Astrology, Nutrition, and Health ~ Chapter Six ~ by Robert Carl Jansky

Astrology Nutrition & Health

by Robert Carl Jansky

Chapter

Chapter Six

Fats in the Diet

Topics in this Chapter:

Composition of Fats

Saturated and Unsaturated Fats

Cholesterol – Friend or Foe?

Lecithin

Metabolism of Fats

Mercury and Metabolism

   In our present-day American culture, the word “fat” has a rather bad name; in fact, to certain food faddists it is a dirty four-letter word! However, fat does play a very important – yes, even vital – role in our daily diet. We cannot live without a certain amount of fat, and it would be virtually impossible to eliminate it from the normal American diet. In fact, when we do not get certain fatty substances, in our diet every day, the body synthesizes them from other food that we eat.

    It is important that anyone seriously interested in good nutrition learn to take a balanced and sensible view about fats. It is also important that anyone in astrology who wishes to clearly understand the full range of astro-nutritional symbolism take a balanced and intelligent view of this controversial subject.

Composition of Fats

   In general terms, we all know what fat is. It can be that unsightly bulge as we approach middle age, especially the flabby tissue that builds up at the hips and waistline. Fat is also that greasy substance that collects in the pan when we fry or roast meat. Butter and lard are fats that come from animal sources, and margarine is fat derived from plant sources. As far as we know, all plants and animals produce and utilize fat in their metabolism.

   During the Second World War, you may recall that homemakers did their patriotic duty by saving fats of all kinds and returning them to their butchers, for which they were paid several cents per pound. Not many people remember why, however. Those of you in the Pluto in Gemini generation may remember that on the farm, fats were saved for making old-fashioned lye soap. The fats were mixed with lye, made from wood ashes, in a special iron kettle, boiled to make the lye and fat react, and finally the soap was skimmed off.

   Chemically, soap is a combination of a metallic mineral such as sodium or potassium, which comes from the lye, and a fatty acid, which comes from the fat. The soap makers are concerned only with this product; they are not concerned with what remains in the pot after the soap has been removed. During the Second World War, however, the principle concern was with a chemical called glycerin, the constituent of the fat molecule that remains in the soap kettle. Glycerin has many commercial uses. When treated with nitric acid, it is converted into nitroglycerin, from which dynamite and other explosives are manufactured. Alfred Nobel invented the process for converting nitroglycerin into dynamite, which, as we might expect, is ruled by Uranus.

   Thus, the first important fact to learn about fat is that its molecule consists of a fatty acid linked to glycerin. Astrologically, Jupiter is the ruler of fats, so we can assume that they have an important role in the growth process. Like all acids, fatty acids are ruled by Mars, and glycerin, like all alcohols, is ruled by Neptune. Mars with Neptune is not a happy astrological combination. Mars is exalted in Capricorn; Neptune is in its fall in this sign. Neptune is generally considered to be exalted in Cancer; Mars is in its fall in Cancer. Remembering that the Cancer-Capricorn sign pair is physiologically concerned with protectio and containment, we gain a new insight into the function of fats. Fats provide a reserve of energy, containing this energy within the body. Thus, fats protect the body from excessive heat loss. Those ancient astrologers may not have been very good biochemists (or were they?), but they certainly had a good grasp of bio-astrology.

   We can see that fatty substances have a potential for energy (Mars) and also a potential for toxicity (Neptune). When the body burns fats, these toxins are removed by water. Neptune is exalted in Cancer, the Moon’s sign, and the Moon rules body fluids, including water. Mars is exalted in Capricorn, ruled by Saturn, which rules carbon dioxide, the by-product of burning fat for energy. I never cease to be impressed with how beautifully the symbolism of astrology and the symbolism of chemistry fit together!

Saturated and Unsaturated Fats

   Magazines today are full of articles o health and diet. Often these articles mention saturated and unsaturated fats. What do these terms mean? Why are unsaturated fats particularly important in the diet, and why have saturated fats gotten such a bad name?

