Fats Influence the Fatty Composition of our Brain Cells

[Guest guest]

Changing the types and amounts of fats we consume may influence the

fatty " composition " of brain cells and other cells in the body. The lining of

every cell in the body—for instance, the lining of red blood cells that carry

oxygen—is made up of fats. The type of fats in a red-blood-cell membrane can

change very quickly,

often within hours, based on the type of fats present in a meal.

 

This change influences the fluidity of the cell membrane.

 

The more fluid a red-blood-cell membrane, the easier it is for it to squeeze

through tiny capillaries and supply oxygen and nutrients to remote areas

of the body.

 

The fats that make up brain-cell membranes are much more resistant to

changes in diet than the fats forming the cell membranes of other

tissues in the body.

 

The brain has developed an excellent ability to preserve its fatty

composition despite shortages of essential fats in the diet.

 

However, it is possible to alter the *fat content* of the brain through diet.

 

We know this is true through animal studies.

 

Manipulating the fatty-acid content of a rat's diet changes the fatty-

acid composition of the brain-cell membrane within as brief a time

period as three weeks

(Yehuda 1998).

 

The types of fats making up the cell membrane influence how well brain

cells interact and communicate with each other.

 

Since the membranes of brain cells can be influenced

by dietary composition, our objective, then, is to consume the proper

types of fats and oils,

and in their proper balance, which will guarantee that *neurons* function at

their best.

 

Before I discuss what kinds of fats and oils you should eat, and the

proper amounts, let's review some of the basic chemistry of fats.

 

This review will make it much easier to understand the importance of

Omega-3 oils in brain health, and it will also help you understand

the role *phospholipids* play in cognition.

 

 

The ABCs of Fats and Oils

 

Lipids is a general term that includes fats, oils, cholesterol, and

other substances that are fat-soluble.

 

A simple difference between fats and oils is that fats are solid at

room temperature, while oils are liquid.

 

Fats and oils are triglycerides,

 

which means they are made of a

three-carbon molecule called glycerol attached to three

long-chained carbon molecules called fatty acids.

 

There are dozens of common fatty acids present in the diet and the

body.

 

The length of these fatty acids varies, but most of them contain between four

and twenty-four carbon atoms. Fatty acids are

the building blocks for fats and oils, and are divided into two

groups—saturated and unsaturated.

 

Saturated fatty acids are found mostly in meats, animal fats, dairy products,

lard, and certain tropical oils.

 

Each carbon atom in these saturated fatty acids is attached to two

hydrogen atoms.

In contrast, unsaturated fatty acids contain a double bond, meaning that two

neighboring carbon atoms have each lost a hydrogen atom (Figure 7.3 shows a

double bond as =):

 

When fatty acids are unsaturated, they are more fluid and flexible.

This is often a desirable trait.

 

Unsaturated fatty acids are in turn divided into two major groups:

 

1. Monounsaturated fatty acids are found in such vegetables as olives

and avocados. They have one double bond. Mono, as you may know, means " one. "

 

2. Polyunsaturated fatty acids have two or more double bonds. Poly

means " many. "

 

The more double bonds present, the more fluid the fatty acid. You can generally

tell the degree of unsaturation of a

particular food by how fluid it is in the refrigerator or at room

temperature.

 

For instance, cheese contains mostly saturated fats, and is hard.

 

Olive oil is monounsaturated and stays relatively liquid at room temperature,

but hardens in the refrigerator. fish oils can stay

fluid even in very cold temperatures.

 

Many polyunsaturated fatty acids, called nonessential fatty acids,

can be manufactured by the body.

 

Others, called essential fatty acids, must be ingested through foods.

There are two types of essential fatty acids:

 

Omega-3s and Omega-6s.

 

A) Omega-3 fatty acids are made from a fatty acid called alpha-

linolenic acid (ALA).

 

Omega is the last letter in the Greek alphabet. In naming fatty acids,

the last carbon of the chain is called omega.

