Omega-3 shows promise for preserving weight, muscle for cancer patients
Preserving lean muscle is a concern for every aging person, but especially so for those undergoing chemotherapy for cancer. Cancer patients on chemo typically suffer from muscle wasting and malnutrition, and this involuntary weight loss is a major contributor to both mortality and morbidity. Here is some good news about this.
DHA omega-3 boosts survival time for advanced breast cancer by one full year
At WellWise, we are always on the lookout for women’s health news. We found this study about breast cancer and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) that we feel you should know about. The research results show that a high dose DHA increases advanced breast cancer survival time by one full year, or 55%. That’s major, and every woman on breast cancer chemo must learn about this.
Every child (and adult) with ADHD or ADD is unique. If for most ADHD sufferers it is true that DHA (omega-3) levels are too low, that doesn’t mean it is automatically true for your own kid. So test before and after you start taking or administering omega-3 supplements.
People with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and ADHD(Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) often have a deficiency in omega-3s and phospholipids. Unfortunately, omega-3 phospholipids can be found in only a few natural sources. The most studied source is cow brain. However, that research came to a crashing halt when, in 1986, mad cow disease broke out in the UK. Now it is no longer a good idea to eat brain or spinal-cord tissue.
Ever been at a restaurant (especially one inland) and had someone nearby get the skate wings or “daily catch” that smells so strong you can hardly eat your own food? This is the dish we jokingly refer to as “long time, no sea.” Many people have come to think of all fish as “stinky,” but the truth is, really fresh fish have very little, if any, smell.
ADHD and ADD patients are severely limited because they typically run on sugar. And typically, they function well for a few minutes, and then crash when their brains have used up all the glucose (sugar). In my neurofeedback clinic, the objective is to learn new brain patterns and behaviors, but it is frustrating for both patient and therapist when only the first 5-10 minutes of a session can be used optimally.
Excess body fat can lead to a host of heart diseases. Veins and arteries become more compromised, and blood vessels in legs and microcapillaries in eyes can wear out three times faster in overweight individuals. There is also an increased risk of high blood pressure with each additional pound of fat.[1]
It is not widely known that our brain needs fat. This is part of our confusing history with fat. We’ve heard for far too many years that fat is bad. This morphed into the maturing realization that certain fats are good, especially specific unsaturated fatty acids. The truth is, we cannot survive without the proper type and the proper amount of fat. In fact, our brains are nearly 60 percent fat, with a great need for saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, cholesterol, and other fats.
First feed the brain, and then challenge the brain
I often see patients in my neurofeedback practice who do not have enough brain energy to develop new brain patterns. They quickly burn through their glucose (sugar) and completely lose their productivity during the remainder of the session. This is not only unproductive and costly, but also frustrating for both patient and therapist.
Brain health is profoundly affected by your fatty-acid intake. In one of my books, Brain Building Nutrition, I cited the remarkable case of a young girl who suffered a bullet wound to the abdomen. Because of extensive damage, she required extensive surgery that caused her to lose parts of her small and large intestines. This meant many months of intravenous feeding to nurture her back to health.
Clinical research from Aker BioMarine shows that children with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) who took krill oil for 13 weeks normalized their electrical brain-activity patterns through QEEG brain mapping. This was somewhat to be expected, because krill oil contains DHA phospholipids, a major brain-fat molecule, which plays a major role in brain
Admiral cites omega-3s as part of vision for 'total force fitness'
Omega-3s, such as those found in krill oil and fish oil, were given a boost recently by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen. In an editorial in the publication Military Medicine, the admiral specifically cited omega-3s in a call for a ‘holistic’ view of military force fitness.
Here’s the latest wrinkle that is making Whole Foods Market’s controversial decision to remove the powerful omega-3 dietary supplement krill oil from its shelves over concerns about the fishery’s sustainability seem even more odd.
