What we put into our body on a regular basis matters. For so many years people were afraid of
fat in the diet. Low fat diets became the rage. We now know that fat is a very important part of
optimal health. Healthy fats are very important for many functions of the body. One of the best
fats for our body comes from fish. The fat from fish is referred to as omega-3 oil. Omega-3 can
be broken down into two forms. The forms are DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA
(eicosapentaenoic acid).
There are many studies behind the use of fish oil for brain health. Many of these studies show
there is an important connection between healthy fats and executive function. Executive
function includes many of the higher order processes in the body. These include learning,
communication, cognition, memory and behavioral control. Some of my favorite studies include:
1. Researchers Morgan and Stordy reported that lower amounts of healthy fats can cause
problems in learning and attention in children.
2. Researchers Burgess and Stevens found “subjects with lower omega-3 fatty acid levels
were more likely to exhibit behavioral problems.”
3. Harvard researchers found low levels of omega-3 fatty acids was associated with heart
disease, strokes, depression, suicidal behavior, ADD, dementia and obesity.
4. University of Pittsburg researchers found middle aged people with higher levels of a
particular type of fish oil (DHA) do better with nonverbal reasoning, mental flexibility, working
memory and vocabulary.
5. Researchers at UCLA found supplementation with DHA slows the progression of
Alzheimer’s Disease and may prevent age-related dementia.
Hopefully I have made a strong case for using fish oil. I think it is one of the top 10 things you
can do for yourself from a nutritional standpoint. Part of our health is determined by the raw
materials we put into our body on a regular basis. Fish oil also helps fight chronic inflammation.
We know chronic inflammation is the leading theory behind the cause of heart disease, many
types of cancer and neurodegenerative problems.
Thanks for reading this article. Our goal is to help you make better choices for your health and
help you optimize your health. Let us know if we can help in any way. You can reach us at
info@themartinclinic.com or 770.237.3970. Find more articles on health at themartinclinic.com.