So often our first response to illness is to take drugs, have surgery, or just throw up our hands in despair. This is especially true when it comes to brain function, and devastating illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease. But it’s the wise person who remembers that good food was one of the original prescriptions for good health, boosting brain-power and slowing down the aging process. 

Fernando Gómez-Pinilla, a professor of neurosurgery and physiological science at the University of California, Los Angeles, specializes in the effects of sleep, food, and exercise on our brains. He recently analyzed more than 160 published scientific studies to see what they said about diet and the brain.

In his comprehensive analysis, published in Nature Reviews Neuroscience, he found that omega-3 fatty acids are crucial nutrients for improving learning and memory and fighting depression, mood disorders, and even schizophrenia and dementia. Plus, these fatty acids are thought to be deficient in kids with learning disorders and some behavioral problems.

Fish, especially fatty fish like mackerel, is packed with omega-3s, and most experts recommend that we eat at least two servings of fish per week. Salmon is especially good, because it contains high levels of DHA, an important omega-3. But omega-3s are also found in supplements made from fish oils, including Animi-3, available only with a prescription, but probably the purest form of omega-3s one the market.

Gómez-Pinilla is part of UCLA’s Brain Research Institute and Brain Injury Research Center, and he says that omega-3s, which make up most of the mass in the brain, help the brain synapses communicate with each other, and thus are vital to good brain function.

Getting enough of omega-3 in your diet is a no-brainer.

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Barbara S. Levine, R.D., Ph.D., has been a researcher, consultant, and teacher of nutrition at some of the most prestigious medical institutions in the country. Dr. Levine is a DHA & B Vitamin Center scientific advisory board member and director of the first NIH-funded Nutrition Information Center at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Weill-Cornell Medical College, The Rockefeller University, Hospital for Special Surgery, and Strang Cancer Prevention Center.

With all the talk about how fantastic omega-3 fatty acids are for our bodies, it’s sometimes easy to forget that not everyone likes to eat fish, which is the food that is richest in these essential nutrients for our brain and heart. Sometimes those who like fish can’t get it because they live too far inland from good fish markets. In addition, many fear contaminants found in fish such as methylmercury. And then there are vegetarians vegans who simply can’t eat fish. This can make it tough for these people to get their healthy fatty acids.   

A recent article in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association outlined that group’s belief that eating good foods is the best way to get the nutrients you want. They recommended eating two servings of seafood a week, especially of oily fish like mackerel and sardines, which would provide about 3,500 milligrams (mg) of the DHA and EPA, two of the most desirable omega 3 fatty acids, per week.  Most Americans only consume approximately 100 mg of omega-3 fats a day, or nearly 700 mg a week. Clearly, this is a problem in need of solution, and the functional food industry has responded.  

Fortunately, you no longer have to eat fish or take spoonfuls of fish oil to get your omega-3s. These days, most grocery stores carry eggs from chickens that were fed a diet high in omega-3s, and meat, breads, and even snack foods are often fortified with these essential nutrients.  To make certain you are getting enough DHA and EPA, I recommend taking a highly refined omega-3 supplement that ensures accurate dosing and purity.  

I have been recommending prescription-only supplement Animi-3 to patients who have diseases associated with deficiencies in omega-3, folic acid, and B vitamins. Each capsule contains 500 mg of omega-3, including 350 mg of DHA, 1 mg of folic acid, 12.5 mg of B6, and 12 mcg of B12. Plus, the omega-3 in Animi-3 is all natural and purified to eliminate any contaminants including those commonly found in fish.  

Bottom line: Experts agree you must consume more omega-3s in your diets. 

Age-related macular degeneration is an insidious disease that gradually diminishes a person’s sharp, central vision. It is usually treated with lasers or drugs, although the success rate is not high.

 But a new study shows that you may be able to reduce the risk of vision loss just by eating the right foods. It turns out that foods such as fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids and actually may help prevent macular degeneration, according to researchers at the University of Melbourne, Australia.

 The team of researchers conducted a comprehensive review of studies on the relationship between omeg-3 fatty acids, which are found most abundantly in oily fish, and supplements, and concluded that in most cases, the more omega-3s a person consumed, the less likely they were to develop age-related macular degeneration.  

