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Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Fish is Brain Food

By Michael Byrd

Grandma was right. She knew fish was brain food and she didn't need a science degree to figure it out.

It seems like everyday, there's good news about what fish oil can do for your brain. Research has shown that fish oil brain benefits begin in the womb and continue straight through life preventing Alzheimer's and dementia in the elderly.

Omega 3 DHA and EPA fatty acids constitute about 70% of a baby's developing brain. These fatty acids are essential for a baby's brain development and emotional wellbeing. The optimum development of a baby's brain and emotional wellbeing depends on these fatty acids. And the only way a baby can get this nutrition is from its mother's diet. That's why the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests that all pregnant and nursing mothers take 1200 mg of DHA and EPA on a daily basis.

Yet, the average pregnant or nursing woman gets only about 18% of the NIH recommended amount. Actually, just 3% of the women surveyed were getting the omega 3 they needed in their diet.

If the fetus doesn't get the DHA and EPA it needs from the mother's diet, the baby takes what it can get from the mother's brain. Depleted DHA and EPA is why many women lose almost 3% of their brain mass during nine months of pregnancy. A lot of experts believe this depletion may be the major reason for post-partum depression.

If Mom's not eating fish and getting enough DHA and EPA, you can bet her other kids aren't either. And this omega 3 fatty acid deficiency is now linked to ADD and ADHD behavior problems, temper tantrums and learning difficulties.

However, British scientists recently discovered that omega 3 fish oil supplements can significantly reduce the symptoms of dyslexia, ADHD and ADD. After putting the children on omega 3 capsules for just six months, the children's spelling score was six months higher and their reading skills were a year higher.

Eating fish two or three times a week and/or taking a daily omega 3 fish supplement with DHA and EPA is good for adult brains too.

Dietary deficiencies of omega 3 DHA and EPA have been linked to a higher incidence of migraine headaches, depression and bipolar disorder. Eating more fish or taking fish oil supplements, on the other hand, has been found to provide good quality, natural relief for these conditions.

Fish oil can also be a big help for baby boomers as they age over the next twenty years if they don't want to join the five million Americans who already have Alzheimer's disease. According to recent studies, people who eat the most fish have much lower risk of both Alzheimer's (39%) and dementia (47%).

Fish oil also helps prevent "brain attack" or stroke. A Harvard Medical School study of over 43,000 men over a period of 12 years reported that men who eat fish just once a month had a 44% less risk of ischemic (blood clot) stroke than those men who ate fish less than once a month. Taking a daily aspirin, by the way, reduces stroke risk by only 21%.

So, you can see Grandma knew what she was talking about. Eating fish and taking fish oil supplements is good for your brain. So get smart and follow Grandma's advice. - 17273

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