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 [SCZ]Essential Fatty Acids |
幸福的小孩 发表于 2006/9/20 20:54:32 |
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Essential Building Materials–To build brain cells you need fatty acids. Two kinds of fatty acids are considered "essential," which means you must get these essential fatty acids (EFAs) from the food you eat. Your body cannot manufacture them.
The first essential fatty acid you need is Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). ALA is the foundation of the "omega-3" family of fatty acids. Food sources of omega-3 ALA include flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, sea vegetables, and green leafy vegetables.
The second essential fatty acid you need is Linoleic acid (LA). LA is the foundation of the "omega-6" family of fatty acids. Food sources of omega-6 LA include expeller cold-pressed sunflower, safflower, corn, and sesame oils.
How You Make DHA
From ALA and LA, your brain can make (docosahexaenoic acid) DHA and (arachidonic acid) AA the longer chained fatty acids that are incorporated in its cell membranes. These more complex fatty acids are also available, preformed, directly from food.
This is important, because the brain's ability to assemble these fatty acids can be compromised by stress, infections, alcohol, excess sugar, and vitamin or mineral deficiencies – factors common today.
Effects of DHA Loss
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is the most abundant fat in the brain. Loss in DHA concentrations in brain cell membranes correlates to a decline in structural and functional integrity of this tissue.
Also, the oxidative damage that comes with age causes a decline in membrane DHA concentrations, and with it, cognitive impairment.
DHA and Depression-Studies
Scientists at the National Institutes of Health associated the increase in depression in North America during the last century with the decline in consumption of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) during the same period. Although many stresses of modern life contribute to the prevalence of depression, Joseph R. Hibbeln, M.D., and Norman Salem, Jr., Ph.D., concluded in 1995 that the "relative deficiencies in essential fatty acids may also intensify vulnerability to depression."
They also pointed to lower rates of major depression in societies that consume large amounts of fish, a key dietary source of DHA. North American and European populations showed cumulative rates of depression 10 times greater than a Taiwanese population that consumed a lot of fish. The Japanese, whose diet is rich in fish, have a significantly lower prevalence of depression compared to North America and Europe.
Belgium researchers at Antwerp's University Hospital found that seriously depressed patients had lower omega-3 fatty acid levels than mildly depressed patients.
Loss of Fatty Acids Link to Parkinson's and Alzheimer's-Study
Type 2 diabetes used to be called "adult-onset" diabetes, because it mostly occurred in people A Dutch study of cognitive function in males, aged 69-89, suggests that a high intake of omega-6 fatty acids (found in red meat) is "positively associated with cognitive impairment and high fish consumption inversely associated with cognitive impairment
Scientists at the USDA's Laboratory of Neuroscience and at the Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University reported that neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's appear to exhibit membrane loss of fatty acids. "Thus it may be that an optimal diet with a balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids may help to delay their onset or reduce the insult to brain functions which these diseases elicit."9
Insights into DHA-Research
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) was the subject of an April 1997 conference on nutrition and the brain. Leading experts discussed the link between low levels of DHA and certain neurological conditions. At the conference, "Keeping Your Brain in Shape: New Insights Into DHA," researchers also noted studies showing a link between deficient DHA levels and hostility and aggression.
Ernst Schaefer, M.D., of the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, has found that a low level of DHA is a significant risk factor for dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. He has discovered that the body may experience a decreased ability to make DHA as it ages. "The data I have seen suggest that DHA may be an important therapeutic modality in some age-related conditions, including Alzheimer's and heart disease," Schaefer commented.
forgetfulness, may be avoided if optimal nutrition is maintained through a diet including nutrients like DHA."
Research indicates that "DHA may be a critical component of the diet of people of all ages," said Barbara Levine, R.D., Ph.D., director of the Nutrition Information Center at the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center. | |
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