency (TD) is an established model for reducing ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Candeias]

Your body makes the Mead acid when there is a "deficiency" in polyunsaturated fats. In other words, polyunsaturated fats, aka PUFA, linoleic and linolenic, block the internal production of the Mead acid. Presence of the Mead acid tells the doctor you have a "deficiency" in the polyunsaturated fats.

Suitable Fats, Unsuitable Fats: Issues in Nutrition

Ray Peat

raypeat.com

"Ordinarily, in biochemistry and physiology the inhibition of an enzyme is taken as a suggestion of toxicity, but when the point of reference is the idea of the goodness of PUFA, the activity of an intrinsic enzyme is taken to be evidence of harm, and its inhibition (by PUFA) is taken to be the proper, healthful situation. The enzyme that produces the Mead fatty acid is strongly inhibited by PUFA seed oils (less strongly by fish oils), and so the presence of the Mead acid in the tissues is taken as evidence that the animal is suffering damage resulting from the absence of PUFA. The Mead acid happens to have some valuable anti-inflammatory effects, and is associated with many biological advantages, but research in that direction is prevented by the lack of funding."

PUFA uses up/causes deficiency in thiamine. Thiamine supplementation is protective from the ravages of PUFA (at least when used in salmon hatcheries). Thiamine deficiency is implicated in all the dementias, including Alzheimer's.

Thiamine deficiency induces oxidative stress and exacerbates the plaque pathology in Alzheimer’s mouse model

Mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and reductions in thiamine-dependent enzymes have been implicated in multiple neurological disorders including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Experimental thiamine deficiency (TD) is an established model for reducing ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

This may be why pork is so rich in thiamine, as it is the highest in PUFAs, as a protective mechanism. Nature doesn't do things by chance.

 

[TucsonJJ]

This may be why pork is so rich in thiamine, as it is the highest in PUFAs, as a protective mechanism. Nature doesn't do things by chance.

I think Dinkov has said that PUFA is generally stored in the fat... so... would even commercially raised meat, if trimmed and prepared LEAN... not be very high in PUFA? (Did he not also say that PUFA was not so bad IF taken with enough saturated fat? OR... perhaps enough stearic acid?)

Might be wishful thinking... I really like pork and chicken, and finding "grass-fed"... is difficult.

 

[mostlylurking]

This may be why pork is so rich in thiamine, as it is the highest in PUFAs, as a protective mechanism. Nature doesn't do things by chance.

The high PUFA in pork is there because of what the pork industry feeds the pigs (grains and soy). Pigs do not have rumens so what they eat (PUFA) gets stored in their bodies as polyunsaturated fat. If the pigs were feral and eating things other than PUFA, their fat would be more saturated and less toxic.

 

[TucsonJJ]

The high PUFA in pork is there because of what the pork industry feeds the pigs (grains and soy). Pigs do not have rumens so what they eat (PUFA) gets stored in their bodies as polyunsaturated fat. If the pigs were feral and eating things other than PUFA, their fat would be more saturated and less toxic.

Yes, I get that... bad feed... And still... "stored in their bodies"... OK... but in muscle tissue... or mostly in their fat? And if the latter... would not lean pork not be very high in PUFA?
And how about Georgi's take, that PUFA is less harmful if taken with enough saturated fat?

 

[David PS]

Mead acid: honorary PUFA and its role in an EFAD

"What is the 'problem' in the case of the omega-9 acids? I think the 'problem' is simply that they allow us to live at a higher energy level, with greater resistance to stress and quicker healing."

t3uncoupled.substack.com

 

[TucsonJJ]

Mead acid: honorary PUFA and its role in an EFAD

"What is the 'problem' in the case of the omega-9 acids? I think the 'problem' is simply that they allow us to live at a higher energy level, with greater resistance to stress and quicker healing."

t3uncoupled.substack.com

So would taking in a few tablespoons of good coconut oil daily give the benefits?

