ALZHEIMER'S AND FISH OIL

Does Alzheimer’s disease plague your brain? Don’t you worry! Return to grandma’s wisdom. The age-old prescription of fish oil is proving helpful for Alzheimer’s patients. Those who dismissed grandma’s statement of fish being “brain food” are now curiously considering research evidence that suggests an antidote to Alzheimer’s disease.

It is a widely known fact that Alzheimer’s disease does not have a permanent cure; however, it is believed that those who include fatty fish in their diet or supplement their diet with fish oil stand to have a lower risk of Alzheimer's later in life. This is because of the role played by Omega 3 fatty acids that are present in fish oil. They have the ability to slow down the ageing process of human brain, which would in turn delay or slow down the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Besides this, these fatty acids have the reputation of improving general brain function, memory power, focus and concentration. Omega 3 fatty acids are active ingredients in medicines for conditions like anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, attention deficit disorder, etc. Now with recent research results, scientists are hoping for a breakthrough in Alzheimer’s treatment by using fish oil to improve the general functioning level of the brain. A study conducted on lab mice proved that fish oil could cut down brain plaque by over 40%.

Let us now see how does fish oil help Alzheimer’s patients. Contrary to popular belief, our brain is mostly composed of fat. One among several omega 3 fatty acids called Docosahexaenoic acid or simply DHA is present in high concentrations in brain. Careful analysis of Alzheimer’s patients’ brain revealed that their brain has very low concentration of this fatty acid thus arriving at the conclusion that DHA supplements can reverse or at least improve their condition. Another active ingredient of fish oil is eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA. This ingredient also possesses disease-fighting properties. It can also fight inflammation, which is thought to be one among several underlying causes of Alzheimer’s disease.

No wonder fish oil is called “brain food.” Thankfully, they do not have any side effects and pose minimal risk for heart-related problems. Therefore, DHA and EPA supplements can be of therapeutic benefit to Alzheimer’s patients who also have a history of heart disease.

Though researchers have come to the conclusion that fish oil can help patients with Alzheimer’s, the optimal dose of it has not been determined. This dose has to be determined only by analyzing the patient’s diet. For example, the common American diet has less quantity of fish or fish oil and hence a large dose of fish oil is needed to get desired results. Whereas those following a Mediterranean diet, a small dose of fish oil might suffice.

However, there is not much to cheer about for those who are in the later stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Fish oil, omega fatty acids, etc. can help only in preventing or at most in the preliminary stages of the disease. Still the future holds scope!