Omega 3's and Alzheimers
Losing your mind is one of the greatest fears of everyone born after 1946 (which includes me, Bill Clinton and George Bush, by the way).
Most of us have witnessed firsthand the devastation that can happen when "senior moments" morph into full blown cluelessness and ultimately dementia or Alheimers- which, by the way, though technically different conditions, look very much the same to an outsider.
Protecting our memory and brain function is- or should be- a major concern for everyone. It's what makes us who we are. Losing our abilities to think, reason, laugh, remember, recognize and recall is in a very real sense losing who we are. Losing our self.
Today, yet another study came out showing the potential benefit of omega-3 for brain function. In this study, increased intake of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) boosted the production of a protein known to destroy the plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Currently, about 12 million people in the US plus the EU suffer from Alzheimer's, with some estimates predicting this figure will have tripled by 2050. The direct and indirect cost of Alzheimer care is over 100 billion dollars in the US alone. And this doesn't even touch the emotional and spiritual cost, especially to caretakers and survivors.
The current study adds to a monumental body of research showing the importance of omega 3 fatty acids- particularly DHA and EPA- for brain health, mood, cognition and cardiovascular health.
I'm asked a lot on radio shows and interviews "what's the most important supplement to take?".
It's a hard question to answer, but if pressed, I think I'd answer fish oil. The omega-3's in high quality fish oil are just that important and make that much of a difference.
Most of us have witnessed firsthand the devastation that can happen when "senior moments" morph into full blown cluelessness and ultimately dementia or Alheimers- which, by the way, though technically different conditions, look very much the same to an outsider.
Protecting our memory and brain function is- or should be- a major concern for everyone. It's what makes us who we are. Losing our abilities to think, reason, laugh, remember, recognize and recall is in a very real sense losing who we are. Losing our self.
Today, yet another study came out showing the potential benefit of omega-3 for brain function. In this study, increased intake of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) boosted the production of a protein known to destroy the plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Currently, about 12 million people in the US plus the EU suffer from Alzheimer's, with some estimates predicting this figure will have tripled by 2050. The direct and indirect cost of Alzheimer care is over 100 billion dollars in the US alone. And this doesn't even touch the emotional and spiritual cost, especially to caretakers and survivors.
The current study adds to a monumental body of research showing the importance of omega 3 fatty acids- particularly DHA and EPA- for brain health, mood, cognition and cardiovascular health.
I'm asked a lot on radio shows and interviews "what's the most important supplement to take?".
It's a hard question to answer, but if pressed, I think I'd answer fish oil. The omega-3's in high quality fish oil are just that important and make that much of a difference.
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