   In the first place, fat comes in two forms, liquid and solid. As a general rule, animal fats are solid and vegetable fats are liquid at room temperature. Fats that are solid at room temperature, like Crisco and bacon fat, are for the most part saturated fats. Fats that are liquid at room temperature, like olive oil or corn oil, are of the unsaturated variety.

   A famous brand of peanut butter was recently advertised as having the “stalemakers” removed to enhance its flavor. What does that mean? A molecule of saturated fat contains all of the hydrogen atoms it can hold, while molecules of unsaturated fat can take on other atoms from the environment. When they take on oxygen atoms from the air, these fats become rancid. So the manufacturers add hydrogen to the unsaturated peanut oil so that it won’t take on oxygen and become rancid. Smart? Perhaps. The problem is that while the hydrogenated peanut butter may be pleasing to the palate, it is less digestible, because the body can digest unsaturated fats much more easily than fats that are saturated. Thus, anything that has been hydrogenated has been saturated with hydrogen, but in the process made less digestible.

   Another important fact about hydrogenation is that it requires a metal catalyst, such as nickel or platinum. There has always been some question whether all of this metal is removed from the food or whether it has been eliminated to “acceptable levels.” As you will see in the next chapter, catalysts are ruled by Pluto, and Plutonian substances can be toxic to the body.

   The body requires a certain amount of unsaturated fat on a daily basis for good nutrition. Because unsaturated fats are far more chemically active than saturated fats, they provide the raw materials for many more nutrients and chemical reactions. If you eliminate fats from your pet’s diet, the fur becomes dry and falls out more freely. If you eliminate them from your own diet, the consequences are similar, although more subtle, as I will explain.

   For the moment let us assume that you are already conscious of the need for unsaturated fats and therefore have chosen to use unsaturated margarine instead of saturated butter. You store this fat at a cool temperature so that it does not oxidize, or turn rancid. (Rancidity, incidentally, is also ruled by Pluto.) Are you improving your nutrition by using unsaturated fats? Not necessarily, unless your diet contains sufficient amounts of vitamin C and vitamin E! Both of these vitamins are termed “antioxidants,” that is, they prevent unsaturated fats from turning into saturated fats. During the digestive process, unsaturated fats can become saturated with oxygen molecules unless there is some antioxidant present to prevent this.

Cholesterol – Friend or Foe?

   Lately, cholesterol has had far too much negative publicity in the popular literature. I think that it is high time that we add some sense to a lot of this nonsense. When I was studying biochemistry in college, a professor of mine told us that back in the 1920’s he had decided to eliminate cholesterol from his diet, because he suspected, even then, that it contributed to heart disease. His study showed that about the only food he could consume that had no cholesterol in it was a martini – provided he threw away the olive, which is rich in cholesterol.

   Closely related to the fats is the class of chemical compounds called sterols or fatty alcohols, to which cholesterol belongs. Researchers have long suspected that excessive cholesterol buildup on the walls of the arteries contributes to heart attack, the medical term for which is myocardial infarction. What happens is that a cholesterol plaque breaks free from the wall of the artery and is carried to the heart region, where it blocks off the flow of blood into the coronary artery, which feeds the heart. Cholesterol is also thought to contribute to so-called hardening of the arteries in old age.

   Many individuals have made some rather passionate attempts to cut down and even eliminate cholesterol from their diets. However, I am afraid that they are fighting a losing battle, as my professor discovered. It is impossible to completely eliminate cholesterol from the diet, and it is not good to try. Cholesterol is so important to nutrition that if the body does not get it on a daily basis, it synthesizes it from other food substances called triglycerides. The body normally requires about 2 grams, or 2000 milligrams, of cholesterol daily. The problem is that some people, because of their genetic makeup, manufacture, or synthesize, more than 2 grams, which causes problems. Pluto, ruler of the genetic makeup of the body, is the culprit here.

