A recent study published online in the journal Neurology, found people suffering from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) who eat certain foods high in Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids may actually have slower physical declines usually from this disease as well as a slightly extended survival rate. It is important to note that this study currently only suggests an association between decline reductions in ALS sufferers.
Almost 450 individuals, who were diagnosed with ALS, participated in this study. Participants had an average age of about 58. The study lasted 18 months. 28% of the original participants (126 people) died by the end of the study. Researchers looked at the participants levels of Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids found in their blood. The participants were then divided into 4 groups based on their EFA levels, from lowest to highest amounts.
Test to measure disease progression and symptom severity were given to all participants. These tests measured 12 aspects of physical function like ability to use muscles in the torso, legs, arms and hands, respiratory function, ability to chew, speak and swallow. Each category received a score from zero (no ability) to four (normal ability). Total scores ranged from 0 to 48, higher scores showed less severe ALS symptoms and better function.
Researchers found participants with the highest amount of ALA (alpha-linolenic acid-one of the Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids) showed an average score of 38.3 at the beginning of the study while participants with the lowest amount of ALA had an average score of 37.6. A reduced number of participants assigned to the group with the highest EFA levels (19%) died compared to the participants assigned to the group with the lowest EFA levels (33%). After adjusting for certain factors like ethnicity, sex, and age, the participants with the highest amounts of EFA had a 50% reduced risk of death during the study period compared with the participants with the lowest amounts of EFA.
Limitations in this study led researchers to suggest more studies are needed.
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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