The modern diet can cause serious damage to the brains of fetuses
In the human brain there are millions-millions (trillions) of nerve cells with long extensions called axons and dendrites, as well as ten times as many glial cells. Since every cell is surrounded by a fatty cell membrane, the surface area of these cells is huge and therefore the brain needs a large amount of fatty acids to build the cell membranes. Mammals, including humans, are not able to produce all the fatty acids and we must get them from food. Two important examples are the unsaturated fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6.
The common diet in the western world, and especially the food sold in fast food chains, is rich in calories and carbohydrates. It is rich in omega-6 unsaturated fatty acids and low in omega-3. Before the industrial revolution, the amount of omega-6 in food was equal to the amount of omega-3, while today there are 15 times more omega-6 than omega-3. Moreover, in the US, about 30% of pregnant women are In morbid obesity, due to the consumption of food high in calories but low in nutritional value. However, both during the period of fetal development and after birth, it is important that the newborn receive from the mother, through the placenta and then during the breastfeeding process, an omega-3 acid that is so essential for the development of the brain and its activity.
The relative absence of omega-3 in the modern diet in general and the western diet in particular has been linked to a variety of human ailments, such as inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular problems, immune system function, bone health and even depression and various mental illnesses. In fact, it has been accepted for some time that there is a connection between the low levels of omega-3 in our diet and depression, but the evidence supporting this assumption is far from solid, and above all, the mechanism of action of omega-3 in the context of neuropsychiatric problems remains unknown.
However, in March 2011, an article was published in the journal Nature Neuroscience discussing the effect of the ratio between omega-6 and omega-3 in the diet on neural activity in the brain of mice, and in particular on the activity of the system known as the endocannabinoid system. The nerve cells have receptors for various neurotransmitters, including type 1 endocannabinoid receptors (CBR1). The endocannabinoids that activate the receptors are substances created in the body and are similar to the active substances of the cannabis plant (hashish) and hence their name. CBR1 receptors are involved in various cognitive processes and determining moods, and their underactivity can lead to depression. [See "Who's Afraid of Hashish", Scientific American Israel, August 2011.]
And back to the research: the researchers tested in mice the effect of a diet low in omega-3 already in the stages of embryonic development. One group of mice received food rich in omega 6 without omega 3 during pregnancy and another group received food rich in omega 3. After birth, the offspring from each group received the same diet as the mothers throughout their lives. The research was very comprehensive and it examined the effects of nutrition on the neural activity of the offspring, especially of the endocannabinoid system and also included behavioral experiments.
The results are instructive. In mice whose diet was low in omega-3, the endocannabinoid system did not function and CBR1-controlled neural phenomena simply did not occur. The damage was caused only in the CBR1 system and not in other receptor systems in the brain, and was manifested mainly in two areas of the brain that are important for mental balance: the prefrontal cortex and another area known as the nucleus accumbens. These changes were not found in the control group that received omega-3. In behavioral experiments, the mice raised without omega-3 showed signs of depression, while the mice in the group that received omega-3 behaved normally.
Foods rich in omega 3 include North Sea fish, such as tuna, salmon or cod, as well as flax seeds, walnuts and green vegetables. The effect of the composition of food on the development of our body and especially on the development of the brain, on our mood and on our behavior always arouses interest. Here is a direct example of how the composition of the food affects these factors.
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And more on the subject
Nutritional omega-3 deficiency abolishes endocannabinoid-mediated neuronal functions. M. Lafourcade et al, In Nature Neuroscience, vol. 14, no. 3 pages 345-352, July 10, 2011
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and also in flax seeds.
As I understood, despite the presence of metals, omega-3 from the animal source is more beneficial at the end of the day (you can combine).
Does anyone understand and can answer whether the AOX type capsules are really better quality and the absorption of omega 3 through them is significantly better?.
Why look for specialty stores? Nuts have more than enough omega-3. You can make a salad from green vegetables, add some nuts... and that's it. The human body is designed for common food and not for what the import companies want to market.
the expert,
Do you have a link to the company or the store that sells the products?
A class action lawsuit was not filed against all the companies.
An excellent company against which this lawsuit has not been filed is the Superhab company!!!!!
Plant-based products do not contain omega-3 fatty acids of the DHA type. It exists only in fish.
There is a serious problem today with omega of all kinds - consuming them from sea fish also supplies the body with toxic metals as a result of the pollution of the seas and oceans. Especially eating tuna that is carnivorous on and into its meat drains a large amount of toxic metals.
(Eating pond fish is also not recommended because of the amount of antibiotics they receive, what's more, as far as I know, there are no omega fatty acids in their meat).
Supplements - All the companies that provide omega supplements have boasted that their products do not contain toxic metals. Recently, a class action lawsuit was filed that they (all of them - about 16 companies) misled the public and that their products are full of toxic metals. link: http://www.themarker.com/markets/1.1530045
According to my understanding, the only remaining source is plants, products such as netted sage (chia seeds) and the like.
We did not specify which fatty acids are involved. Long unsaturated fatty acids, which are w6 can still be very effective.
There is nothing new about the fact that giving long unsaturated fatty acids to human premature babies drastically increases their IQ (and the meaning is that it prevents them from retardation - in its different form).
So what is better to be?
Lab mouse or lab embryo?
More simple - 3-6 gel capsules a day from a supplement.
You are deceiving yourself if you eat tuna steak once a week in a restaurant and it gives you omega 3 in your diet.