Originally published August 17 2005
Eating fish leads to better brain function
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Research has shown that eating foods rich in omega-3's, like fish, can boost your brain power.
Did you know that the brain has the highest percentage of fat of any organ in the body?
For this reason, the brain's very structure depends on the quality of the fats we consume.
Omega-3s make up a family of long chain n-3 fatty acids of which the brain is particularly fond.
Eicosapenteanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are the most researched omega-3 fatty acids.
The inclusion of plentiful DHA in the diet improves learning ability, whereas deficiencies of DHA are associated with deficits in learning.
DHA is taken up by the brain in preference to other fatty acids...Decreases in DHA in the brain are associated with cognitive decline during aging and with onset of sporadic Alzheimer disease."
The authors further state: "DHA is the predominant n-3 [omega-3] fatty acid found in the brain and that EPA plays an important role as an anti-inflammatory precursor.
The best source for EPA and DHA are salmon.
However, farm-bred salmon is not recommended since studies have shown that farm-bred salmon do not have the beneficial fatty acid composition of wild salmon.
Flaxseed oil and canola oil are not recommended as omega-3 sources because of their high content of alpha linolenic acid (ALA), which can, in dietary doses, decrease eicosanoid synthesis.
Eicosanoids are hormones that can either promote or diminish inflammation.
For a person suffering from an inflammatory condition, this might be thought to be helpful.
However, the production of beneficial eicosanoids, such as gamma linolenic acid (GLA), is also diminished.
By supplementing with EPA/DHA, the production of inflammatory eicosanoids is diminished, but the production of beneficial eicosanoids is maintained.
This may be done in the form or liquid or capsule fish liver oil or cod-liver oil, provided that these supplements have been molecularly distilled to remove heavy metals and other toxins.
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