Brain cell communication

Part of the Ode September 2007 article on omega-3 called Feed Your Brain had a section about brain cells communicating. When I first talked to Nick about why he needed to take meds, I told him his brain cells weren't communicating. He was early teens or still even in the tween stage - 11 or 12. He said, "Oh, you mean my brain cells are blond & the medicine will help them be brunettes?" I laughed & agreed. He has been very good at taking his medicine all these years, but now, at 25, has decided he feels better without them.

Omega-3 foods

How can something like omega-3 have such an impact on behavior & psychological health? Communication between brain cells depend on neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine. Low serotonin levels are associated with an increased risk of suicide, depression & violent behavior. Omega-3 tends to boost the communication of brain cells. The cells tend to talk a lot with each other & make new connections. A process crucial for learning. Less flexible fatty acids than omega-3 do not support the chatter as efficiently.

Ode to fish

At chemotherapy on Wednesday, Nov. 21, one of the ladies told me about an article in a magazine named "Ode." The front cover had a huge headline 

Nature's little helper

(No, it's not Prozac)

What if a simple pill could help depression and violence?  

New research suggests it's already here.

She suggested I read it, so I brought it home & I read it. A pull quote on the first page of the article reads:

The chance of being murdered is 30 times greater in countries where fish consumption is low.

The article stated several studies that have been done using fish oil in half of the participants and a placebo in the other half. The studies have been done in prisons & schools showing the social benefits of a healthier diet. It states, erroneously I think, that 20 years ago no one had heard of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Twenty years ago, ADHD was the first thing a kid was diagnosed with.

Other studies have found that depressed patients and children with ADHD and autism are low in omega-3. In Japan, whose diet is rich in fish, only 0.1 percent suffer from depression. Yes, I looked at that again when I typed it. Manic-depression (bipolar disorder) is rare in Iceland where there is a high intake of fish, but quite common in Brazil and Germany.

The U.S. citizenry is high in omega-6 which isn't as flexible as omega-3. Omega-6 is a by-product of PROCESSED food. The article mentioned a book by David Servan-Schreiber, The Instinct to Heal. The whole article was fascinating. I decided to do a post on it so that I could put the highlights of the article where I could find them again.

I remembered this from part of the article, but almost had to read it again to find it. Dyspraxia, dyslexia, ADHD and autism spectrum disorders overlap considerably. A dyslexic child is offered a special teacher, A kid with dyspraxia is sent to a physical therapist. One with ADHD is prescribed Ritalin (or other designer drugs). And you've got to learn to live with autism.

The article concludes with advice that a multivitamin and mineral supplements are a good "insurance policy" and 500 mg of omega-3 EVERY day is not a bad idea either. They also caution that not all supplements are good supplements.