Omega-3

[Sheila]

gD – It doesn’t sound like it would have done much good to point out that meds don’t occur naturally in the body either – that’s probably why it didn’t occur to you at that time.

FYI – Humans *used* to get a lot more Omega-3 in their diet, and their Omega-6 / Omega-3 ratio was very different until quite recently. But, degradation of the soil, pesticides, processed food (which don’t occur naturally in the body either, ha ha) have changed what we can get naturally from food. So we need to supplement.

Plus, another important point, is that we are not just talking about taking Omega-3 to correct this diet imbalance that affects everyone. We are talking about taking Omega-3 – the building blocks of the brain – to repair neurological damage. We are sick. We need repair. So, a high dose of Omega-3 might be needed for awhile, and then you might drop back to a lower dose to maintain health.

[Barbara]

It seems recently that the recommended dose of Omega-3 is increasing for many different conditions. What used to be considered a high dose now is not.



Huff Post
by Mark Hyman, MD
24 Apr 13

Memory Loss

A number of things can trigger memory loss. I call them the "four Ss": sugar, stress, (lack of) sleep, and (lack of) sweating. Sugar is linked to pre-diabetes and diabetes, which often lead to significant memory loss. In fact, Alzheimer's is now being called Type 3 diabetes. So, get rid of sugar and flour products. Stress shrinks the hippocampus, the memory center of the brain. So, find your pause button every day and make time for some stress relief. Lack of sleep can cause impaired brain function, leading to CRAFT syndrome, which stands for "can't remember a _____ thing." Exercising to the point of breaking a sweat is a great brain optimizer because it releases BDNF or brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a Miracle-Gro for the brain that stimulates the growth of new brain cells and new brain cell connections. All it takes is 30 minutes of brisk walking each day.

A few supplements have also been shown to help improve memory and brain function:

Fish oil or EPA/DHA (omega-3 fats) for brain cell structure and functioning. Take 2-4 grams a day. Around 99 percent of Americans are deficient in omega-3 fats, yet DHA makes up 60 percent of the brain.
Special forms of B12 and folate --1 mg of methylcobalamin and 1-2 mg of 5-methylfolate a day.
Coconut butter (MCT or medium chain triglycerides) for brain fuel -- 1 tbsp a day of extra virgin coconut oil.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mar...6pLid%3D303488

[Sheila]

Could Omega-3 Lower Veterans' Suicide Risk?

Reuters
by Harriet McLeod
25 Oct 12

A new $10 million, three-year study will investigate whether daily doses of a common dietary supplement could help curb the number of suicides among military personnel and veterans, researchers said on Monday.

http://antidepressantwithdrawal.info...s-Suicide-Risk

[Sheila]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16841858

This is a study done by Joe Hibbeln, MD et al. at NIH in 2006. It shows that 21% of morbidity in men and 99.9% of Bipolar disorder can be accounted for by Omega-3 deficiency.

It compared diet in 38 countries and found that, in order for Americans to reach the average daily consumption of Omega-3 of Japanese, the Americans would have to supplement with 3667 mg / day. Or, they could take less Omega-3 supplements if they cut down on Omega-6 in their diet.

This is just to get to average, basic health. And this is from the NIH – not known for being radical or progressive.

[stan]

[Luc]

And millions of people (should I say "billions" actually) have been prescribed not only ADs, benzos, but countless other drugs to treat conditions easily curable by the change in a diet or supplementation... Mind-boggling.

[Sheila]

Just kidding!

First algae-powered building built in Hamburg

phys.org
by Bob Yirka
12 Apr 13

A 15-unit apartment building has been constructed in the German city of Hamburg that has 129 algae filled louvered tanks hanging over the exterior of the south-east and south-west sides of the building—making it the first in the world to be powered exclusively by algae. Designed by Arup, SSC Strategic Science Consultants and Splitterwerk Architects, and named the Bio Intelligent Quotient (BIQ) House, the building demonstrates the ability to use algae as a way to heat and cool large buildings.