   When the body has to synthesize cholesterol, it uses saturated fats in preference to unsaturated fats, for which the body has more important uses. Thus, if saturated fats are completely eliminated from the diet, unsaturated fats are used and subverted from their primary use. And, as you might imagine, this can cause problems, unless the diet is rich in unsaturated fats.

   Eggs are the richest source of cholesterol, specifically the yoke. The natural biological function of the egg is to produce a chicken. If cholesterol is “bad” for the living organism, why does nature provide the chicken embryo with so much cholesterol? It is a source of energy to the developing chick. As the embryo develops, it converts the cholesterol into energy (a Mars process), eventually destroying the egg. And to what planet do we assign the rulership of eggs? Venus, of course, the antithesis of Mars. Venus builds, Mars destroys. An egg contains approximately 700 milligrams of cholesterol, so you can eat several eggs per day if other sources of cholesterol are diminished.

   Why does the body manufacture cholesterol if it is not supplied from the diet? For a very important reason. Cholesterol is a vital raw material from which the body manufactures certain life-giving compounds. In the presence of sunlight on the skin, the body uses cholesterol to manufacture Vitamin D, or ergosterol, which is another sterol. Cholesterol is used to manufacture the bile salts, which metabolize other fats, and cholesterol is used by the adrenal glands and sex organs to manufacture the sex hormones, which are also sterols.

   Vitamin D is ruled by the Sun; in fact, it is called the sunshine vitamin. The male sex hormones are ruled by Mars, and the female hormones by Venus. The male hormones have an inhibitory effect upon the female hormones, and vice versa, so again Mars is pitted against Venus. The Sun is exalted in Aries, which is Mars’ sign.

Lecithin

   Another word for fat is lipid, and a class of fatty compounds that we cannot overlook in this discussion is the phospholipids - fatty substances that contain the element phosphorus. The most celebrated member of this group is lecithin, which is just now beginning to be appreciated for its role in normal nutrition.

   Lecithin occurs in all unrefined foods that contain oil. Lecithin is also an inexpensive by-product of paint manufacture, which uses vegetable oils, such as linseed oil. But lecithin in the oil causes the paint to smear, so it must be removed.

   Lecithin is known to scientists as an emulsifying agent, that is, a compound that can break large fat globules into microscopic globules. This is exactly what should not happen in the body in order to absorb fat from the digested food in the small intestine.

   Lecithin and related phospholipids are important in the diet to help absorb fats and help prevent the formation of cholesterol plaques on artery walls. Lecithin keeps the fatty substances in emulsion, in microscopic particles, a form in which they do minimal harm to the body. One or two tablespoons of lecithin taken with each meal aids in fat metabolism and helps keep cholesterol plaques from building up. Lecithin can be taken mixed with other foods, such as fruit juices, so that its undesirable taste is disguised, or in capsules. Eggs, liver, nuts, wheat and soybean oil are particularly rich I lecithin. It is important to note that most natural sources of saturated fatty acids are also rich in lecithin. Nature not only provides the materials we need but also, in the same plant package, the materials we need to digest those materials properly. However, most meat and animal foods do not contain sufficient quantities of lecithin, so we must supply it from other sources in order to metabolize animal fat. That is why vegetables should be part of a diet that is rich in animal fats, and why man is an omnivore. Animals that eat only meat have enzymes that emulsify the animal fats. The human metabolism lacks these special enzymes, and thus the emulsifier must come from plant foods.

   The astrological ruler of lecithin has not been clearly established. In my opinion, it is probably Saturn. Lecithin gives form and structure to plant cells (Saturn-Capricorn). It is particularly beneficial to the skin (Saturn ruled). It restricts (Saturn) excess deposits of fats, ruled by Jupiter. Mars is exalted in Capricorn, Saturn’s ruler and lecithin is of benefit in restoring sexual powers (Mars) during the aging process.

