Omega-3

[Sheila]

Brain Health Education and Research Institute was founded by Dr. Michael Lewis in 2011 to pursue educational and research endeavors to further our knowledge of natural and nutritional ways to improve brain health. The initial focus of the Institute is educating providers and the public on the use of omega-3 fatty acids for the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of the brain prior to or following injury such as traumatic brain injury or concussion. With Dr. Lewis’ 30-plus years of military experience, a special emphasis is working towards improving the care and outcomes of our military personnel and veterans who have experienced psychological or physical trauma to the brain.

http://www.brainhealtheducation.org/about-us/

[Luc]

Lots of good info. Really worth reading.

[Sheila]

US Department of Defense funding a three-year omega-3 clinical trial looking to reduce suicide among veterans

Research published last year by Brain Health Education and Research Institute’s Michael Lewis, MD, in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry reported that active duty military with lower blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids were 62% more likely to have committed suicide compared to those with higher levels. The case-control study was reported widely in the news including CNN and the front page of the USA Today. Since then, Dr. Lewis and his NIH collaborator and psychiatrist, Joseph Hibbeln, MD, have been advocating for a prospective study to further evaluate their seminal findings.

This week, the military announced they are funding a three-year study to do just that. In cooperation with the NIH, researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina led by Bernadette Marriott, PhD, a professor in the Clinical Neuroscience Division of the Institute of Psychiatry, will test whether omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils can relieve the anxieties and quiet the suicidal thoughts plaguing many combat veterans.


[This is important for us because it shows the link between Omega-3 and emotions. It does not differentiate between veterans who have had a neurological injury and those who have not. So, Omega-3 is helping both with PTSD *and* with neuro-emotion from head injury.]

[Sheila]

[Now *this* suggests that the high rate of military suicides may have something to do with the high rate of *survived* head injuries from roadside bombs. This is important for us because, up until now, the focus in helping neurological problems has been on cognition and motor skills, not on emotion. And we need help with emotion more than anything.]


“I’ve talked to a lot of neurologists, military neurosurgeons and trauma surgeons who have all started to ponder if the IEDs that have caused the TBIs are the real cause of the suicides, versus the traditional approach that suicides are all caused by the psychological stresses of combat,” said Thomas Zampieri, head of government relations for the Blinded Veterans Association.

“Let’s collect more information and maybe the epidemiologists will find a way to unlock some of this mystery: Are military suicides actually more related to the brain injuries? I think there may be a big connection,” added Zampieri, who served as a Vietnam-era Army medic. “As the numbers of TBIs go up, the numbers of suicides continue to go up.”

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013...is?litehttp://

[m&m]

How interesting. For sure an eye catcher - "chronic traumatic encephalopathy". Does this mean never healing? So scary but whatever has happened with the SSRI... there was/is damage involved.

[Sheila]

You are lucky, m&m, in that you do not have to worry about never healing. You haven't lost a chunk of your brain to a roadside bomb. You are intact, and you really only need very small, but significant tweaks to get your brain to where you want it to be. Your situation is eminently healable.

[Sheila]

Discusses the merits of fish oil v. krill oil.

21 Feb 13

The text is copyright protected, so you have to read it at this site –

http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/...iMqn9rxnTQ6eyP

[Sheila]

[This information is so important for us that I’m posting it again with more details.]


Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1999 May;56(5):407-12.

Omega 3 fatty acids in bipolar disorder: a preliminary double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Stoll AL, Severus WE, Freeman MP, Rueter S, Zboyan HA, Diamond E, Cress KK, Marangell LB.

Brigham and Women's Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass, USA. [email protected]

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Omega3 fatty acids may inhibit neuronal signal transduction pathways in a manner similar to that of lithium carbonate and valproate, 2 effective treatments for bipolar disorder. The present study was performed to examine whether omega3 fatty acids also exhibit mood-stabilizing properties in bipolar disorder.

METHODS:

A 4-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, comparing omega3 fatty acids (9.6 g/d) vs placebo (olive oil), in addition to usual treatment, in 30 patients with bipolar disorder.

RESULTS:

A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis of the cohort found that the omega3 fatty acid patient group had a significantly longer period of remission than the placebo group (P = .002; Mantel-Cox). In addition, for nearly every other outcome measure, the omega3 fatty acid group performed better than the placebo group.

CONCLUSION:

Omega3 fatty acids were well tolerated and improved the short-term course of illness in this preliminary study of patients with bipolar disorder.

[Luc]

Bump

[PAROX2010]

Just a comment


15 years ago in Barcelona had a doctor who was investigating a "rare disease" of the brain in very young children, was the only doctor who was researching the disease. They came to heal (or try to improve) children around the world. The treatment that this doctor was giving them large amounts of DHA ...
I know this because the families and children who came were staying at my sister

You know what?

All this of omega 3 fatty acids, our research, the fight,.. reminds me of the beautiful movie "Lorenzo's Oil" .... (1992)
Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxkylRxJxh8


wow! I have to see the movie again, how great ...

Hugs