 

[mostlylurking]

Yes, I get that... bad feed... And still... "stored in their bodies"... OK... but in muscle tissue... or mostly in their fat? And if the latter... would not lean pork not be very high in PUFA?
And how about Georgi's take, that PUFA is less harmful if taken with enough saturated fat?

The PUFA is stored in the fat. The problem with PUFA is that the body does not want to use it as fuel so it get stored in the fat cells. Over time, as you age, the ratio of PUFA to saturated fat gets higher and higher in PUFA because the saturated fat is preferentially burned and the PUFA is stored. Keeping that stuff stored in the fat cells is much safer than letting it get out into circulation as free fatty acids. This is why niacinamide is helpful because it helps keep the stored fats from becoming free. PUFA is considered a toxin. The liver detoxes PUFA but it can get overwhelmed if there's too much of it.

After reading about the horrific conditions at the giant pig farms in Mexico I decided to not eat pork at all. Ever.

 

[TucsonJJ]

The PUFA is stored in the fat. The problem with PUFA is that the body does not want to use it as fuel so it get stored in the fat cells. Over time, as you age, the ratio of PUFA to saturated fat gets higher and higher in PUFA because the saturated fat is preferentially burned and the PUFA is stored. Keeping that stuff stored in the fat cells is much safer than letting it get out into circulation as free fatty acids. This is why niacinamide is helpful because it helps keep the stored fats from becoming free. PUFA is considered a toxin. The liver detoxes PUFA but it can get overwhelmed if there's too much of it.

After reading about the horrific conditions at the giant pig farms in Mexico I decided to not eat pork at all. Ever.

I get that, good info... BUT... still... does that not mean that PUFA gets stored in fat, even in pork, chicken, whatever... so... eating LEAN cuts of meat would minimize intake of PUFA... no?
I agree, pork farms are disgusting.

 

[mostlylurking]

I get that, good info... BUT... still... does that not mean that PUFA gets stored in fat, even in pork, chicken, whatever... so... eating LEAN cuts of meat would minimize intake of PUFA... no?
I agree, pork farms are disgusting.

Yes. PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids) gets stored in fat cells. The fat gets released when cooking the meat. I always skim/scrape all the fat off of stewed chicken meat before using it in recipes. It's easier to remove it if you have added gelatin to the hot liquid towards the end of cooking. Then refrigerate. Then scrap the fat top off of the gelatinized mass. I do eat chicken meat that has been rendered this way. I don't eat pork as it's disgusting.

I also eat grass fed beef. The fat of ruminant animals that have not been fattened in a feed lot is relatively safe because it is saturated.

 

[TucsonJJ]

Yes. PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids) gets stored in fat cells. The fat gets released when cooking the meat. I always skim/scrape all the fat off of stewed chicken meat before using it in recipes. It's easier to remove it if you have added gelatin to the hot liquid towards the end of cooking. Then refrigerate. Then scrap the fat top off of the gelatinized mass. I do eat chicken meat that has been rendered this way. I don't eat pork as it's disgusting.

I also eat grass fed beef. The fat of ruminant animals that have not been fattened in a feed lot is relatively safe because it is saturated.

Ah... good info, thx! Yes, pork farms are terrible... but it sure is tasty!

 

[Kray]

Your body makes the Mead acid when there is a "deficiency" in polyunsaturated fats. In other words, polyunsaturated fats, aka PUFA, linoleic and linolenic, block the internal production of the Mead acid. Presence of the Mead acid tells the doctor you have a "deficiency" in the polyunsaturated fats.

Suitable Fats, Unsuitable Fats: Issues in Nutrition

Ray Peat

raypeat.com

"Ordinarily, in biochemistry and physiology the inhibition of an enzyme is taken as a suggestion of toxicity, but when the point of reference is the idea of the goodness of PUFA, the activity of an intrinsic enzyme is taken to be evidence of harm, and its inhibition (by PUFA) is taken to be the proper, healthful situation. The enzyme that produces the Mead fatty acid is strongly inhibited by PUFA seed oils (less strongly by fish oils), and so the presence of the Mead acid in the tissues is taken as evidence that the animal is suffering damage resulting from the absence of PUFA. The Mead acid happens to have some valuable anti-inflammatory effects, and is associated with many biological advantages, but research in that direction is prevented by the lack of funding."