 

Green leafy vegetables, non-gmo soybeans, walnuts, and olive oil have small

amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids.

 

Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial because they provide fluidity to

cell membranes and im & shy;prove communication between brain cells.

 

Omega-3s also reduce the clotting ability of platelets, thus potentially

decreas & shy;ing the incidence of heart attacks and strokes.

 

Two very im & shy;portant Omega-3 fatty acids are eicosapentanoic acid (EPA)

and docosahexanoic acid (DHA).

They are found in seafood, es & shy;pecially mackerel, alaskan salmon, bass,

rainbow trout, halibut, low/no sodium tuna, and sardines.

Supplements of fish oils that contain EPA and DHA are sold

over-the-counter. DHA is also sold by itself.

 

In the body, DHA is found mainly in the brain, retina, and in sperm.

DHA plays an important role in vision.

 

Omega-3 fatty acids are made from a fatty acid called alpha-linolenic

acid (ALA.

Omega is the last letter in the Greek alphabet. In naming fatty acids,

the last carbon of the chain is called omega.

 

Omega-6 fatty acids are made from linoleic acid, a fatty acid

found in vegetable oils such as corn, safflower, cottonseed, soybean and

sunflower.

Mayonnaise and salad oils normally contain a great amount

of omega-6 fatty acids.

Linoleic acid is eventually converted into arachidonic acid (AA), a

beneficial fatty acid that, in excess, can *induce* inflammation,

clotting, and have other unhealthy actions.

 

Unlike Omega-3s, which are concentrated in the brain,

omega-6s are found in most tissues in the body.

 

The double bond of an omega-6 fatty acid starts six carbons from the

left.

 

Most Americans generally have a much higher intake of the Omega-

6s than the Omega-3s.

Up to 50 percent of the fatty acids in the gray matter in the brain

is made of DHA and AA.

 

The Making of Omega-3s:

 

Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) has 18 carbon atoms and 3 unsaturated

bonds

 

Eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) has 20 carbon atoms and 5 unsaturated

bonds

 

Docosahexanoic acid (DHA) has 22 carbon atoms and 6 unsaturated bonds

 

The mineral zinc, and other vitamins and minerals, help convert EPA

to DHA.

 

DHA has the ability to convert back into EPA (Hansen 1998).

 

The human body is not able to make Omega-3s from Omega-6.

 

 

The Making of Omega-6:

 

Linoleic acid (LA) has 18 carbon atoms and 2 unsaturated bonds

 

 

Arachidonic acid (AA) has 20 carbon atoms and 4 unsaturated bonds

 

 

The body uses Omega-3s and Omega-6s to produce several types of

important substances such as prostaglandins, eicosanoids, and

leukotrienes.

These substances have a number of effects on the brain and body.

 

They can act as hormones, are involved in the immune system,

blood-pressure control, clotting, heart rhythm, and they even

influence tumor inhibition or formation.

 

The types of fatty acids in the diet is known to influence the release

of hormones by the pituitary gland.

 

 

Fats to Shun:

 

Trans-fatty acids are new forms of fats that have been introduced

over the past few decades.

 

These are chemically altered and twisted fatty acids that are unhealthy

and are not easily used by the body.

 

Trans-fatty acids are generally found in margarine and many processed

foods, pastries, donuts, chips, and processed cereals.

 

Any type of fatty acid can be damaged and become harmful to the body if

deep-fried.

 

Hydrogenated fats and oils, commonly found in processed foods,

are also unhealthy.

 

Hydrogenation means adding hydrogen atoms, thus transforming a fatty acid from

unsaturated to saturated.

 

A full explanation of fats can be quite complicated. In this chapter it

has been my goal to simply give you some background on the chemistry of these

fatty acids in order to discuss the enormous importance of Omega-3 oils to body

and brain health.

 

Fish Oils and Mood:

 

Over the past few years, scientists have attempted to determine

whether the types of fats we consume have an influence on mental

function. It appears that there is a connection.

