Some good information on long chain fatty acids and how they affect the noodle click on the link for the whole story and some good links.
Is Fish Really Brain Food?
Some of Grandma's health advice (wet feet cause colds, for instance) has not panned out. Some has stood the test of time (such as the idea that roughagethat is, fiberis good for you). Fish as brain food may also get the nod from scientists. It has already gotten the nod for its cardiovascular benefits. There's now evidence that eating fish can play a positive role in mental health.
It may sound like a joke, but the brain is largely composed of fat. Fats, along with water, are the chief components of brain cell membranes and the specialized tissues enclosing the nerves. The anti-fat message promoted as part of heart-healthy diets these days makes it easy to forget that not all fats are "bad," and that some types are essential to human life.
The saturated fat that comes primarily from meat and full-fat dairy products is not what the brain cells need. They do need polyunsaturated fats, especially the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, which are called eicosapentenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexenoic acid (DHA). Fish get them from the algae they eat. (Some leafy green vegetables, as well as walnuts, flaxseed, and canola oil, contain shorter-chain omega-3s; these are not readily converted by our bodies into EPA and DHA.)
click here for the story.
http://www.wellnessletter.com/html/wl/2001/wlFeatured1001.html
Is Fish Really Brain Food?
Some of Grandma's health advice (wet feet cause colds, for instance) has not panned out. Some has stood the test of time (such as the idea that roughagethat is, fiberis good for you). Fish as brain food may also get the nod from scientists. It has already gotten the nod for its cardiovascular benefits. There's now evidence that eating fish can play a positive role in mental health.
It may sound like a joke, but the brain is largely composed of fat. Fats, along with water, are the chief components of brain cell membranes and the specialized tissues enclosing the nerves. The anti-fat message promoted as part of heart-healthy diets these days makes it easy to forget that not all fats are "bad," and that some types are essential to human life.
The saturated fat that comes primarily from meat and full-fat dairy products is not what the brain cells need. They do need polyunsaturated fats, especially the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, which are called eicosapentenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexenoic acid (DHA). Fish get them from the algae they eat. (Some leafy green vegetables, as well as walnuts, flaxseed, and canola oil, contain shorter-chain omega-3s; these are not readily converted by our bodies into EPA and DHA.)
click here for the story.
http://www.wellnessletter.com/html/wl/2001/wlFeatured1001.html
