Amber O’Hearn posted a link on twitter to this article which seems to be another instance of scientific authorities spinning the results of findings to make them look positive, when in fact the finding are reinforcing what I think most of us would agree to be true: that the abundance of omega-6 fats in modern diets has helped lead to widespread metabolic disfunction.
To be honest the science was pretty dense and I mostly skimmed through, but I think I understand what’s going on. One of the claims of the article was that omega-6 fatty acids “were triggering a response that promotes resistance to nutritional deprivation.” Well yes, they promote resistance to nutritional deprivation because they cause fat storage.
They also promote glucose burning over fat burning because they allow glucose to continue entering cells that have already accepted omega-6 fats. This means the omega-6 fats end up being stored and there is more of a demand for insulin because it is needed to get that glucose into the cell. Of course the more insulin is secreted, the more it promotes utilization of glucose over fat.
The main claim of the article is that omega-6 fats extend life span through activation of autophagy. I think there is some magical conflating going on there. Again, the scientific terminology tired my brain out a bit so I’m not sure I’m understanding correctly, but I think the article is referencing a study/studies where fasting was supplemented with omega-6 fats. So here’s what I think is going on: as I mentioned, omega-6 fats promote glucose burning over fat burning. You would assume that if someone is fasting or calorie restricting they would be using fat as a main source of fuel, but whether or not you are using fat for fuel depends on how much insulin is being produced. If you are supplementing a fast with omega-6 fats which demand insulin, then your body is going to be switched to glucose burning to some extent. How do you get glucose if you are fasting - autophagy! While autophagy is correlated with extended life span, in this instance, it may not be happening for the right reasons.
If we think about it, it seems obvious that slower metabolisms are correlated with insulin resistance and burning glucose rather than burning fat. This would be because rather than being able to use the fat you eat for fuel it is being stored for later use. However, if you never end up using that fat because of chronic insulin resistance, your body is constantly starved for energy and your metabolism slows down.
I guess the moral of the story is, in times of starvation seek out foods high in omega-6 fats. Who knows, maybe we should be keeping this in mind in preparation for the impending apocalypse 