Fat Loss 4 Idiots Secret

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Fish is Food for a Better Brain

By Michael Byrd

Grandma was pretty smart. She knew eating fish was good for your brain long before scientists proved her right.

Every day there seems to be good news about fish oil and how it benefits your brain. Scientists have proven that fish oil benefits the brain from a baby in the womb to an elderly person suffering from Alzheimer's.

A baby's brain is made up of about 70% omega 3 DHA and EPA fatty acids. These fatty acids are necessary for the optimum development of a baby's intelligence, brain function and emotional well-being. And the only source of these vitally important nutrients is from the mother's nutrition. They're so vitally important that the U.S. National Institutes of Health recommends pregnant and lactating women supplement their diet with 1,200 mg of DHA and EPA a day.

Yet, the average pregnant or nursing woman gets only about 18% of the NIH recommended amount. Actually, just 3% of the women surveyed were getting the omega 3 they needed in their diet.

If the fetus doesn't get the DHA and EPA necessary for optimum brain development from the mother's diet, it takes what it can from the mother's brain. As a result of this depletion of DHA and EPA, many women lose as much as 3% of their brain mass during pregnancy. Many researchers think could be a major cause of post-partum blues.

And, if mother's not eating fish, you better believe her adolescent and teenage children aren't getting the DHA and EPA they need. The resulting omega 3 deficiency has been linked to the childhood behavior problems, temper tantrums and learning difficulties of ADD and ADHD.

However, British scientists recently discovered that omega 3 fish oil supplements can significantly reduce the symptoms of dyslexia, ADHD and ADD. After putting the children on omega 3 capsules for just six months, the children's spelling score was six months higher and their reading skills were a year higher.

Daily omega 3 supplements or eating fish a couple of times a week can also help to keep the adult brain healthy. Adult brain problems, such as depression, bipolar disorder and migraine headaches, have all been linked to omega 3 fish oil DHA and EPA fatty acid deficiencies.

Dietary deficiencies of omega 3 DHA and EPA have been linked to a higher incidence of migraine headaches, depression and bipolar disorder. Eating more fish or taking fish oil supplements, on the other hand, has been found to provide good quality, natural relief for these conditions.

Fish oil can also be a big help for baby boomers as they age over the next twenty years if they don't want to join the five million Americans who already have Alzheimer's disease. According to recent studies, people who eat the most fish have much lower risk of both Alzheimer's (39%) and dementia (47%).

Did you know that eating fish just once a month can reduce the risk of stroke or "brain attack." According to the Harvard Medical School, eating fish just once a month could reduce the risk of ischemic (blood clot) stroke by as much as 44%.

So, you can see Grandma knew what she was talking about. Eating fish and taking fish oil supplements is good for your brain. So get smart and follow Grandma's advice. - 17274

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