Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA):

Refers to a group of chemicals found in the fatty acid linoleic acid. Dairy products and meats derived from ruminants are the major dietary sources of CLA. CLA is used for treating cancer, atherosclerosis, obesity, improving immune function and limiting food allergy reactions. CLA helps in bone formation. CLA can also induce insulin resistance and fatty liver. Recommended CLA daily intake is between 0.35 to 1.0 gm.

Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA):

GLA is an omega-6 fatty acid found primarily in various plant seeds such as Primrose, Black Currant, Hemp, and also in other foods such as Oats, Barley and Spirulina. It is often used as a medicine for skin conditions, bone health and arthritis, as in the body it converts into substances that reduce inflammation and cell growth.

Eicosanoids:

A group of over 100 powerful hormones like substances, including prostaglandins, prostacyclins, thromboxanes and leukotrienes, produced in the cells of our bodies, which act within the cells to control virtually all physiological processes in our bodies and vanish in fractions of a second thereafter. Some eicosanoids have a good effect on our bodies and are called ‘good’ while others have bad effects and are hence called ‘bad’.

It is most important to keep them all in dynamic balance for optimal health. Too little of one or too much of the other can trigger dangerous conditions leading to many serious diseases. Fortunately, making the right food choices helps maintain such a balance even as the natural ageing process, or viral illnesses or stress, tilt our body’s eicosanoid production towards the ‘bad’.

Food plays an even greater role in altering your eicosanoids balance by regulating your insulin and glucagon levels. The Low-Carb diet, with its higher fat content, allows you to best do so. So too the Ketogenic diet.

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