Omega-3 from A to Z
October/November 2006 Newsletter
Brought to you by Omega-3 Brain Booster TM
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Our society is constantly driven by the next trend or fad, and the world of health and nutrition is no different. Omega-3s, on the other hand, are here to stay. This has been shown by the tremendous consistency of research reports, studies, and professional articles about the health benefits and importance of omega-3. This edition of Omega-3 from A to Z includes articles that address the benefits of omega-3 for mood, behavior, and cognitive function.
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Latest Omega-3 News & Research
- MSNBC, Today Show – “Improve your mood with these foods”
- BBC News – “Behaviour 'better' with fish oil”
- National Post, Canada – “So what are omega-3s anyway?”
- NutraIngredients – “Omega fatty acids to stop mental decline, says study”
Article Summaries
MSNBC – Today Show
Improve your mood with these foods
October 31, 2006
Nutritionist Joy Bauer offers advice on how to use food to improve your energy and mood. She suggests the following strategies:
- Eat consistently throughout the day to stabilize blood sugar levels
- Limit refined carbs, such as sugar, white bread, and white rice
- Increase intake of high-quality carbs, such as vegetables, fruits, beans, brown rice, and oatmeal
- Increase intake of soluble fiber
- Incorporate protein into snacks
Bauer also discusses three key nutrients to include in your diet: omega-3, folic acid and B12, and vitamin D.
Addressing omega-3 fatty acids, the article states:
“Significant work is being conducted in the area of omega-3 fatty acids on mental performance. Omega-3 fatty acids are present in the brain at higher levels than any other part of the body, and although this area has not been thoroughly researched, several review papers fully support the omega-3 use in psychiatry. Of particular interest is the ability of omega-3 fats to be mood lifting and to help possibly alleviate depression.”
BBC News
Behaviour 'better' with fish oil
October 31, 2006
A test conducted at a special needs school for boys found that supplementation with omega-3 fish oil improved the children’s behavior. The study found that during the six months of the test, behavioral incidents decreased, attendance increased, and student communication improved.
Referring to the test, teacher Valerie Moore said, “Even if it had only helped one child, it would still have been worthwhile.”
National Post, Canada
So what are omega-3s anyway?
By Rosie Schwartz
October 24, 2006
This article clears up much of the confusion regarding omega-3, including the difference between omega-3 from fish versus plants.
Omega-3s first gained popularity in the scientific community for the affect on cardiovascular health, but scientists have since linked omega-3 to various other body functions. These include brain and neurological development; cognitive function in the elderly; and prevention and treatment of diabetes, macular degeneration, irritable bowel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and psychiatric disorders.
The article also mentions some of the latest research on omega-3. In a recent study, Harvard researchers found that modest consumption of fish, especially those kinds higher in omega-3 fatty acids, reduces risk of coronary death by 36% and the overall rate of death by 17%.
NutraIngredients
Omega fatty acids to stop mental decline, says study
By Stephen Daniells
October 31, 2006
A new research study shows that omega-3 DHA has a significant effect on memory loss and decline in cognitive function caused by aging and early Alzheimer's disease.
Full Articles
MSNBC – Today Show
Improve your mood with these foods
Feeling grumpy? Nutritionist Joy Bauer offers some simple strategies on what and when to eat to help you feel better
October 31, 2006
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15490485/
We've heard the expression “you are what you eat.” So if you find yourself cranky, tired and even clinically depressed, you may be able to boost your mood by changing what you eat and when you eat. Nutritionist Joy Bauer explains how to do it.
If you find yourself cranky, irritable and quick to snap at friends, family and coworkers, a better eating plan may be just what you need! The following strategies will stabilize your blood sugars and hopefully level out your mood.
Strategies to control blood sugars
Eat every 4 to 5 hours: Eating consistently throughout the day provides your brain and body with a constant source of fuel. This 4-5 hour eating strategy can dramatically prevent dips in your blood sugar levels. Some people with diagnosed hypoglycemia may need to eat even more frequently (every 2-3 hours).