   Lecithin reportedly performs quite a number of important functions in maintaining good health, including the following:

   Provides increased immunity to pneumonia.
   With Vitamin E, reduces a diabetic’s daily requirement for insulin.
   Reduces fat storage in the liver.
   Increases gamma gobulin in the blood, thereby increasing resistance to infection.
   Increases alertness in the elderly.
   Helps lower blood pressure in some people.
   Helps eliminate age spots in skin.
   Keeps skin younger looking and combats acne, eczema and psoriasis.
   Helps rebuild damaged nerve cells, as in multiple sclerosis.
   Used in Germany to restore sexual powers in men, for seminal fluid is rich in lecithin.
   Distributes fats from areas where they are not needed to areas where they can be utilized
   Helps eliminate “stretch marks.”
   Aids inassimilation of oil-soluble vitamins A, D, E and F.
   Extends the life span of many laboratory animals.
   Helpful in malnutrition, rickets, anemia, diabetes and tuberculosis.
   Valuable in treating hardening of the arteries and excessive cholesterol buildup.

Metabolism of Fats

   The digestion of fatty substances begins when food enters the small intestine. Two important processes must take place before the fat becomes digestible and thus usable by the body. First, the fatty acids must be separated from the glycerin, which is done by the enzyme lipase in the pancreatic fluid. Second, the resulting fatty acids must be emulsified into tiny globules so they can be absorbed into the bloodstream in the small intestine, where most of the digestion of fats takes place. A substance called cholecystokinin is released in the small intestine, which signals the gall bladder to release bile. The bile contains bile salts, manufactured from cholesterol, and phospholipids, which break down the fatty acids.

   Note the Virgo characteristics of fat digestion. Virgo traditionally has the ability to break things down into their component parts, to try to make perfect that which is imperfect (in terms of what the body can use), and to separate out valuable substances from useless ones – discrimination. This is one of the principal reasons why Virgo is the assigned ruler of the small intestine.

   As the forgoing description indicates, it would not be a good idea to eliminate fat from the diet, because fat is essential, in proper proportion, to good nutrition. Fat layers beneath the skin prevent excessive heat loss. Oxidation of fat requires twice as much oxygen as oxidation of sugar, but when a gram of fat is oxidized, it produces twice the energy of a gram of carbohydrate or protein. Some fat deposits constitute a reserve energy supply that can be used when needed. Without this reserve you’d need to eat about twice as often to maintain the necessary energy supply. Also, it is often the fat content of foods that makes them taste so good.

   Then too, certain essential unsaturated fatty acids, such as linoleic acid, cannot be manufactured by the body. When these essential fatty acids are eliminated from the diet of experimental laboratory animals, they develop scaly skin and skin lesions that will not heal. The animals bleed more easily, their growth is retarded, and they fail to reproduce. Nursing mothers do not provide their offspring with adequate nutrition. Kidney function is severely impaired. And if essential fatty acids are withheld for a long enough time, the animals inevitably die.

   Rancid fat does considerable harm by lessening the body’s ability to absorb vitamins A, E and the B complex. Feeding rancid fat to lab animals produces the classical symptoms of deficiency of these vitamins. As we’ve pointed out, rancidity results from oxidation of fats. The higher the temperature, the more quickly oxidation takes place. When fat is fried, oxidation takes place quite rapidly, so eating large quantities of fried food means greater intake of rancid fats, which results in poor nutrition. The only value of deep frying foods, like potatoes, is that it preserves the essential vitamins. However, what value are these vitamins when rancid fat inhibits their absorption by the body?

   Health authorities recommend 25 to 50 grams of fat in the daily diet of the average adult, but not more than 100 grams. The amount of fat should not be more than twenty percent of the total calories daily. In the diet of the healthiest groups of people in the tropical and temperate regions of the Earth, fat is less than 10 percent of the total calorie intake. Those groups have far less heart disease.