 

Drs. Joseph Hibbeln

and Norman Salem Jr., from the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse in

Rockville, Maryland, hasdone epidemiological studies to determine this

connection.

 

In an article published in Lancet in 1998, the doctors compare fish

consumption to the prevalence of major depression in eleven countries.

They found that the more fish consumed in a country, the less the risk

for depression.

 

The doctors say, " Increasing rates of depression in the last century

may be influenced by the consumption of increased amounts of saturated

fatty acids and Omega-6 fatty acids and the decreased consumption of

Omega-3 fatty acids. "

 

Studies indicate that DHA levels in red-blood-cell membranes are low

in those who are depressed (Peet 1998).

 

No studies have yet been published to determine if supplementing with

fish oils leads to mood elevation,

but these oils have been found to play a role in the relief of manic-depression.

 

 

Manic-Depression:

 

Also known as " bipolar disorder, " patients with this condition go

through cycles of feeling mania (euphoria, racing thoughts, hyper-

activity) followed by cycles of depression.

 

The standard pharmaceutical approach to treating bipolar disorders is

with lithium or drugs such as valproate and carbamazepine.

 

Dr. Andrew Stoll, M.D., from the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard

Medical School, has tested fish oils on this condition.

 

He conducted a four-month double-blind placebo-controlled study using

about 10 grams a day of concentrated fish oils.

 

Overall, nine out of fourteen patients responded positively to fish

oils, compared to three out of sixteen patients receiving a placebo.

 

Dr. Stoll tells me, " In cases of bipolar disorder, it would be

worthwhile to first try a therapeutic approach with fish oils before

proceeding to pharmacological therapy. "

 

Interestingly, Dr. Stoll reports that a preliminary study using

flaxseed oil with fifty patients showed that ALA, the fatty acid

found in flax, has mild mood-stabilizing and antidepressant effects.

 

 

Help for Schizophrenia?

 

Even relatively difficult mental conditions such as schizophrenia may

partially be influenced by the fatty acid content in the brain.

 

In a study done at the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield, England,

dietary supplementation for six weeks with 10 grams per day of

concentrated fish oil led to significant improvement in patients with

schizophrenic symptoms (Laugharne 1996).

 

Malcolm Peet, M.D., a professor at Northern General Hospital, has

found that supplementation with fish oils as an addition to existing

antipsychotic drug treatment leads to significant improvement in

treatment-resistant schizophrenic patients.

 

Interestingly, when he compared the effectiveness of EPA versus DHA, he

found that EPA was very effective, while DHA wasn't.

 

(Most fish oil capsules contain both EPA and DHA, but supplements are

now available that contain only DHA.)

 

This result was unexpected since, unlike DHA, EPA is not found

in significant amounts in the brain.

 

One can speculate that perhaps EPA is better transported through the

blood-brain barrier than DHA,

or perhaps EPA influences a set of immune and hormonal reactions that

DHA does not.

EPA can be converted into DHA which then is incorporated into cell membranes.

 

Fish Oils and Learning:

 

Although long-term human studies have not yet been conducted

evaluating therapy with fish oils and cognitive function, a one-year

study in mice gives us some preliminary answers (Suzuki 1998).

Adult mice were fed a regular diet that included either 5 percent palm

oil (containing mostly a 16-carbon saturated acid) or 5 percent sardine

oil.

 

At the end of the year, it was determined that the mice taking

the sardine oil had a higher brain concentration of DHA. Their

synapses and cell membranes were more fluid, and their maze-learning

ability was better than the mice that were fed palm oil.

 

 

 

 

Seeing Is Believing

 

The rods and cones of the retina in the eyes are very rich in DHA.

Hence, a deficiency in dietary fish oils will reduce the

photoreceptor activity of retinal cells, and thus reduce visual

acuity. On the other hand, supplementation with fish oils (or

flaxseed oil) could lead to visual improvement with enhanced color

perception.