Limit refined carbohydrates to help lessen volatile blood sugar swings: Concentrated sources of sugar like soda, candy, fruit juice, jam and syrup can create radical spikes (and drops) in your blood sugar, which leaves you feeling cranky and tired. And although refined, white starch like white bread, crackers, bagels and rice do not naturally contain sugar compounds, they are metabolized into sugar very quickly and can often create the same effect.
Instead include high-quality carbohydrates, such as vegetables, fruit, beans, peas, lentils, brown and wild rice and oatmeal.
Incorporate soluble fiber: Foods rich in soluble fiber have the ability to slow down the absorption of sugar in your blood and therefore, potentially lessen blood sugar and mood swings. Incorporate oats, brown rice, barley, apples, pears, strawberries, oranges, sweet potatoes, carrots, peas and beans into your diet.
Incorporate protein with meals and snacks (whenever possible): The addition of protein to a meal will help slow the absorption of carbohydrate in the blood. This can help leave you feeling upbeat and productive for hours after eating. Smart protein choices include poultry, seafood and fish, veal, pork tenderloin, tofu, eggs and low-fat yogurt.
Three specific nutrients to incorporate
Omega-3 fats
Significant work is being conducted in the area of omega-3 fatty acids on mental performance. Omega-3 fatty acids are present in the brain at higher levels than any other part of the body, and although this area has not been thoroughly researched, several review papers fully support the omega-3 use in psychiatry. Of particular interest is the ability of omega-3 fats to be mood lifting and to help possibly alleviate depression. Certainly a nutrient worth considering, but always speak with your physician before starting with supplements.
Foods rich in omega-3 fats include: oily fish (salmon, mackerel and sardines), ground flaxseeds, canola oil, walnuts and omega-3 fortified eggs.
Folic acid and B12
Two B vitamins — folate and vitamin B12 — seem to be important for mood. Studies have shown that low blood levels of these vitamins are sometimes related to depression, although no one is exactly sure why. Some scientists believe that these vitamins are used by the body to create seratonin, one of the key neurotransmitters that help normalize mood.
If you suffer from a mood disorder, it is important to continue to follow your doctor’s treatment recommendations, but you may want to consider taking a multivitamin with appropriate amounts of folate and B12, in addition to your antidepressant medications. Of course, eating a diet rich in these nutrients is important for maintaining mood, even if you are not clinically depressed.
Foods rich in folate: fortified whole-grain breakfast cereals, lentils, black-eyed peas, soybeans, oatmeal, mustard greens, beets, broccoli, sunflower seeds, wheat germ and oranges.
Foods rich in vitamin B12: shellfish (clams, oysters, crab), wild salmon (fresh or canned), fortified whole-grain breakfast cereal, lean beef, cottage cheese, low-fat yogurt, milk (skim, skim plus, 1% reduced-fat) and eggs.
Vitamin D
In the past few years, research has suggested that vitamin D might help relieve mood disorders because it seems to increase the amounts of serotonin, one of the neurotransmitters responsible for mood. In particular, vitamin D seems to help the type of depression called “seasonal affective disorder (SAD),” or the winter blues.
Foods rich in vitamin D: fish with bones, fat free and low-fat milk, fortified soy milk and egg yolks. Because vitamin D-rich foods are so limited, it’s often beneficial to take a daily multivitamin which provides 400 IU.
For more information on healthy eating, visit Joy Bauer’s web site at http://www.joybauernutrition.com/ .
© 2006 MSNBC Interactive
The behaviour of pupils at a school for children with special needs showed a marked improvement after taking fish oil supplements, a study suggests.
The 28 boys aged between 10 and 16 at Eaton Hall Special School in Norwich were given a healthy diet and took the fish oil every day for six months.
Between January and June, behavioural incidents fell, attendance improved and student commendations went up.
The boys at the school have social, behavioural and emotional difficulties.
It is thought to be the first such trial at a special school.
Lianne Quantrill, the project co-ordinator at the school said that children were able to control their anger better as a result of the new health programme and the omega 3 fish oil supplement.
SOURCES OF OMEGA-3 OILS
herring
kippers
mackerel
pilchards
sardines
salmon
fresh tuna
trout
anchovies
"While outbursts still occurred, they were less extreme, requiring minimal physical intervention from a teacher," she said.
Head teacher Valerie Moore said: "This was a worthwhile study. For some children it made a positive difference.
"Even if it had only helped one child, it would still have been worthwhile."
The trial was not a scientific study as there was no control group to monitor other influences on behaviour at the same time.
Fish oil is rich in EPA, a fatty acid that helps the brain send messages between cells and has been shown in some research to improve memory, mood, concentration and behaviour.
Have you noticed lately that omega-3 fats have become the darling of scientific circles? The latest news on the subject, which made headlines last week, is an extensive review of published studies, where Harvard researchers found that modest consumption of fish, especially those kinds higher in omega-3 fatty acids, reduces risk of coronary death by 36% and the overall rate of death by 17%. It's good news indeed.
But if the mention of omega-3s still leaves you scratching your head and wondering just what these nutrients are and why they're getting so much positive press, here's an omega-3 primer.
Omega-3 fats refer to a group of essential fatty acids of the unsaturated variety - essential because the body cannot make them. Omega-3s first rose to prominence a few decades ago when research linked diets rich in cold water fish and omega-3 fats to a reduced risk of dying of heart disease.
Since then scientists have linked these fats to assorted health perks right through the life cycle -- from brain and neurological development in a fetus and maintenance of cognitive function in the elderly to the prevention and treatment of disorders with an inflammatory component, including type 2 diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, macular degeneration, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, several cancers, and psychiatric disorders. On the heart-disease front, these fats provide a variety of weapons used against the disease, including reducing levels of the artery-clogging blood fat, triglycerides, as well as decreasing the risk of blood clots that can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
But not all omega-3s are created equal. They're naturally found in both marine sources and plant foods with the omega-3s known as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) coming from cold water fish like salmon, herring, sardines and mackerel. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is the type of omega-3 found in plant foods like flaxseeds, walnuts, canola and hemp oil and leafy greens.
While the seafood sources have received much of the nutritional accolades, including many of the heart health perks as well as benefits for pregnant women and young children, science shows that the body can convert the plant type into DHA but it's not a very efficient process. In other words, you need to consume quite a bit of the plant type to make small amounts of DHA.
But don't ignore the plant sources, or those that provide ALA, even if you consume fish. Research shows that diets rich in ALA also promote good health.
While the scientific community has long been tuned into the importance of omega-3s, it wasn't until the [Canadian] government established a suggested daily intake for omega-3 fatty acids in September, 2002, that the food industry really seemed to take note. The recommended daily intake is 1.1 grams a day for women and 1.6 grams for men of all ages but the requirement is raised to 1.4 grams daily during pregnancy.
Not long after the requirements were set, new products containing omega-3s started lining store shelves. But as with naturally-occurring omega-3 fats, selections like milk, yogurt, juices and eggs, may offer different benefits, depending on the particular omega-3 fat found. In some cases, the omega-3 fats are produced through the feed used for animals while in others, ingredients containing omega-3s may be added to the product.
Even when feeds are being used to produce an omega-3-rich product, there can be differences in the kinds of fats found. In the case of omega-3 eggs, the diet of the hen includes sources such as flaxseed resulting mainly in the plant type of omega-3 in the egg. But to produce a new egg out on the market called Omega Pro, the hens' feed also includes fish meal, yielding eggs with the same kinds of omega-3s found in fish.
