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A Dutch study revealed that oily fish
consumption led to a reduced risk of cognitive impairment, cognitive decline
and dementia. In addition, fish consumption was found to reduce the
prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease in the seven European and North American
countries included in the study.
WHAT IS IN THIS FOOD FOR THE BRAIN AND HOW
DOES IT WORK?
Scientists believe the good news is due to the
Omega-3 DHA content in oily fish, what they call ‘a long chain essential
fatty acid’ vital to the development and maintenance of a healthy brain. It
makes up about 25 per cent of the fatty acids in grey matter cell membranes
and ensures messages between brain cells are sent quickly and clearly. A
lack of Omega-3 DHA can cause a slower message transmission and affect
mental agility and memory in adults.
WE ARE JUST NOT GETTING ENOUGH
“ Our diet has changed over the past twenty
years. We are eating less DHA-rich fish and offal than we used to,”
explains nutritionist Dr. Carrie Ruxton. “We used to have fish on a regular
basis in western countries. That’s been reduced for a variety of reasons,
maybe due to cost or dislike. Maybe we prefer more convenient foods to cook
and prepare. Certainly you can go out and eat oil-rich fish in restaurants,
but less and less of us are eating it at home.
“The statistics show that two-thirds of us in
the UK never eat oily fish at all, the best natural source of DHA. We might
eat white fish like fish fingers and battered cod. But they are not oily
fish.
“And meat is lower in DHA, due to changes in
animal feeding practices. Today we eat more food that is higher in Omega-6s
such as corn oil, vegetable spreads and baked foods that can hinder DHA
absorption.”
IS IT TOO LATE FOR THE OVER 50s?
Even if you are in mid-life there’s still time
to replenish the brain with Omega-3 DHA. “At 50-plus it will still have an
effect,” says Dr Ruxton, “since most dementia and Alzheimer’s does not
start until the 70s and 80s.”
There are no guarantees, though, that any
individual will be able to avoid the illness. The rare early-onset
Alzheimer’s that strikes people in their 40s and 50s is heavily controlled
by genetics. The more common late-onset form seems more amenable to diet
intervention, but genes still play a role. In the end, however, it’s best
to adopt more brain-healthy behaviours to nurture mental agility and
memory.
SO HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?
Dr. Ruxton suggests 1500 mg a week and has
prepared for laterlife.com the following helpful list. For those who just
don’t like the oily fish , there are DHA-fortified foods which have recently
come on the market. These include Warburtons DHA-enriched Good Health Loaf
for Women, and Intelligent Eating Healthy Eggs with added Omega-3 DHA ,
produced by Stonegate.
DHA content of selected foods
|
Food
|
DHA per serving
|
| Cod |
190mg |
| Haddock |
120mg |
| Mackerel |
1700mg |
| Salmon |
1300mg |
| Trout |
830mg |
| Sardines |
680mg |
| Prawns |
24mg |
| Tuna(canned in oil) |
120mg |
| Fresh tuna |
1300mg |
| Stonegate Intelligent Eating Healthy eggs |
150mg per egg |
| Warburtons Good Health Loaf for Women (2
slices) |
20mg |
| Egg sandwich using DHA fortified foods |
320mg |
| Tuna sandwich (using fortified bread) |
140mg |
| Cod liver oil (1 teaspoon) |
900mg |
Note that one serving of mackerel a week at
1700mg gives you even more than your weekly dose. 1500mg per week is
approximately 214 mg a day. One serving of sardines could set you up for
three days and one teaspoon of cod liver oil for four!
Sources for DHA fortified foods:
Stonegate Intelligent Eating Eggs are
available from Waitrose, and from ASDA. Telephone 01323 846565 for nearest
stockists.
For Warburtons Good Health Loaf telephone
Warburtons Freephone Customer Careline on 0800 243 684 for stockists.
PRODUCT OF THE MONTH
We asked NutriCentre, the major suppliers of
alternative supplements, to suggest the best fish oil supplements
available. Without hesitation, they responded with the following, giving
the reasons for their choice:
Eskimo 3 Fish Oil Supplement
-
Eskimo products
are virtually free from environmental contaminants, unlike many other
essential fatty acid supplements on the market today.
-
Fish oils in
the Eskimo range contain natural, wild fish sources and are not chemically
modified to artificially boost the concentrations of EPA and DHA. When
chemically altered, these precious essential fatty acids can become
damaged and unstable, leading to an excess of harmful free radicals.
-
Natural
antioxidants are added during processing, making these products incredibly
stable. Most essential fatty acid products available today become rancid
when exposed to air.
-
Eskimo is very stable, pure and contains
Vitamin D which is essential for healthy bones. It provides an excellent
balance of Omega 3, 6, 9 fatty acids.
- The oil remains fresh for longer
and has no fishy smell or aftertaste. Any fish oil which tastes or smells
of fish is likely to be rancid, which is actually harmful to the body.
 Eskimo Fish Oil
is very easy to swallow as a light oil, or it can be taken in capsule form.
Capsules:
£13.60 for 105
capsules,
£24.95 for 250 capsules.
Liquid form:
£12.70 for
105 ml.
Not to be taken
with anticoagulants. Not recommended for epileptics or haemophiliacs. You may wish to consult your GP before
taking fish oil supplements.
ESKIMO 3
PURITY STATEMENT:
The
concentrations of heavy metal contaminants such as cadmium, copper, iron,
mercury and lead are below detection levels in natural (Eskimo-3) stable
fish oil, as are pesticides such as DDT, DDE, HCB, PCB and lindane, due to a
special purification technique.
A scientific survey by the Food Safety Authority
of Ireland in 2002 examined a range of popular European fish oil capsules
for the presence of dioxins. Of all the fish oils tested, Eskimo-3 stable
fish oil was found to have the lowest levels of contaminants, which included
dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs. In addition, the concentration of heavy metal
contaminants such as cadmium and mercury were below detection levels in
Eskimo-3.
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Tucking
into more fresh tuna, trout, sardines , mackerel, anchovies and salmon (wild
if you are wary of farmed salmon) could help you reduce the risk of dementia
and Alzheimer’s. It is well-known that oil-rich fish paves the way to a
healthy heart. But recent studies are showing that oily fish has a
beneficial effect on the brain.
