| How Fish Oil Fights Alzheimer's
 There's no doubt fish oil -- chock full of omega-3
fatty acids -- is a highly
effective weapon you can use to protect your health from the ravages of
Alzheimer's disease. A new study by scientists at Louisiana State University
(free text link below) has discovered how those omega-3 fats work to
protect your brain from cognitive decline.
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) -- the most important of the omega-3 fats --
lowers the levels of a protein that creates damaging plaques in the brains of
Alzheimer's patients.
Researchers compared the brains of Alzheimer's victims with those who didn't
suffer from that mind-robbing disease, by testing postmortem tissue samples with
tandem mass spectrometry that analyzed changes in brain cells.
Not only does the DHA you consume via fish oil protect your body from
Alzheimer's by reducing amount of beta amyloids, scientists also discovered the
presence of a natural substance made by the brain -- a DHA derivative
called neuroprotectin D1 (NPD1) -- that prevents cell death. In fact,
Alzheimer's patients were found to have 20-25 times less NPD1 in some
areas of their brains than those not stricken with the disease.
By the way, consuming a high
quality fish is only one of many things you can do to lower
your risk of Alzheimer's easily and
inexpensively.
Journal of
Clinical Investigation September 8, 2005 Full Free Text Article
Yahoo
News September 9, 2005 | 