While the researchers admit they cannot say for certain whether eating fish and taking omega-3 supplements prevent age-related macular degeneration, scientists and nutritional experts are beginning to envision a brighter future.

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Barbara S. Levine, R.D., Ph.D., has been a researcher, consultant, and teacher of nutrition at some of the most prestigious medical institutions in the country. Dr. Levine is a DHA & B Vitamin Center scientific advisory board member and director of the first NIH-funded Nutrition Information Center at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Weill-Cornell Medical College, The Rockefeller University, Hospital for Special Surgery, and Strang Cancer Prevention Center.

It turns out that nutrients from scaly fish could help humans with scaly skin, according to a new study in the British Journal of Dermatology.

In the study, German researchers assigned 53 eczema sufferers to receive either DHA supplements or supplements of a non-omega-3 fatty acid. After only eight weeks of supplementation, the group taking DHA showed a significant drop in the uncomfortable symptoms associated with eczema:

• Dryness
• Itching
• Redness 

DHA has long been known to improve eyesight and brain power, as well as reduce heart disease. But this study suggests that it is the omega-3 anti-inflammatory benefits that are at work against the eczema.   

DHA is found most abundantly in oily fish, such as sardines and mackerel, as well as supplements such as Animi-3, which is specially formulated with highly purified, DHA-dominant omega-3 fatty acids.  Two to three servings of fish a week, or the amount of supplements recommended on the label would be sufficient, and may lead to smoother skin.

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Barbara S. Levine, R.D., Ph.D., has been a researcher, consultant, and teacher of nutrition at some of the most prestigious medical institutions in the country. Dr. Levine is a DHA & B Vitamin Center scientific advisory board member and director of the first NIH-funded Nutrition Information Center at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Weill-Cornell Medical College, The Rockefeller University, Hospital for Special Surgery, and Strang Cancer Prevention Center.

Americans tend to think of themselves as getting way too much nutrition, but in truth, there are some areas where we are deficient. In fact, most of us wouldn’t recognize one area where in which we are malnourished. But it turns out that our brains might be hungry for some particular nutrients called omega-3 fatty acids, and one in particular called DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).

DHA is abundant in the grey matter of our brains and retinas, and this omega-3 fatty acid helps nerves communicate with each other. Our bodies can process DHA from flax, nuts, and eggs, but the best source is fatty, cold water fish like sardines and mackerel. And a lot of Americans just don’t get much of it from their diets. That’s a shame, because it turns out that low levels of DHA are associated with an array of problematic conditions, including:

• Depression
• Poor memory
• Bad eyesight
• Dementia

There has been a lot of research lately about how important DHA is to the brains and eyes of developing fetuses and infants. In fact, children whose mothers ingested low levels of DHA and other omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy have been found to score lower in visual and mental tests. That is not surprising when you consider the infant brain triples in size during the first three months of life.

A diet rich in fish oil and the use of baby formula with DHA can solve this type of malnutrition. Dietary intake of DHA may also help prevent:

• Postpartum depression
• ADHD
• Low IQ
• Suicidal behavior
• Violent behavior

Two to three servings of fish a week, or taking at least 100 mg a day of a purified DHA supplement is all you need for you and baby.

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Barbara S. Levine, R.D., Ph.D., has been a researcher, consultant, and teacher of nutrition at some of the most prestigious medical institutions in the country. Dr. Levine is a DHA & B Vitamin Center scientific advisory board member and director of the first NIH-funded Nutrition Information Center at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Weill-Cornell Medical College, The Rockefeller University, Hospital for Special Surgery, and Strang Cancer Prevention Center.

Balancing your intake of omega-3 fatty acids can protect against chronic, debilitating diseases, according to a review of current research published in Experimental Biology & Medicine, a peer-reviewed journal. According to the researchers:

• In the distant past, humans had a ratio of one part omega-6 fatty acids to one part omega-3 fatty acids (1:1).
• But in the modern world, where omega-6 fats are found in high concentrations in corn oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, and soybean oil, that ratio has risen to an average of 15 parts omega-6 to three parts omega-3 fats (15:3).

