Queen of Fats: Why Omega-3s Were Removed from the Western Diet and What We Can Do to Replace Them (California Studies in Food & Culture) [Paperback]

Allport does an excellent job of recounting the history of omega-3 fatty acids, the people involved in the discovery of the essential nature of omega-3, and why these vital fats are rare in the typical diet. My only critique would be that Allport seemed to ignore the evidence that alpha-linoleic acid, the so-called parent omega-3 found in the food supply, is poorly converted into the real players of omega-3, EPA and DHA, in humans. Men convert only about 2% of ALA into EPA, and none into DHA. Women are a bit more efficient in this conversion. As such, it makes far more sense to rely on direct sources of EPA and DHA, such as fish oil supplements and fatty fish. Allport also makes an error when she says that " all fish are rich in omega-3." In fact, only fatty fish are rich in omega-3, such as sardines, herring, mackeral, and halibut. The lean fish sources are poor to mediocre sources. These minor errors aside, however, the book is an entertaining and educational source of information about omega-3 fats.

This book is part detective story, part science lesson and part narrative. It is written in clear, straightforward prose that clarifies and educates as well as entertains. It answers a lot of the questions you may have about fats: why are they called Omega-3s? What is the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats? Why are animal fats called fats and plant fats called oils? Are there good fats and bad fats? Is the Atkins diet really healthy?

The narrative format used to trace the history of the discovery of these amazing fats really works. Learning how the facts about fats were uncovered helps the reader understand why a diet rich in Omega-3s is important, unlike many of the fad diets and spurious nutritional advice that are pitched in the media today. It is also very instructive to see how the facts were often misinterpreted and misunderstood when they were first discovered and what new discoveries brought the truth into focus. Allport provides a thorough and balanced account of the science underlying her thesis that these fats, the Omega-3s, are truly the Queen of the Fatty Acids.

And on a final note, unlike most science books, this one has a conclusion that could change your life... for the better. It not only provides a well documented, clearly reasoned case for the benefits of having more Omega-3s in your diet, but it also offers simple, practical advice about adding them back into your diet. Read the book, heed her advice and you're sure to be healthier, smarter and smile more!

Here is a history of research leading to the discoveries that linoleic acid, an omega-6 type, is essential in diet in small amounts, and the later finding that linolenic acid, an omega-3 type, is also essential, and no longer found in desirable amounts in our diets. The latter is converted to the very valuable EPA and DHA, which may also be eaten as fish oil or as supplements. The omega-3s in adequate amounts are said to prevent heart attacks, obesity and cancer, at the least. Advice on what foods to eat or avoid is given in a clear, if not totally evidence-based manner. How to have one's own blood tested for omega levels is given. The fairly recent discoveries are presented that linoleic acid is converted to eicosanoids that cause inflammation vs. eicosanoids that cause relaxation from omega-3s. An important angle, if true, was that a high level of omega-6s in the diet will partially prevent the conversion of plant omega-3 (linolenic) to EPA and DHA.

The writing is very easy to read, very well-edited, and the diagrams and photos are adequate. There is an adequate index, but the citations are not numbered in the text, but are together near the end by page number, which makes it harder to check claims. Many claims which which were considered too proven to have citations were not actually proven or bolstered with citations.

Some angles in Queen are new to me, but the first popular book on the desirability of omega-3s may have been: Enter the Zone, by Barry Sears, PhD, and Bill Lawren, New York, NY:Regan/HarperCollins, 1995. In his The Omega Rx Zone, 2002, the omega-3 and -6 fatty acid message is greatly improved, but the message on saturated fats was not. So Allport has not contributed much that is original. My opinion is that one of the best books on omega-3s in the diet is The Modern Nutritional Diseases by Alice & Fred Ottoboni.

Unfortunately, there was considerable misdirection. The Seven-Country Study by Ancel Keys that was so influential (cholesterol and saturated fat being "bad") was not presented as the fraud it was. For a great description, see The Great Cholesterol Con (GCC), by Anthony Colpo (2007). For an honest Fourteen Country Study see another GCC of 2007, this one by Malcolm Kendrick, in which Kendrick showed that the 7 countries with the lowest saturated fat consumption had the highest mortality from heart disease (450/100,000 per year), while the 7 countries with the highest saturated fat intake had the lowest mortality from heart disease (170/100,000). See also The Cholesterol Myths by Uffe Ravnskov, 2000. Low-carb high-fat diets were ridiculed from start to finish as destructive and a fad, despite overwhelming evidence that they are not. See Nielsen JV, Joensson EA, Low-carbohydrate diet in type 2 diabetes. Stable improvement of bodyweight and glycaemic control during 22 months follow-up, Nutrition & Metabolism 2006;3(22) doi:10.1186/1743-7075-3-22. While Allport may be correct in claiming that omega-3s will prevent or reverse diabetes (and she is not always clear on which type), the evidence is clear that type-1 is much more easily controlled with a low-carb high-fat diet, and type-2 may be controlled so well on a low-carb diet that no medication is needed. See Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution, rev. ed. by Richard K. Bernstein, MD, Boston, MA:Little, Brown, 2003. So Allport's recommendation to eat large amounts of fruit (p139) could be a disaster for diabetics. Eskimos are often obese albeit healthy, so omega-3s for weight loss seems too much to claim. And she seems unaware of the prevalence of grain allergies. See Natural Health & Weight Loss, Barry Groves, 2007; Know Your Fats by Mary G. Enig, 2000. Also Allport seems to equate eating linolenic acid as the equivalent of eating EPA and DHA in fish, and does not recommend supplements of the latter two. Neither idea had any supporting evidence presented. Nor was the ideal range of omega-3 intake given. A study of the conversion of radioisotopically-labeled linolenic acid to EPA in humans showed poor conversion, and even poorer conversion to DHA. Adequate intakes of pre-formed DHA are needed for good health. See Burdge G, alpha-Linolenic acid metabolism in men and women: nutritional and biological implications, Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 2004;7:137-144.

A list of 67 more errors may be obtained from kauffman@bee.net. Thus this book is not recommended.