PUFA uses up/causes deficiency in thiamine. Thiamine supplementation is protective from the ravages of PUFA (at least when used in salmon hatcheries). Thiamine deficiency is implicated in all the dementias, including Alzheimer's.

Thiamine deficiency induces oxidative stress and exacerbates the plaque pathology in Alzheimer’s mouse model

Mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and reductions in thiamine-dependent enzymes have been implicated in multiple neurological disorders including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Experimental thiamine deficiency (TD) is an established model for reducing ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Thanks for setting me straight! Have heard mead acid for so many years on the forum and never looked further, but now understand its presence is a physiologic response to PUFA in the diet- and ironically mainstream medicine would say that's a bad thing. And it's also amazing to realize how efficient and "intelligent" the body is. Thanks for your help!

 

[mostlylurking]

Thanks for setting me straight! Have heard mead acid for so many years on the forum and never looked further, but now understand (high levels) is a physiologic response to PUFA in the diet- and ironically mainstream medicine would say that's a bad thing. And it's also amazing to realize how efficient and "intelligent" the body is. Thanks for your help!

Uh, no. Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you are saying. I'll try to explain.

If you have PUFA in your diet, the Mead acid (which is made in the human body) will not exist because its creation is blocked by the presence of the PUFA. If the doctor finds the presence of Mead acid in your body, they will interpret that as a DEFICIENCY in PUFA which they think is "essential" for health which it is not. PUFA includes the omega 6's and omega 3's; they are toxic, cause inflammation, and should be avoided. The Mead acid is made in the body (under good conditions that exclude ingesting PUFA), is unsaturated, and is anti-inflammatory.

 

[Kray]

Uh, no. Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you are saying. I'll try to explain.

If you have PUFA in your diet, the Mead acid (which is made in the human body) will not exist because its creation is blocked by the presence of the PUFA. If the doctor finds the presence of Mead acid in your body, they will interpret that as a DEFICIENCY in PUFA which they think is "essential" for health which it is not. PUFA includes the omega 6's and omega 3's; they are toxic, cause inflammation, and should be avoided. The Mead acid is made in the body (under good conditions that exclude ingesting PUFA), is unsaturated, and is anti-inflammatory.

ooops- so it isn't made in response to PUFA? Only in which "good conditions" exist, referring to 0 ingested PUFA?
If that's true, it's hard to think there are many people out there with Mead acid. Just following the forum for years, I've met very few, if any, who swear to 0 PUFA. Even coconut oil contains a small amount unless one uses hydrogenated, right? And most animal foods contain some PUFA along with SF.

 

[mostlylurking]

ooops- so it isn't made in response to PUFA? Only in which "good conditions" exist, referring to 0 ingested PUFA?
If that's true, it's hard to think there are many people out there with Mead acid. Just following the forum for years, I've met very few, if any, who swear to 0 PUFA. Even coconut oil contains a small amount unless one uses hydrogenated, right? And most animal foods contain some PUFA along with SF.

Your body can deal with a tiny amount of PUFA assuming your metabolism is working well. Young children who have high metabolisms wind up burning PUFA and not storing it, assuming it's only a smallish amount. But after some aging happens (on the far side of 9-12), then the metabolism slows down some due to toxin load, including estrogen, and then PUFA starts getting stored in the body instead of burned for fuel.

Unsaturated fatty acids: Nutritionally essential, or toxic?

Ray Peat

raypeat.com

Fats, functions and malfunctions.

There is a growing recognition that a persistent increase of free fatty acids in the serum, which is seen in shock, heart failure, and aging, indicates a bad prognosis, but there is no generally recognized explanation for the fact that free fatty acids are harmful. I want to mention some...

raypeat.com

Unsaturated Vegetable Oils: Toxic

Ray Peat

raypeat.com

Fats and degeneration

Ray Peat

raypeat.com

https://www.toxinless.com/polsci-080721-fats.mp3