It is well-known that omega-3s are most abundant in cold water, oily fish such as salmon, herring and sardines, as well as flaxseed, nuts, and eggs. It is also well-known, however, that most people do not consume enough DHA and other omega-3 s in their diets.

Ingesting too much omega-6 that is so prevalent in our diets has been linked to man conditions, including:

• Heart disease
• Cancer
• Arthritis
• Autoimmune diseases

Additionally, the researchers discovered that maintaining a relatively low ratio of four parts omega-6 fats to one part omega-3 fats (4:1) in the human body led to a 70 percent increase in death rates. Likewise, according to the report, lowering the ratio to 2:1 or less greatly reduces the risk of lung and breast cancer, according to the report. Maintaining a healthier omega-6:omega-3 ratio also helped reverse asthma and arthritis.

Reducing your intake of oils that are packed with omega-6 fats and increasing your intake of omega-3s may have a huge impact on your health and longevity. If you cannot consume enough omega-3 in your diet by eating the right kind of food, try an omega-3 supplement.

Remember, it’s all about balance.

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Barbara S. Levine, R.D., Ph.D., has been a researcher, consultant, and teacher of nutrition at some of the most prestigious medical institutions in the country. Dr. Levine is a DHA & B Vitamin Center scientific advisory board member and director of the first NIH-funded Nutrition Information Center at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Weill-Cornell Medical College, The Rockefeller University, Hospital for Special Surgery, and Strang Cancer Prevention Center.

Eating for two takes on a whole new meaning following a new study published in The Journal of Pediatrics. With all the emphasis on making sure infants get sufficient omega-3 fatty acids in from mother’s milk or in formula, it’s easy to forget how important these essential fats are for a child developing in the womb.

But researchers at Université Laval, Canada, discovered fetuses with higher omega-3 levels during the final months of pregnancy do better on cognitive, sensory and motor development when in infancy.

The scientists measured the levels of an omega-3 fat called DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) in the umbilical cords of 109 infants to determine how much DHA they had received during the last trimester of pregnancy. Among all the omega 3 fatty acids, DHA is especially crucial for developing eyes and neurons, and fetuses and infants will even naturally convert other omega-3s into DHA if necessary.

When the researchers tested the same kids at 6 months and 11 months they found that vision, cognitive, and motor skills were more developed in the infants who’d been exposed to more DHA in the womb. This factor was even more important than the amount of DHA they later ingested from mother’s milk or formula after being born. Of course, a fetus can only get as much DHA as its mother has in her own system, so the maternal diet is crucial to a child’s health. 

Based on study findings, this team of researchers recommend pregnant women consume a diet rich in omega-3s to benefit the outcome of their children’s development. That diet could include omega-3 rich fish such as trout, wild salmon and sardines, or a nutritional supplement such as Animi-3, an omega-3 fatty acids and B-vitamin supplement.

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Barbara S. Levine, R.D., Ph.D., has been a researcher, consultant, and teacher of nutrition at some of the most prestigious medical institutions in the country. Dr. Levine is a DHA & B Vitamin Center scientific advisory board member and director of the first NIH-funded Nutrition Information Center at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Weill-Cornell Medical College, The Rockefeller University, Hospital for Special Surgery, and Strang Cancer Prevention Center.

With all the research showing the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids on a person’s heart, it can be hard to sort the wheat from the chaff.

Recently, expert findings published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings condensed peer-reviewed research to summarize the latest data about how these healthy fats can improve heart health and lower levels of unhealthy cholesterol.

Researchers say the most convincing evidence that omega-3 fatty acids help hearts comes from three large trials involving more than 30,000 people. Some of the volunteers in the studies received DHA and EPA, the two omega-3 fats that are most closely associated with healthy hearts, and others received placebos. 

It turns out that those taking omega-3 supplements, or eating more fish, had between 19 and 45 percent fewer heart problems than the control group. 

According to James O’Keefe, M.D., a cardiologist from the Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Missouri, evidence suggests the following: 

• People with known coronary heart disease should consume one gram of omega 3’s each day.
• People without known heart disease should consume approximately 500 milligrams of omega-3’s each day.

