It's no secret that long-term diet and nutrition choices have an effect on the way we look and feel; but new studies show that nutrition can also affect the way we think. As it turns out, there really is such a thing as “food for thought.”
It may seem strange that what we put in our stomachs can have such a powerful effect on what goes on in our minds, but research is increasingly showing that emotional, mental and psychiatric disorders like depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia may more likely be the result of dietary deficiencies than genetic predispositions. The same is true of people who struggle with memory loss, have trouble learning new tasks, have Alzheimer’s disease or simply suffer from a lot of blue moods. The dietary deficiency that tends to frequently show up in these patients is a lack of omega-3 oils -- abundant fatty acids found in cold-water fish like salmon, herring and cod.

Omega-3s and brain healthThe omega-3 fatty acid known as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an important ingredient for optimal brain function. Earl Mindell, RPh PhD, writes in Earl Mindell's Supplement Bible, “There's a reason why fish is known as brain food. It is a rich source of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a fatty acid that is found in high concentration in the gray matter of the brain. DHA is instrumental in the function of brain cell membranes, which are important for the transmission of brain signals.” By making cell membranes more fluid, omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA, improve communication between the brain cells, according to Mind Boosters author Dr. Ray Sahelia. As a result, lack of omega-3 in the body can cause a communication breakdown in the brain, which is probably the last place you'd want such a breakdown to happen.

Omega-3 fatty acids are so important to the development and proper maintenance of the brain that “some scientists even postulate that it was the ingestion of omega-3 EFAs that allowed the brain to evolve to the next stage in human development,” according to Superfoods Rx authors Steven G. Pratt and Kathy Matthews. While omega-3s were abundant in our diets before the 20th century, they are now seriously lacking. The Editors of FC&A Medical Publishing write in The Folk Remedy Encyclopedia, “Just like a machine, your brain needs oil -- in the form of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids -- to run smoothly. Unfortunately, the average diet doesn't usually contain the right balance of these fatty acids. If you eat a typical modern diet, you probably get plenty of omega-6 through corn, soybean, and other oils in processed food. But omega-3 oils, which are just as important, are often missing.”

Pregnant women need omega-3sIt may not be surprising that most red-meat-loving Americans do not get a lot a fish in their diets, and therefore are not getting enough brain-boosting omega-3. Unfortunately, since DHA is crucial in fetal brain development, that lack of omega-3 could be putting us at a mental disadvantage before we are even born.

“During pregnancy, omega-3 fatty acids are conveyed from the mother's blood to the developing fetus by way of the placenta,” writes Phyllis A. Balch in Prescription For Dietary Wellness. “They are vital for the development of the brain and retina membranes of the fetus. Thus, the amount of DHA the baby receives depends on the mother's dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids.” Depending on Mom’s diet, then, a child’s brain could be starved for omega-3 before it has any say in the matter, and research shows this could actually have a significant impact on intelligence and vision.

“Several recent studies, conducted in both animals and humans, have shown that babies who receive adequate amounts of this vital fat have better functioning brains and higher IQs,” writes Dr. Russell L. Blaylock in Health And Nutrition Secrets. “Those with low amounts of DHA demonstrate learning difficulties and visual problems.” Therefore, moms who want to brag about their kids’ intelligence could stand to add more fish to their diets.

Omega-3 fatty acids continue to be essential to infant brain development after birth, and research shows babies who are breast fed receive higher levels of the important fatty acid than those fed formula, since baby formula in the United States is not required to contain any omega-3 at all. Breast milk appears, in this case, to have major payoffs, according to Phyllis A. Balch, CNC and Dr. James F. Balch in Prescription For Nutritional Healing, who write, “Breastfed infants have been found to be more intelligent than formula-fed infants and to achieve higher academic levels in adult life.”

Omega-3s can aid mental and emotional disordersThe brain’s need for omega-3 fatty acids does not go away post-infancy. Omega-3 deficiencies in adults have been linked to various mental and emotional disorders. In fact, “some doctors even think the epidemic amounts of mental illness in modern societies can be traced back to the omega imbalance in the food supply,” according to Eat and Heal, by the Editors of FC&A Medical Publishing.

Low levels of DHA have been linked to memory loss, depression, bipolar disorder, attention deficit disorder, schizophrenia, autism and general learning difficulties or bad moods. “If you don't feed brain cell membranes enough of the right type of fat, the messages can be short-circuited and garbled. That may mean a disturbance in mood, concentration, memory, attention, and behavior,” writes Miracle Cures author Jean Carper. Depression in particular has been frequently linked to low levels of DHA, since omega-3 fatty acids help regulate mood by increasing levels of serotonin, the hormone that relieves depression.

Omega-3 may be just as important to the elderly population as it is to newborns, since diminishing omega-3 levels may be a contributing factor to stroke and Alzheimer’s disease. According to Eat and Heal, one of the possible causes of Alzheimer’s disease is beta-amyloid plaque, or clumps of protein, that accumulate in the victim's brain, and “experts believe beta-amyloid might be connected with inflammation of the brain's blood vessels.”

Since omega-3 fatty acids are known to reduce inflammation, they could also be an important key in the fight against this frightening degenerative disease, as has been suggested by research in Japan. “Japanese studies have shown that supplemental DHA sharpens memory in patients with dementia and depression and improves behavior and speech in those with Alzheimer's disease,” writes Dr. Julian Whitaker in The Memory Solution.

Omega-3 fatty acids aid in routine memory function in people without Alzheimer’s, as well. “One study found that DHA supplementation significantly decreased the number of reference memory errors and working memory errors in aged male rats and in young rats,” writes Gary Null in Power Aging.

For people who don’t like fish, omega-3 fatty acids are also available in some plant foods, like flaxseed and walnuts, but they are not as potent in these forms. Fish remains the best source of omega-3s, and diets lacking in the essential fatty acids may need supplements. “For optimal brain function, I recommend that you consume fish at least two or three times a week. If your diet does not include enough of the omega-3 fatty acids or enough fish, you could consider taking supplements of fish oils or flaxseed oil,” writes Dr. Sahelia.

So, if you are fish deficient, it’s time to wise up. After all, if eating more fish oil can help keep your brain sharp and help you hold on to those precious memories as you grow older, it seems like a smart choice to make.

The experts speak on omega-3 oils and brain health:

The belief that "fish is brain food" has been held around the world for well over two thousand years. Fish supplies omega-3 oils, and among them is docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), essential for brain and eye tissue development (specifically the retina) in infants; it remains fundamental to those tissues throughout life. Current research focuses on these oils—often woefully short, if not deficient, in modern diets—as one cause of attention deficit disorder. Once more, modern research is validating folk wisdom—fish really is brain food. Now, new findings are suggesting that the oils found in fish also help prevent cancer.