Get Smart With Fats

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Get Smart With Fats

 

Fish oil has been a hot topic since the 1970s when it was discovered

that the Greenland Eskimos had an extremely low rate of

cardiovascular disease despite their high-fat diet.

 

We now know why: the fats in their diet - omega-3 fatty acids with

the tongue-twisting names of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and

docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) - reduce cholesterol and triglyceride

levels and help prevent dangerous blood clots that can trigger a

heart attack.

 

Today, exciting new research is showing that omega-3s are not only

vital for heart health, but that DHA in particular plays a central

role in brain function.

 

Over half of your brain consists of fats, and DHA is the most

abundant. It is particularly crucial in the synapses, the spaces

between neurons where communication between nerve cells takes place,

and the neurons' mitochondria, or energy-producing factories. When

your brain cells receive inadequate amounts of DHA, they are forced

to make do with inferior fats, and as a result, they are unable to

function at their peak.

 

DHA plays a critical role in brain development in infants and

children and affects cognitive functioning throughout life. Low

levels of DHA are associated with an increased risk of memory loss,

and according to data from the long-term Framingham Heart Study,

people with low levels are more likely to develop dementia in their

later years.

 

A recent study at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, found

that Alzheimer's sufferers as well as elderly subjects with other

forms of cognitive impairment all had lower levels of DHA than did

elderly subjects with normal cognitive functioning.

 

DHA Combats Depression

Low levels of omega-3 fatty acids have also been observed in

depression and other psychological disorders. Studies suggest that

some patients with these disorders cannot properly metabolize

certain fats, and fish oil supplementation can have a positive

effect in their treatment.

 

Researchers from Harvard Medical School conducted a double-blind,

placebo-controlled study which found that manic-depressive patients

taking omega-3-rich fish oil capsules were symptom-free for a

significantly longer time than those taking a placebo. The only side

effects were occasional mild stomach upset and a lingering " fishy "

taste.

 

The evidence linking psychiatric illness with low levels of omega-3s

continues to grow, and some researchers have even suggested that the

documented rise of depression in the Western world may be linked to

decreasing fish consumption. Of course, the corresponding increase

in our intake of harmful saturated fats and trans fatty acids

probably plays a role as well.

 

Feed Your Brain

How can you ensure that you're giving your brain the fats it needs

for optimal functioning? One option is to eat fatty, cold-water fish

two or three times a week. The healthiest varieties include salmon,

trout, sardines, herring, shrimp, pollock, cod, catfish, clams,

flatfish, crabs, scallops, and anchovies.

 

Larger, longer-lived species (such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel,

tilefish, and very

large tuna) can contain dangerously high levels of mercury, and

should be eaten no more than once a month.