Brain Health Affected by Alzheimer’s
A recent study published in the Journal of Neuroscience states that people who eat significant amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids may be less likely to get Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia in the elderly and affects an estimated 10 million people in the US alone.
The human brain is composed of over 60 percent fat.
Scientists have discovered a link between low levels of DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid), an omega-3 fatty acid, and reduced visual, learning, and behavioral function.
DHA plays a key role in the development of eye and nerve tissues. DHA might also reduce the risk of heart and circulatory disease by decreasing the thickness of the blood, reducing swelling (inflammation), and lowering blood levels of triglycerides.
Today the average American’s diet is estimated to be 100 mg lower in DHA than it was 50 years ago. Vegetarians and individuals on low-fat diets are particularly vulnerable to having a lower DHA level.
Low levels of DHA have been correlated with changes in disposition, memory loss, and visual and other neurological conditions.
This decline in the consumption of DHA has also led to an unhealthy imbalance between omega-3 fatty acids and the more plentiful omega-6 fatty acids.
Fish are high in DHA because they consume microalgae, its source. DHA is a major component of fish oil.
It is a long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid of the omega-3 type. It has been combined with EPA in Fish Oil or Omega 3 and supplements are available in drug and health food stores.
However, not all Fish Oil or Omega 3 products will provide you with DHA. This is because these essential fatty acids are not present in many Omega-3 products.
It is also important to understand that many fish oils on the market are low in DHA.
A typical level is 12% DHA and 18% EPA. Therefore, it is important to find a source of fish oil that is high in DHA or be prepared to take much higher doses of conventional fish oil.
Many fish oils on the market today are from questionable sources and some have high levels of heavy metals or other contaminants such as PCBs.
To ensure that you don’t ingest these contaminants, either use oils that have been molecularly distilled, or are from impeccable sources with a reliable certificate of analysis.
We know Alzheimer’s disease, the pathology, begins many, many years before the symptoms. We ought to be thinking about the health of our brain the same way we think about the health of our heart.
