This post will address both how omega 3 fatty acids can help with dementia and why you want to do your homework when you choose a fish oil brand.
When Alzheimer’s disease hits a family member, it is quite devastating. When your brain is shutting down it destroys your life.
While we have known that omega-3 fatty acids are important for brain development in the very young, it has only been recently that studies are verifying that omega-3 fatty acids can help keep our minds sharp as we get older.
Just this morning I read an article that reported how “two studies published in the November 2007 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition show that diets high in omega-3 fatty acids such as EPA and DHA reduce the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, as we get older”.
One study involved people who ate at least 6 ounces of fish twice a week or more. Those folks had significantly higher scores in all cognitive function tests.
The other study measured blood levels of omega 3 fatty acids which is a good indicator when consumed from both diet and supplements. The group with the highest blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids produced the best results.
An important consideration is to evaluate the source of the omega 3 fatty acids that will be most beneficial to us. What is important is that long chain fatty acids like EPA and DHA, found in fish oil, provide the cognitive benefits for people, and what is found in our diets is mostly the shorter chain fatty acid ALA.
The key here is that our bodies must convert ALA to EPA and DHA, and we have to consume alot of the former to result in enough of the latter to get the benefits. This makes it very hard to get what we need from most food sources, and confirms the importance of getting the EPA and DHA that benefits our bodies so much from cold water fish or fish oil supplements.
In regard to eating fish as part of our diets, the concern with consuming enough to get the benefits we need is that we do not have toxin-free farm raised fish available. Plus many people simply do not eat fish (or enough of it) consistently each week.
There are many benefits of fish oil supplements in the areas of heart disease and conditions involving inflammation such as arthritis and even asthma. With the new research regarding Alzsheimer’s disease it is even more desirable to supplement our diets with fish oil.
Now we come to brand choice, and the importance of purity and potency. The video below will share the benefits of the brand we represent here and what sets it apart from other choices: