Omega 3 Depression Info
Omega 3 Depression and Memory Omega 3 will be the
central theme of this page. There is an old wives' tale that says
eating fish makes you smarter. Now, contemporary studies are
confirming the effect omega 3 essential fatty acids have on
depression, memory, even in the prevention
Alzheimer's disease. Read here for more information.
As mentioned, there have been an enormous amount of studies
conducted on omega 3 fish oils since the 1970s. Here are the
highlights:
- A study conducted in New Zealand found regular fish consumption
is significantly associated with higher mental health
status.
- In a study conducted at Harvard University by assistant
professor of psychiatry Dr. Andrew Stoll and colleagues, they found
that the omega-3s in deep sea, cold-water fish have a tangible
effect on mood. Research showed 65% improvement in depression with
those patients taking a fish oil supplement. Manic depressives
showed a lessening in mood swings.
- In research conducted by Joseph Hibbeln of the National
Institutes of Health, he discovered "a significant correlation
between worldwide fish consumption and prevalence of depression."
Dr. Andrew Stoll concured saying, "Omega-3s, which are lacking in
diets in the U.S. and other developed countries, are very abundant
fats in the brain and are essential for normal brain function. It's
likely that they are involved in a range of disorders in addition
to manic depression, including major depression and
schizophrenia."
- In one Israeli study regarding the effects of omega3
depression, there was significant improvement in those with
professionally diagnosed clinical depression.
Even the most skeptical cannot dismiss the beneficial effects omega
3 fatty acids have upon brain functions. While further studies need
to verify the causal link between lack of fish consumption and
bipolar disorder, depression, Alzheimer's disease, ADHD, and
schizophrenia, research strongly suggests at the very least
it prevents and assists the
onset of these disorders.
More Memory Omega 3
In matters of brain function and memory omega 3 rich fish oils
are no longer viewed as a luxury but a necessity. So, why are
memory omega 3 fish oils so powerful? The answer lies in the two
main components of Omega-3 fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic acid
(EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Omega 3s are the good
fat, polyunsaturated fat to be precise. EPA and DHA fatty acids
are found in cold-water fish like halibut, salmon, and tuna.
(According to research, seaweed is the only plant food that has EPA
or DHA.) T
he third type of Omega-3 fatty acids is alpha-linolenic acid or
ALA. It's found in flaxseed oil, vegetable oil, and green leafy
vegetables, but flaxseed oil doesn't have DHA and EPA --
they possess the forerunner to DHA and EPA in the form of ALA.
Now, here's an important point about Omega-3 fatty acids:
ALA needs to be chemically converted by the body to long-chained
Omega-3 fats to be assimilable. For those in ill health whose
bodies can't properly convert ALA to long-chained version, its
health benefits are lost!
Even if you're in superb health, your body only converts
less than 20% of the ALA to DHA and EPA. Incidentally, EPA
is used by our bodies to not only create the cell walls of brain
cells, but to bolster them as well.
DHA seems to work hand-in-hand with EPA as research says DHA
actually helps "promote neurite outgrowth of cells..." Meaning it
helps re-build and build brain cells while also improving
brain cell functional activity. Which brings us to a key point
of this page: In order for you, then, to glean the known
therapeutic benefits of DHA and EPA to improve brain function and
dramatically minimize brain-related problems, then
you need to take Omega 3 in the form of
fish oil capsules.
Memory Omega 3 Depression: Precautions
To glean the benefits of Omega3 fatty acids (EPA & DHA), you
need to consume more cold-water fish. But
there's a problem. Ocean pollution is so extensive, if
you wish to utilize fish sources for omega 3 depression or memory
omega 3 problems, you are risking
ingesting toxins into your system! Toxins like dioxins,
PCBs, and even mercury!
(This is why the FDA recommends limiting our intake of fish.)
So, how can one obtain the health benefits of omega 3 fatty
acids from their best source -- cold-water fish -- without
consuming the toxins? Answer: You need a pharmaceutical grade fish
oil supplement that has been molecularly
distilled. Molecular distillation separates the toxins
in the fish oil from the health fish oil from which the supplement
is then made.
You never want to buy an Omega 3
depression supplement without having that fish oil molecularly
distilled. Believe it or not, most fish oil supplements
do not use molecular
distillation! Whatever you do, make sure you get
ONLY molecular distilled fish oil. There are a few more
things you need to keep in mind, however. If you want memory
omega 3 or omega 3 depression fish oil supplements,
please remember these critical points: 1.) Cod liver oil is not an
appropriate source of omega-3s. Dr. Stoll says, "The
amount you'd have to take [of cod liver oil] to supply a
therapeutic dose of omega-3s provides a toxic dose of
vitamin A."
2.) Buy from a
supplement manufacturer who produces their supplements in a GMP
compliant facility.
3.) Make sure the source of the fish from which the fish oil is
extracted from pristine waters as possible. Also, make sure they're
not "farm-fed" or "farm-raised" fish.
4.) As fish oil omega 3s have a anticoagulant effect, consult with
your doctor before using.
5.) Fish oil omega 3 fatty acids are also compatible with most
prescription medications, but if you use aspirin or ginkgo biloba
(blood-thinning agents), consult with your doctor.
Omega 3 Depression Recommendations
I've found a company that adheres to all these criteria and have
used their supplement with superb results. If you're looking for an
inexpensive, pharmaceutical grade fish oil supplement, you
might want to check out this New Zealand company's fish oil tablets omega 3 product.
I hope this omega 3 depression web page has been useful
to you.
Yours in health, hope, and harmony,
Nutritional-Supplement-Bible.com
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