 

Since levels of DHA in the brain decline with age, it is likely that

the levels of DHA also decline in the retina.

 

Is it possible that daily intake of fish oils can improve vision in

older individuals?

 

Hopefully future research can give us some answers.

 

I have taken fish oils off and on for many years. I've experimented

with very high daily dosages in order to determine if these oils have

any immediate effects.

 

The highest daily dose I have taken is thirty

capsules, each containing 300 mg of a combination EPA and DHA,

totaling 9,000 mg. I took this dose in the morning, and by late

afternoon I noticed the onset of clarity in vision, with objects

looking sharper and clearer.

There was a slight improvement in distance vision, and details became

more noticeable. Fine print became easier to read.

 

The visual improvements continued and improved

on subsequent days when I kept taking between ten to twenty capsules.

 

fish oil supplementation also makes me more serene, focused, and

balanced. The effects, though, are subtle. I currently take about 600 to

1,200 mg of EPA/DHA per day except on days when I eat fish.

 

My experience with flaxseed oil has also been positive.

 

When I take a tablespoon or more, I find that I have more energy and

clarity of vision.

 

This seems to improve over the following days if I continue

taking the flaxseed oil. At higher doses, such as two tablespoons, I

become overstimulated and experience insomnia.

 

 

THE SIMPLE " BRAIN FOOD " PLAN

 

Dietary intake of Omega-3 fatty acids varies significantly in the

North American population. As a rule, most Americans have a low

intake of fish oils, perhaps as low as 200 mg per day of EPA and DHA.

 

In cultures where fish is a large part of the diet, such as Eskimo or

Japanese, the intake of fish oils can approximate 3 to 10 grams a day

(one gram equals 1,000 mg).

 

For optimal brain function, I recommend that you consume fish at

least two or three times a week. If your diet does not include enough of

the Omega-3 fatty acids or enough fish, you could consider taking

supplements of fish oils or flaxseed oil.

 

Vegetarians, or those who don't eat fish, are good candidates for taking

Omega-3 supplements.

 

As a rule, ingesting about half a gram to 2 grams of a combination of

EPA and DHA daily should be sufficient.

 

There are dozens of different brands of fish oil capsules sold in

health-food stores, pharmacies, and retail outlets. Each of them is

likely to contain a different amount of EPA and DHA, but generally

each capsule contains between 200 to 400 mg of a combination EPA and

DHA.

 

There are even small, fruit-flavored capsules for children. fish oils

are best stored in the refrigerator.

 

For many years fish oil supplements were available as a combination

of EPA and DHA. Recently, DHA has been made available by itself.

 

This algae-derived product does not contain EPA, but has 100 mg of DHA

per capsule.

 

A DHA capsule is much more expensive than a standard fish

oil capsule. The question arises as to whether DHA has benefits over

that of fish oils.

 

I had a discussion about this matter with Artemis

Simopoulos, M.D., an expert on Omega-3 oils, and President for the

Center for Genetics, Nutrition, and Health in Washington, D.C.

 

She tells me, " If someone were to take fish oil supplements, I do not

see a need to take DHA supplements alone instead of fish oil supplements

that contain both EPA and DHA. "

 

 

Based on all the information available to date, it appears that

taking a DHA supplement by itself may not be necessary. For now, I

recommend that supplements include a combination of EPA and DHA.

 

Taking the combination is much cheaper than taking

DHA by itself. It's possible, though, that future research may

indicate that DHA alone may be helpful in infants, the elderly, in

pregnancy, or other conditions.

 

Algae-derived DHA supplements are also an option for strict vegetarians

who do not wish to ingest fish oils.

 

 

Flax or Fish?

 

Since the fatty acid ALA in flax oil can convert into EPA and DHA,

why not just take flaxseed oil supplements instead of fish oils?

 

This could well be a good option for those who prefer flaxseed over fish

oils.

 

However, it is possible that some people may not have the

adequate biochemical ability to convert ALA into EPA and DHA.

