- Research shows people with higher levels of the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil may also have larger brain volumes in old age
- This would be the equivalent to preserving one or two years of brain health
They found people with higher levels of the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil may also have larger brain volumes in old age.
This would be the equivalent to preserving one to two years of brain health, says a new study published in the journal Neurology.
Shrinking brain volume is a sign of Alzheimer's disease as well as normal aging.
Britons are currently advised to eat fish at least twice a week, including one portion of oily fish.
One of the key omega-3 fatty acids is docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is thought to help nerve cells communicate with each other.
The richest source of the nutrient is oily fish, such as herring, mackerel and sardines.
For the US study, levels of omega-3 fatty acids including DHA in red blood cells were tested in 1,111 women who were part of the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study. Eight years later, when the women were aged around 78, MRI scans were taken to measure their brain volume.
Those with higher levels of omega-3s had larger total brain volumes eight years later.
Those with twice as high levels of fatty acids (7.5 vs. 3.4 per cent) had a 0.7 per cent larger brain volume, with the increase measuring up to two inches (6cm).
Study author James Pottala, of the University of South Dakota in Sioux Falls and Health Diagnostic Laboratory Inc. in Richmond, Virginia, said lower levels of fatty acids were linked to smaller-sized brains.
He said: 'These higher levels of fatty acids can be achieved through diet and the use of supplements, and the results suggest that the effect on brain volume is the equivalent of delaying the normal loss of brain cells that comes with aging by one to two years.'
Those with higher levels of omega-3s also had a 2.7 per cent larger volume in the hippocampus area, the brain's key memory centre.
In Alzheimer's disease, the hippocampus begins to shrink even before symptoms appear.
Dr Pottala said: 'Our study suggests that a higher tissue reserve of omega-3 fatty acids may slow the loss of cognitive function that can accompany brain atrophy.
'It adds to growing literature suggesting that higher omega-3 tissue levels, which can be achieved by dietary changes, may hold promise for delaying cognitive ageing and/or dementia.' The best dietary source of omega 3 fatty acids is oily fish because the human body cannot produce omega-3 fatty acids.
White fish is also a healthy food including cod, haddock and plaice although it contains lower levels of essential fatty acids.
Fish oil supplements are recommended as protection against heart attacks and sudden death, with regular fish eaters a third more likely to survive a heart attack.
Omega-3 fats work in several ways to reduce heart attack risk by cutting blood fats, reducing the chances of a blood clot and blocking dangerous heart rhythms that might otherwise prove fatal.
It is thought that omega-3 fatty acids in fish oils may reduce inflammation of the brain and play a part in brain development and nerve cell regeneration.
Dr Laura Phipps of Alzheimer's Research UK charity, said: 'There has been mixed evidence as to the benefits of omega-3 fish oils on the brain and whether they may protect against memory decline and dementia.
'This study suggests that higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in blood are linked to larger brain size but the possible reasons for this association need further investigation. 'We know that the brain gets smaller in people with dementia, but it is unclear from the study what effect larger brain size would have on memory and thinking in the volunteers or their long-term risk of developing dementia.
'The best way to assess whether omega-3 could protect against dementia is through clinical trials and so far, trials of omega-3 supplementation have not shown benefits in protecting against cognitive decline.'
Dr Doug Brown of the Alzheimer's Society, said: 'It's interesting to see that eating more fish could lead to larger brain volume, particularly in the hippocampus - an area of the brain that comes under attack in dementia.
'We know that brain shrinkage can be linked to dementia and larger brain volumes could indicate a better ability to cope with the ravages of the condition, but it's a big leap to draw this conclusion.
'Whilst interesting, this study still leaves us in the dark about what effect eating fish has on the development of dementia.'
Modern Alzheimers is a trans fat condition to which the antidote to its development is the consumption of natural cis-isomer form oils. The two fundamental mechanisms that initiate the development of this condition are:
1) Narrowing of the brain arteries which slow down glucose and oxygen flows to the brain.
2) Incorporation of TFAs into the brain cell walls (and brain cell mitochondrial walls) which slow down glucose transport. In cells walls the TFAs prevent the opening of pores which should open under the influence of insulin but as trans fat consumption continues an individuals pores does not open as far and eventually do not open at all. The brain cells eventually starve to death. This condition is also known as "Insulin Resistance" which is why Alzheimers is sometimes known as "diabetes of the brain". This is rather a stupid name as diabetes is the symptom of having high blood sugar however it helps the medical profession muddy the waters and proceed to keep themselves in clover by selling victims symptom treatment. The relationship between Alzheimers and diabetes thus becomes clear. Diabetes is caused by trans fatty acid poisoning of the modified electron transport chain in pancreatic beta cells which is why diabetes sufferers have a much elevated risk of developing Alzheimers. In order to get diabetes you must have 1) been consuming trans fats. 2) Be of a genetic subtype in which the poisoning TFA can not be removed from the mETC by their genetically determined repair mechanism (or have a very high trans to cis isomer ratio of fatty acids in the diet and yet be of a genetically curable subtype).
While the widening of arteries can be effected to some extent by switching to a high cis-isomer form fatty acid based diet the process is slow but can still reverse coronary heart disease over a period of years. It is likely that a similar process in the brain arteries also takes place but is probably slower and will likely have genetic dependencies. The curing of insulin resistance in most body cells is straightforward. Simply replace all TFAs in the diet by cis-isomer form oils As body cells die off every two years or so you will be rewarded by a new body after two years on such a diet free of of insulin resistance and poisoned mitochondrial walls (the combination of the two poisonings is known as the metabolic syndrome). This will give you a new slimmer body and if you are diabetic and one of two genetic subtypes capable of removing the offending TFAs from your mETC you will also find yourself cured of diabetes (about a 15% chance). Some reduction of insulin resistance will also occur as a result of the bodies repair mechanisms when you are on a "high-cis" diet.
The problem of insulin resistance in the brain is less tractable. This is because brain cells do not die off every couple of years. If they did you would forget everything! You must rely on the bodies repair mechanism to reduce the TFA poisoning again by switching to a "high-cis" diet - I have no data on the outcomes. Trans Fat free linseed oil is the best oil you can take plus oily fish and walnuts. Sunflower seeds are good (not roasted).
However you must be warned that Obamas plan is to increase the TFA component of the American diet. Yes I know he said he would ban trans fats BUT have you ever noticed how Obama says one thing and then does the exact opposite? Well soon after he announced the ban he said something else: They would ban the hydrogenation of vegetable oil instead. The trick here is that HYDROGENATION AND PARTIAL HYDROGENATION DO NOT PRODUCE TRANS FATS in the literal chemical sense; they increase the number of saturated bonds in a fatty acid chain. You see if hydrogenation and partial hydrogenation are banned all the food industry has to do is turn off the hydrogen to the hydrogenation plant (rather than stop using it) and the number of trans isomer bonds and the trans fat content of your food will increase and the doctors and the drug companioes will get richer as you get sicker.
I make again the following prediction WHEN HYDROGENTATION IS BANNED THE REQUIREMENT TO LABEL FOODS WITH TRANS FAT CONTENT WILL BE DROPPED AT THE SAME TIME. That is the only way in which Obama can continue his trans fat genocide of the American people.
You must realise that western medicine is absolutely corrupt and the MSM including SOTT is almost completely controlled.
Otherwise you must keep taking the blue pill.