While these eggs, and one brand of milk containing omega-3s, are certainly nutritious, the issue of using fish meal in the feeding hens or cows must be brought up. Even if the practice has been carried out for decades, some scientists question the wisdom of using a feed of other species for these animals? Case in point: Mad Cow disease.
As for supplements, be aware that those such as cod liver oil contain much less in the way of omega-3s than those like salmon oil while at the same time, possibly containing an excess of vitamin A.
nutrition@nationalpost.com
- Rosie Schwartz is a Toronto-based consulting dietitian in private practice and is author of The Enlightened Eater's Whole Foods Guide: Harvest the Power of Phyto Foods (Viking Canada).
10/31/2006- A new placebo-controlled trial has reported that daily supplements of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids could slow mental decline in elderly people, adding to a growing body of evidence linking the fatty acid to better cognitive function.
Indeed, only recently scientists from the Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge in Sweden reported that omega-3 fatty acid supplementation, mainly DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) may slow mental decline in people with very mild Alzheimer's disease (Archives of Neurology, Vol. 63, pp. 1402-1408).
The new research, published in the October issue of the journal Neuroscience Research (Vol. 56, pp. 159-164), adds to the growing body of science that have linked regular intake of omega-3s to improved cognitive function, behavior and learning.
Moreover, brain concentrations of the omega-6 fatty acid, arachidonic acid (ARA), are also said to decrease naturally with aging, so supplementation may boost neuronal membrane levels.
“There were some reports suggesting the effect of omega-3 fatty acids such as EPA and DHA on cognitive functions in human subjects, but very few reports have focused on the effect of omega-6 fatty acids,” wrote lead author Susumu Kotani from the Japan Foundation for Aging and Health. “The present pilot study of ARA and DHA supplementation showed remarkable memory improvements in the human patients with organic brain lesion or mild cognitive impairment.”
The Japanese scientists recruited 21 patients with mild cognitive impairment (9 females, average age 68) and randomly assigned them to receive DHA plus ARA supplements (six capsules containing 40 mg/capsule ARA, DHA, and 0.16 mg/capsule of asthaxanthin, Suntory Ltd., Japan) or six placebo capsules per day (40 mg/capsule of olive oil).
Ten of the participants had been diagnosed with so-called organic brain lesions (hemorrhage or traumatic brain injuries), and eight had been diagnosed with early Alzheimer's disease (AD).
The mental function of the subjects was assessed at the start of the trial and then again after 90 days of supplementation, using the Japanese version of repeatable battery for assessment of neuropsychological status (RBANS).
Kotani and co-workers report that ARA plus DHA supplementation produced significant improvements in the immediate memory and attention RBANS scores (eight and five points, respectively). No effect on delayed memory was observed.
For the subjects with organic brain lesions taking the supplements were found to have the greatest improvements in immediate memory scores (10 points), while delayed memory scores were found to increase by 14 points for this subset.
No improvements were observed for the placebo groups or for the people with early Alzheimer’s disease who took the supplements.
“It is suggested from these data that ARA and DHA supplementation can improve the cognitive dysfunction due to organic brain damages or aging,” said Kotani.
The mechanism behind the supplement's effect on cognitive function seems to be specific to the type of omega oil, said the researchers.
“DHA might be directly involved in improvements not of the synaptic plasticity and cognitive function, but of the membrane function and regional cerebral blood flow,” they wrote.
Previous studies have proposed that DHA is involved in the membrane of ion channels in the brain, making it easier for them to change shape and transit electrical signals.
“It is likely that the improvement of cognitive functions after the ARA supplementation might be due to the improved membrane fluidity that can affect neurogenesis and/or synaptogenesis,” said the researchers.
More research is needed to investigate further the relationship between omega-3 and omega-6 intake and cognitive function, particularly in elderly people with healthy cognitive function and other populations.
The study was financially supported by the Japan Foundation for Ageing and Health, the Narishige Neuroscience Research Foundation, and the Japan Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.