   It would seem reasonable to eat more unsaturated fats than saturated fats. Vegetable fats as a rule have a higher content of unsaturated fatty acids, which means that fats from vegetable sources are more beneficial than those from animal sources. At the same time, to keep these fats unsaturated, an adequate daily intake of vitamin C and vitamin E with meals, either from natural sources (preferably) or as a dietary supplement, is highly recommended.

Mercury and Metabolism

   Here I would like to point out a fact that you may already be aware of, that Mercury and the sign that it rules, Virgo, play an intermediate role in body metabolism between the Mars-Saturn functions of catabolism (breakdown of complex molecules into simpler molecules) and the Venus-Jupiter functions of anabolism (construction of more complex molecules from simpler ones).

   For example, in the small intestine, which is ruled by Virgo, the Mars-Saturn process of digestion comes t its logical conclusion. Then a discriminative process takes place with the products of digestion, which are rich in raw materials that the body needs. The body takes in what it requires by selective absorption through the wall of the small intestine, passing on the residue to the large intestine for elimination. When the food is ready to be absorbed, the body receives a chemical sign.

   The body receives two basic kinds of messages – tiny electrical impulses telegraphed over the nervous system and chemical messages carried by the bloodstream. Both types of messages are ruled by Mercury, messenger of the gods, and both types involve some discriminative function, which is the province of Virgo.

   All along the metabolic trail, the body receives messages that turn on or turn off some vital process. Even when you sit down to eat or smell something cooking, the rich aromas and sights turn on the process of salivation in your mouth, signaling the body to be ready for digestion. The stomach cells begin to produce enzymes and hydrochloric acid. As the food is chewed, Mercury tells us to swallow. Mercury also tells the stomach when to release the partially digested food into the small intestine for final digestion and absorption.

   One very important group of the body’s chemical messengers is the hormones. While each hormone has its own planetary ruler, hormones as a class are ruled by Mercury. If Mercury in the horoscope is afflicted by squares and oppositions (and some conjunctions), Mercury sometimes sends out the wrong signals or signals at the wrong times. Things happen when they should not happen. Depending upon the planets involved and the severity of the affliction, the results may range from loss of appetite or indigestion to multiple sclerosis, palsy or mental psychosis. Little Mercury thus symbolically plays a major role in making the various parts of the body work in unison to maintain good health, and it also plays a major role in disease. We can thus see that the mind is indeed very important in controlling the physical symptoms of disease.

   Some Mercury functions are instinctive, or known from birth; others must be learned, which is where Gemini (learning), Mercury’s other sign, comes in. At an early age you learned that ice cream tastes good. Think how good an ice cream sundae would taste right now, and notice that immediately your mouth begins to salivate. This is a learned response to an outside stimulus. On the other hand, you would not eat sawdust, because you have learned first hand or been told that sawdust does not taste good and has no food value. As we examine other body processes in the next chapter, we shall again point out Mercury’s important role in turning on and off vital functions. Understanding Mercury’s bodily symbolism thus leads us to a greater appreciation of all that this planet symbolizes in general astrology.

   In this chapter I have explained what fat really is and its important role in keeping the body healthy. We have examined two important fatty substances – cholesterol and lecithin – and their role in metabolism. And finally we have looked at Mercury’s role in controlling body processes generally.

   In addition to learning more about some of the body’s vital processes, I hope you are also gaining a finer appreciation and understanding of how the beautiful symbolism of astrology, developed long before mankind knew anything about biochemistry, chemistry or alchemy, fits into modern-day sophisticated concepts. What tremendous minds those ancient astrologer-priests had, to grasp the planetary correspondences so totally that only minor changes have had to be made in their basic planetary assignments!

   I further hope that this new knowledge of what I like to call "astro-chemistry" will refine and deepen your understanding of traditional astrological concepts, which are rooted in the biochemistry of the body.

   Now that we have examined the first steps in metabolism and have looked at the basic foods that the body requires, we are ready to find out what happens to this raw material once it has been absorbed in the intestines. To do this, we need to learn about the role played by enzymes (Chapter Seven).