In addition, Dr. O’Keefe admitted those individuals with elevated triglyceride levels might benefit from as much as three to four grams of DHA and EPA per day; studies have shown that this dietary intake can significantly reduce cholesterol levels.

Two servings of fish offer approximately 500 milligrams of omega 3’s; the remaining dietary omega-3 intake can be derived from omega-3 nutritional supplements.

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Barbara S. Levine, R.D., Ph.D., has been a researcher, consultant, and teacher of nutrition at some of the most prestigious medical institutions in the country. Dr. Levine is a DHA & B Vitamin Center scientific advisory board member and director of the first NIH-funded Nutrition Information Center at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Weill-Cornell Medical College, The Rockefeller University, Hospital for Special Surgery, and Strang Cancer Prevention Center.

Each year, approximately 565,000 Americans suffer a first heart attack, and another 300,000 people in this country suffer their second or third heart attacks. Many of them die.

New research suggests that high doses of folate, a B vitamin that is also known as folic acid, may potentially keep these 865,000 people alive and healthy.

For years physicians have been telling expecting mothers to take folic acid to prevent their babies from developing a devastating birth defect known as spinal bifida. Moreover, other studies in recent weeks have shown that folic acid may also help prevent dementia and premature births.

Folate’s role in heart health was further explored in a recent study conducted by researchers at John’s Hopkins University and other organizations that was published last week in the medical journal Circulation. Using an animal model, subjects that had received higher doses of folate had stronger hearts during a heart attack. Additionally, the scientists discovered that injecting subjects with folate in the minutes following a heart attack was very helpful during recovery.

While no one knows exactly why folate seems to have a protective effect, the researchers speculate that it has to do with the nutrient’s role in boosting the mitochondria that are essential for maintaining healthy blood vessels:  Folate may act as a store of energy in the heart that gives much needed fuel to the organ when it is being starved of oxygen at the time of a heart attack.

This research further supports the understanding that folic acid supplementation is essential and opens the door to potentially life saving cardiovascular treatments.

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Barbara S. Levine, R.D., Ph.D., has been a researcher, consultant, and teacher of nutrition at some of the most prestigious medical institutions in the country. Dr. Levine is a DHA & B Vitamin Center scientific advisory board member and director of the first NIH-funded Nutrition Information Center at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Weill-Cornell Medical College, The Rockefeller University, Hospital for Special Surgery, and Strang Cancer Prevention Center.

You are what you eat, and so are your kids, according to new research from the Child & Family Research Institute, Vancouver, Canada.  And it might be time to add some surf to your turf.

In this instance, a team of researchers determined the meat-centered diets that most of us eat are deficient in crucial fats that are found mainly in fish and omega-3 nutritional supplements.

According to the report, which was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, these unsaturated fats, known as omega-3 fatty acids, are vital to the health of a baby’s eyes and brain as it develops.

• In the womb, the baby gets these essential fatty acids from mom via the umbilical cord.
• After birth, baby receives fatty acids from mother’s milk or infant formula containing omega-3.

In particular, the study followed 135 pregnant women who were randomly put in one of two groups:

1. One group of pregnant women was given omega-3 supplements equal to two servings of fatty fish per week.
2. The other group of pregnant women was given a placebo.

Both groups of women were given blood tests at 16 weeks and again 36 weeks for DHA (docasohexaenoic acid) levels, which is a type of omega-3 fat that has been associated with infant mental and visual development.

After both groups’ babies had been born, the researchers tested the infants’ vision and brain development and determined the infants whose mothers had taken omega-3 supplements did better on the tests. The researchers believe that simply changing from a meat-based diet to one that includes more fish and/or omega-3 supplements may help mothers raise healthier children.

Two servings of fish provide approximately 500 milligrams of omega-3 fats, which is sufficient for one day. Taking a DHA supplement is a great way to make up for any days you don’t eat fish.

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Barbara S. Levine, R.D., Ph.D., has been a researcher, consultant, and teacher of nutrition at some of the most prestigious medical institutions in the country. Dr. Levine is a DHA & B Vitamin Center scientific advisory board member and director of the first NIH-funded Nutrition Information Center at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Weill-Cornell Medical College, The Rockefeller University, Hospital for Special Surgery, and Strang Cancer Prevention Center.