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A Purdue University study has showed that kids low
in Omega-3 essential fatty acids are significantly
more likely to be hyperactive, have learning disorders, and
to display behavioral problems. Omega-3 deficiencies have also been tied
to many conditions, including the following:
| dyslexia |
violence |
| depression |
memory problems |
| weight gain |
cancer |
| heart disease |
eczema |
| allergies |
inflammatory diseases |
| arthritis |
diabetes |
Over 2,000 scientific studies have demonstrated the
wide range of problems associated with Omega-3 deficiencies. The American
diet is almost devoid of Omega 3's, except for certain types of fish.
In fact, researchers believe that about 60%
of Americans are deficient in Omega-3 fatty acids, and about 20%
have so little that test methods cannot even detect any in their blood.
The human brain is more
than 60% structural fat, just as your muscles
are made of protein and your bones are made of calcium. But it's not just
any fat that our brains are made of. It has to be certain types of fats,
and we no longer eat these types of fats like we used to.
Worse, we eat man-made trans-fats and excessive amounts
of saturated fats and vegetable oils high in Omega-6 fatty acids, all
of which interfere which our body's attempt to utilize the tiny amount
of Omega-3 fats that it gets.
Other parts of our bodies
also need Omega-3 fatty acids. Symptoms
of fatty acid deficiency include a variety of skin problems such as eczema,
thick patches of skin, and cracked heels.
Signs of Fatty Acid Imbalance
(from the book "Smart
Fats")
| Dry skin |
Alligator skin |
"Chicken skin" on back
of arms |
| Dandruff |
Lowered immunity |
Dry eyes |
| Frequent urination |
Fatigue |
Poor wound healing |
| Irritability |
Dry, unmanageable hair |
Frequent infections |
| Attention deficit |
Hyperactivity |
Learning problems |
| Soft nails |
Brittle, easily frayed nails |
Patches of pale skin on cheeks |
| Allergies |
Excessive thirst |
Cracked skin on heels or fingertips |
Imagine your brain conducting some routine maintenance
on your dopamine and serotonin receptors (implicated in both ADD and mood
disorders). These receptors are composed of an Omega-3 fatty acid called
DHA.
If you don't have much DHA in your blood, man-made
trans-fat molecules may be used as a construction material instead. But
trans-fats (hydrogenated oils) are shaped differently than DHA: they are
straight while DHA is curved.
The dopamine receptor becomes deformed and doesn't
work very well. Repeat this scenario day after day, year after year, and
you could wind up with problems like depression and problems concentrating.
This problem is most severe for a child whose brain is still developing.
A lack of highly unsaturated fats is particularly
noticeable in connection with brain and nerve functioning. An
adjustment in diet to one with oil and protein contents high in unsaturated
fats brings the best results in children.
Now imagine a child in school learning math. The act
of learning requires the brain to form new neural pathways. DHA is needed,
especially for the delicate neural synapses which are composed entirely
of DHA. This child, like the vast majority of U.S. children, eats almost
no Omega-3 fatty acids. What does the brain do?
Again, it struggles and finally uses other types of
fats, which are the wrong shape. The neural network develops slowly and
is defective. The child has learning
and memory problems as well as behavior problems.
In a study of learning ability, rats were raised on
either a diet that was deficient in Omega-3 fatty acids or one that was
nutritionally complete. Initially, both groups of rats had similar numbers
of synaptic vesicles.
After a month-long learning program, however, the
Omega-3 enriched rats had considerably more vesicles in their nerve endings
and also performed markedly better on the tests. This study suggests there
may be a direct connection between the amount Omega-3 fatty acids in your
diet, the number of synaptic vesicles in your neurons, and your ability
to learn."
Within the next 5 or 10 years the population at large
will become familiar with the issue of fatty acid deficiency and the harm
causes by transfats, and there will be significant changes in the way
food is formulated and marketed.
In response to growing public pressure and the rising
number of studies implicating transfats, the
FDA has announced a new rule that will require the transfat content of
foods, but it won't become effective for a few years.
Companies are beginning to market omega-3 foods, like
tuna and eggs from chickens fed with high-omega 3 foods.
Babyfood companies like Gerber are talking about
adding DHA to foods (meanwhile the same food still contains transfats).
In Japan parents have been giving their kids DHA supplements for years
to improve their grades.
Research has shown that the diets of hunter/gatherers
were rich in Omega-3's. They ate a mix of meat, fruits and vegetables,
with little or no grains. Green leafy
vegetables, certain seeds and nuts, and wild game are rich in Omega-3's.
It turns out that cows, chickens and other animals
have much higher levels of Omega-3s when they are fed by "free-range"
methods because they eat lots of green leafy vegetables. On the other
hand, if they are fed grain, their Omega-3 levels crash. Wild game is
much healthier to eat and it is much leaner than farm-raised animals.
Curr Atheroscler Rep.
2001 Mar;3(2):174-9
You can not get beef that is fed by "free-range"
methods, otherwise known as grass-fed beef at your local grocery store.
The beef you will find there is low in Omega-3, and unhealthy to eat.
However you can now order grass-fed beef
online at Grassfed
Organics, and have it shipped to your door overnight.
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