Two leading neuroscientists recently announced that an active lifestyle and
a diet rich in the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils help prevent the memory loss associated with old age, as well as
having other benefits.
Seven Keys
Along with eating a healthy diet and keeping physically fit,
five other key factors in maintaining your mental faculties are:
- Avoiding high stress levels
- Enjoying a rich and varied social life
- Mental stimulation
- Learning new things
- Thinking young
Omega-3s Stop Memory Loss
Studies show that omega-3
fats reduce the cell inflammation that triggers a decline in memory, and may even stem the chemicals that give rise to such
inflammation in the first place. Omega-3 fats have also been linked with maintaining a healthy heart and joints, and in protecting
the brain against the damage caused by Alzheimer's disease.
Yahoo News September 7, 2005
Dr. Mercola's
Comment:
The mountain of evidence demonstrating the essential nature of omega-3 fatty acids continues to grow.
There is little question that omega-3 fats arethe most common and serious nutritional deficiency for nearly everyone reading
this. Omega-3 deficiencies are not only linked to memory problems, but also to a wide variety of other healh concerns that
you probably have:
- Dyslexia
- Depression
- Weight gain
- Cancer
- Heart disease
- Eczema
- Allergies
- Inflammatory diseases
- Arthritis
- Diabetes
Unfortunately,a number of people have some serious confusion when it comes
to using omega-3 fats. While omega-3 from plants (like flax) are useful and should certainly be consumed, they are in no way,
shape or form an acceptable substitute for animal-based omega-3 fats. In fact, in certain instances omega-3 from flax might
actually increase the risk of cancer.
Those who consume a vegan diet that avoids all seafood will likely develop severe
deficiencies in this important fat and expose themselves to all infections, not only flu, in addition to nearly every chronic
degenerative disease we know of.I suggest you use a high-quality fish oil or cod liver oil, which will give you all the benefits
while allowing you to avoid the dangerous mercury present in most fish.
Cod liver oil also provides you with an excellent
source of vitamin D,which is important as winter is quickly approaching the northern hemisphere. Vitamin D is another important
factor in staying healthy into old age. Most Americans do not get enough vitamin D, largely because of experts' misguided
recommendations to avoid all sun exposure.
But increasing numbers of scientists are agreeing that vitamin D deficiency
increases the risk of:
- Bone and muscle problems
- Many forms of cancer
- High blood pressure
- Depression
- Multiple sclerosis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Diabetes
It is essential to understand that in order to know how much vitamin D you
should be taking, you should get your blood level checked. If you are uncertain about your vitamin D levels, you can read
my past article on vitamin D testing and get up to date on this important topic.
About the Author:
This article is reprinted from Mercola.com, the world's #1 most visited and
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