 

The conversion is a difficult process and may require more than 10

grams of ALA to make 600 mg of EPA or 400 mg of DHA (Gerster 1998).

 

Lloyd Horrocks, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Medical Biochemistry at

Ohio

State University in Columbus, Ohio, is an expert on fish oils.

 

 

He says, " The enzymes that convert shorter chain and less-saturated

fatty acids such as ALA into the longer chain EPA and DHA may not

work efficiently in everyone. "

 

It has also been suggested that several conditions or situations may

lead to inadequate activity of the enzymes that convert ALA to EPA

and DHA (Drevon 1992). These conditions include aging, diabetes,

intake of trans-fatty acids, and a large intake of saturated fatty

acids.

 

Norman Salem Jr., Ph.D., at the National Institutes of Health, tells

me,

 

Our research team has been studying Omega-3 fatty-acid metabolism in

humans. Our conclusion is that the conversion of ALA to DHA in most

adults is adequate to maintain DHA status in the brain, but may not

be adequate in newborns or individuals with certain metabolic

disorders.

A poorer DHA status associated with aging may occur due to

dietary changes in essential fat, as well as low levels of

antioxidant intake.

We do know that an optimum intake of Omega-3 fatty acids

is deficient in the Western diet, possibly due to the consumption of inferior

fats

and oils which interfere with their metabolism.

 

Most individuals are overdosing on safflower, corn, and peanut oils.

These should be replaced by sesame and

extra virgin olive oils. In addition, it is important to consume the

longer-chain

Omega-3 fats found in fresh raw organic fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds.

 

 

Based on the evidence currently available, it appears that most

adults are able to convert flaxseed oil to EPA and DHA, but there

could be some individuals unable to do so adequately.

 

This could be due to genetics, medical conditions, excessive dietary

intake of

saturated or *trans-fatty* acids, or the aging process.

www.bantransfats.com

 

Therefore, just to be on the safe side, it would seem reasonable to

include flax oil in the diet, yet also eat fish or take fish oil

supplements.This way, optimum amounts of all essential Omega-3 fatty acids such

as ALA, EPA, and DHA, would be ingested.

 

Individuals with a low intake of seafood and other foods supplying Omega-3

fatty acids are likely to benefit from supplementation with Norwegian fish oils

or

flaxseeds.

 

At this point, it is difficult to give precise dosages of EPA and DHA

that would apply to everyone. Individuals may vary in their requirement for

these fatty acids, depending on their dietary intake and their biochemical

ability to

convert smaller chain Omega-3s to EPA and DHA.

 

As a rule, eating fish two or three times a week supplies about seven grams of

EPA/DHA per week.

A reasonable approach for someone who does not eat fish is to supplement

with about one gram of a DHA/EPA combination on a daily basis. However, some

individuals may require much higher doses to notice

positive effects or to treat certain psychological, neurological, or medical

conditions.

 

EPA and DHA are important fatty acids in maintaining proper memory

and cognitive function.

 

I consider fish oils to be a crucial component of a mind-boosting

program.

 

Taking a small amount of Antioxidants, such as a few units of

vitamin E, along with the fish oil supplements seems prudent.

 

Overall we would have to determine that omega3—oil supplements

have a positive influence on a number of " neurological " or psychiatric

conditions.

 

The influence in some cases may be minor, but even a small benefit would be

worthwhile since fish oils and flaxseeds are inexpensive and do not have major

side effects, as do most pharmaceutical drugs.

 

www.spectrumnaturals.com

www.udoerasmus.com

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/EFAs.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The complete " Whole Body " Health line consists of the " AIM GARDEN TRIO "

Ask About Health Professional Support Series: AIM Barleygreen

 

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/AIM.html

 

PLEASE READ THIS IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER

We have made every effort to ensure that the information included in these pages

is accurate. However, we make no guarantees nor can we assume any responsibility

for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, product, or

process discussed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Small Business $15K Web Design Giveaway - Enter today