To make use of the algae, which the team retrieved from the nearby Elbe river, it was put into large thin rectangular clear cases. Inside, the algae live in a water solution and are provided nutrients and carbon dioxide by an automated system. Each tank was then affixed to the outside walls of the building onto scaffolding that allows for turning the tanks towards the sun—similar to technology used for solar collectors.

As the algae grows—mostly in the summer—it provides more shade for the building, helping to keep it cool (and serves as a sound buffer as well). Excess heat that builds up in the water in the tanks is transferred to saline water tanks underneath the building for use later. When the amount of algae growth in the tanks reach a certain point, some is harvested and taken to a processing facility inside the building. There the biomass is converted to biogas which can be burned to provide heat in the winter. Thus, the building makes use of both solar thermal and geothermal energy allowing it to be heated and cooled without using any fossil fuels.
….





http://phys.org/news/2013-04-algae-p...burg.html#nwlt

[PAROX2010]

Omega-3 fatty acid may slow tumors

UC DAVIS (US) — New research with mice uncovers a possible anti-cancer property of metabolized omega-3 fatty acids, which come from fish oil and breast milk.

"By shutting off a tumor's blood supply, these compounds can act to dramatically slow tumor growth and prevent spread," says Jonathan R. Lindner. "The results from this study suggest that new drug strategies for fighting cancer could emerge from knowledge of how the body uses nutrition to promote health.

More info

http://www.futurity.org/health-medic...y-slow-tumors/

[Sheila]

Great find, Parox! I notice they say Omega-6 has the opposite effect – increases tumor progression. Another reason it’s important to lower one’s Omega-6 / Omega-3 ratio.

[Sheila]

The US FDA and EPA recommend that pregnant women eat less that 340 g of fish per week to avoid the potential harm of mercury. This shockingly important study says that, in fact, eating less that 340 g of fish leads to the child having lower verbal IQ, prosocial behaviour, fine motor, and social development scores. The authors actually say the benefits of fish outweigh the risks at 340 g. Now, mercury *is* a concern, which is why decontaminated Omega-3 capsules are probably the way to go.


Lancet. 2007 Feb 17;369(9561):578-85.
Maternal seafood consumption in pregnancy and neurodevelopmental outcomes in childhood (ALSPAC study): an observational cohort study.
Hibbeln JR, Davis JM, Steer C, Emmett P, Rogers I, Williams C, Golding J.
Source

Laboratory of Membrane Biophysics and Biochemistry, US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, US National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20952, USA. [email protected]
Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Seafood is the predominant source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for optimum neural development. However, in the USA, women are advised to limit their seafood intake during pregnancy to 340 g per week. We used the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) to assess the possible benefits and hazards to a child's development of different levels of maternal seafood intake during pregnancy.

METHODS:

11,875 pregnant women completed a food frequency questionnaire assessing seafood consumption at 32 weeks' gestation. Multivariable logistic regression models including 28 potential confounders assessing social disadvantage, perinatal, and dietary items were used to compare developmental, behavioural, and cognitive outcomes of the children from age 6 months to 8 years in women consuming none, some (1-340 g per week), and >340 g per week.

FINDINGS:

After adjustment, maternal seafood intake during pregnancy of less than 340 g per week was associated with increased risk of their children being in the lowest quartile for verbal intelligence quotient (IQ) (no seafood consumption, odds ratio [OR] 1.48, 95% CI 1.16-1.90; some, 1.09, 0.92-1.29; overall trend, p=0.004), compared with mothers who consumed more than 340 g per week. Low maternal seafood intake was also associated with increased risk of suboptimum outcomes for prosocial behaviour, fine motor, communication, and social development scores. For each outcome measure, the lower the intake of seafood during pregnancy, the higher the risk of suboptimum developmental outcome.

INTERPRETATION:

Maternal seafood consumption of less than 340 g per week in pregnancy did not protect children from adverse outcomes; rather, we recorded beneficial effects on child development with maternal seafood intakes of more than 340 g per week, suggesting that advice to limit seafood consumption could actually be detrimental. These results show that risks from the loss of nutrients were greater than the risks of harm from exposure to trace contaminants in 340 g seafood eaten weekly.