Posted on 01/02/2008 6:32:19 PM PST by ConservativeMind
It's good news that we are living longer, but bad news that the longer we live, the better our odds of developing late-onset Alzheimer's disease.
Many Alzheimer's researchers have long touted fish oil, by pill or diet, as an accessible and inexpensive "weapon" that may delay or prevent this debilitating disease. Now, UCLA scientists have confirmed that fish oil is indeed a deterrent against Alzheimer's, and they have identified the reasons why.
Greg Cole, professor of medicine and neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and associate director of UCLA's Alzheimer Disease Research Center, and his colleagues report that the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) found in fish oil increases the production of LR11, a protein that is found at reduced levels in Alzheimer's patients and which is known to destroy the protein that forms the "plaques" associated with the disease.
The plaques are deposits of a protein called beta amyloid that is thought to be toxic to neurons in the brain, leading to Alzheimer's. Since having high levels of LR11 prevents the toxic plaques from being made, low levels in patients are believed to be a factor in causing the disease.
Alzheimer's is a debilitating neurodegenerative disease that causes memory loss, dementia, personality change and ultimately death. The national Alzheimer's Association estimates that 5.1 million Americans are currently afflicted with the disease and predicts that the number may increase to between 11 million and 16 million people by the year 2050.
The researchers examined the effects of fish oil, or its component DHA, in multiple biological systems and administered the oil or fatty acid by diet and by adding it directly to neurons grown in the laboratory.
"We found that even low doses of DHA increased the levels of LR11 in rat neurons, while dietary DHA increased LR11 in brains of rats or older mice that had been genetically altered to develop Alzheimer's disease," said Cole, who is also associate director of the Geriatric Research Center at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
To show that the benefits of DHA were not limited to nonhuman animal cells, the researchers also confirmed a direct impact of DHA on human neuronal cells in culture as well. Thus, high levels of DHA leading to abundant LR11 seem to protect against Alzheimer's, Cole said, while low LR11 levels lead to formation of the amyloid plaques.
Fish oil and its key ingredient, omega-3 fatty acids (found in fatty fish like salmon), have been a mainstay of alternative health practitioners for years and have been endorsed by the American Heart Association to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Fatty acids like DHA are considered "essential" fatty acids because the body cannot make them from other sources and must obtain them through diet. Years of research have shown that DHA is the most abundant essential fatty acid in the brain, Cole said, and that it is critical to fetal and infant brain development. Studies have also linked low levels of DHA in the brain to cognitive impairment and have shown that lower levels may increase oxidative stress in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.
Based on the positive results, the National Institutes of Health is currently conducting a large-scale clinical trial with DHA in patients with established Alzheimer's disease. For those patients, Cole said, it may be too late in the disease's progression for DHA to have much effect. But he is hopeful that the NIH will conduct a large-scale prevention clinical trial using fish oil at the earliest stages of the disease -- particularly because it is unlikely that a pharmaceutical company will do so, since fish oil in pill form is readily available and inexpensive.
Still to be determined, he said, "is what the optimal dose should be. It could be that a smaller amount might be helpful, especially in a place like the south of France, where people are already on a Mediterranean diet."
Here in the United States, though, where fish consumption is not very high, the dose may need to be higher.
"There's a deficiency of DHA to begin with," Cole said, "and this may contribute to the low LR11 seen in many Alzheimer's patients."
This research is reported in the Journal of Neuroscience, now online. In addition to Cole, authors included Qui-Lan Ma, Bruce Teter, Oliver J. Ubede, Takashi Morihara, Dilsher Dhoot, Michael D. Nyby, Michael L. Tuck and Sally A. Frautschy, all of UCLA.
Funding for the research was provided by a grant from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The research was initiated with support from the National Institute on Aging.
Adapted from materials provided by University of California - Los Angeles.
There are many benefits accruing to DHA and EPA Omega-3s.
I saw the Omega - 13 on Galaxy Quest. Worked great.
A little levity folks. Happy New Year.
Bump that.
bump
I should think cod liver oil pills would do the trick.
This article doesn’t say how much omega 3 fatty oil is indicated.
Cod liver oil is also a useful source of Vitamin D, which is important especially in winter when people don’t get much sun.
