A new study in patients with Alzheimer’s Disease found memory test scores remained stable in participants supplementing with Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids.
Over 30 patients participated in this study. 18 individuals were given 2.3 grams of Omega-3 daily in divided doses, while 15 individuals were designated as the control group. Spinal fluid samples were collected and participants took a memory test (Mini-Mental State Examination – MMSE) at the onset of the study and again at the end of the study. The study lasted 6 months.
Results of the memory tests showed the memory of the group supplementing with Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids remained stable while the control group showed deterioration in memory function. While the spinal fluid samples showed no differences between the 2 groups when biomarkers in the spinal fluid were examined there were differences within the participants supplementing with Omega-3. An increase in two of the markers linked to nerve damage, which has been found to be elevated in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease in the past, and a decrease in MMSE scores were seen in the control group but not in the supplement group.
Researchers believe that early supplementation with Omega-3 could provide best results for forestalling memory declines in individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Further studies are warranted.
Here is some additional information about Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids:
Chemically a fatty acid is an organic acid with an acid group at one end of its molecule and a methyl at the other end. Fatty acids are categorized in the Omega groups 3, 6 or 9 according to the location of their last double bond.
An Essential Fatty Acid is a fatty acid that the body cannot manufacture by itself, in other words they must be obtained through supplementation or through foods. There are 2 fatty acids that are designated as essential fatty acids: linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid. There are more fatty acids than these 2 specific essential fatty acids found in the Omega 3-6-9 groups but a healthy body may be able to manufacture them as long as there is enough linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid, so they are considered non-essential fatty acids. There are however certain health benefits to be obtained by intaking some of the non-essential fatty acids directly, especially in the case of the Omega 3 fatty acids.
The Need for More Omega 3
Humans evolved on a diet that had approximately a 1:1 ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids (EFA), today our Western diet contains a ratio of 15:1 – 16.7:1. A typical Western diet is deficient in Omega-3 Fatty Acids and has an overabundance of Omega-6 Fatty Acids when compared to the diet in which humans evolved and their genetic patterns were established. In a study done by The Harvard School of Public Health over 96,000 deaths in the US were attributed to being caused by an Omega-3 deficiency. Other research shows that excessive amounts of Omega-6 fatty acids and high Omega-6/Omega-3 ratios promote many types of diseases like autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, cancer and cardiovascular disease. It is obvious that increasing Omega-3 Fatty Acid intake is necessary for a healthier population.
Molecular Distillation
The public was made aware of excessive levels of mercury, a neurotoxic heavy metal, as well as PCBs and other toxic organic compounds found in certain fish species from a well-publicized federal advisory in 2001. It was determined that fish oil supplements could also be subject to excessive levels of these neurotoxins. It makes choosing a “CLEAN” fish oil even more important than ever. For this very reason Viva Vitamins uses pure, high quality, molecularly distilled Omega-3 EPA/DHA fish oil in the products they manufacture. Molecular distillation is a process where all heavy metals and PCBs are virtually removed from the fish oil. Additionally extensive testing is performed to verify that all federal standards of purity have not just been met but have been surpassed.
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