So was grandma and the cod-liver oil right all along?
The following chart contains a sampling of foods high in DHA and EPA omega-3 fatty acids (combined):
Foods High in DHA and EPA (Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids) Food Grams in 100-gram
serving Grams in normal-sized
serving
Sardine oil 20.79 2.83 (1 tablespoon)
Cod liver oil 17.87 2.43 (1 tablespoon)
Herring oil 10.48 1.43 (1 tablespoon)
Salmon, Atlantic (farmed)* 2.15 3.89 (half fillet)
Mackerel, Pacific and jack* 1.85 3.25 (1 fillet)
Pickled herring 1.39 .42 (2 pieces)
Salmon, Chinook* 1.74 2.68 (half fillet)
Salmon, pink* 1.28 1.6 (half fillet)
Mackerel, Atlantic* 1.20 1.07 (1 fillet)
Rainbow trout (farmed)* 1.15 .82 (1 fillet)
Bluefish* .99 1.16 (1 fillet)
Sardines, canned in oil .98 .90 (1 can, 92 grams)
White tuna, canned in water .86 .73 (3 ounces, 85 grams)
*Cooked with dry heat
Note: DHA stands for docosahexaenoic acid. EPA stands for eicosapentaeonic acid. Both are derivatives of alpha-linolenic acid or ALA, which is an omega-3 fatty acid.
Source: National Agriculture Library, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
Omega-6 Fatty Acids: Time To Switch Cooking Oils?
Omega-6 essential fatty acids include linoleic acid (LA), gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and arachidonic acid (AA). LA is found in common cooking oils, including sunflower oil, corn oil, canola oil, and safflower oil. GLA is found in some seeds, and AA is present in meat and animal products.
The following chart lists several foods that have high levels of omega-6 fatty acids:
Foods High in Omega-6 Fatty Acids Food Grams in 100-gram
serving Grams in normal-sized
serving
Sunflower oil, linoleic
(60% and over) 65.70 8.94 (1 tablespoon)
Corn oil 58.00 7.89 (1 tablespoon)
Sunflower oil, linoleic
(less than 60%) 39.80 5.41 (1 tablespoon)
Sunflower seeds, oil roasted 37.82 25.53 (half cup)
Sunflower oil, linoleic
(hydrogenated) 35.30 4.80 (1 tablespoon)
Sunflower seeds, dry roasted 32.78 20.98 (half cup)
Canola oil 20.30 2.84 (1 tablespoon)
Peanuts 15.56 11.36 (half cup)
Safflower oil 14.35 1.95 (1 tablespoon)
Almonds, unblanched 12.21 8.67 (half cup)
Pumpkin seeds 8.76 2.80 (half cup)
Olive oil 7.90 1.07 (1 tablespoon)
Source: National Agriculture Library, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
Grandma always said fish was brain food. (Grandma went 1 for 3 at spawning geniuses.)
My mother in law, is stage 5 to stage 6 in her Alzheimers. I’ll tell you that Salmon was her favorite dish, ate alot of fish actually. I’m sure there are some outliers, as with everything, but just suprising given the situation.
That being said, I still may go out and get some fish oil for myself and the wife, though.
Hmm I switched from corn to canola but I think I’ll switch back again. Corn oil tastes a little better I think.
Well, it certainly won’t hurt you.
As time goes on we find that grandma was right about a lot of stuff.
I should bookmark this item otherwise I’ll forget all about it tomorrow. :)
http://www.nyseafood.org/nutrition/health2.asp
Given the hsitory of a lot of these studies, we will find out that these oils have nothing to do with a ‘cure’ or delay. Based on the historical record of a lot of studies it’s even possible to predict that at some future date they may report that the oils are a contributing factor.
Krill oil is excellent.
NAH....I think cod liver oil pre-dates EVERYTHING. P.S. Everyone.....Take Carlson’s Lemon Flavored Cod Liver oil....it’s the best!
Or, as my Grandma used to say, "Why is common sense so uncommon?"
“Hmm I switched from corn to canola but I think I’ll switch back again. Corn oil tastes a little better I think.”
Vegetable based high temp extracted oils are the worst. Cold pressed Olive oil and for high temp frying coconut oil are much MUCH healther for you.
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