DHA may help memory, brain functions
April 11th 2011 08:57
There are plenty of advertisements for nutritional supplements supposed to help with memory, concentration and other brain functions.
Gingko biloba, Vitamin E, Coenzyme Q-10, fish oil, DHA (an omega-3 fatty acid), lecithin, melatonin, beta carotene and other nutrients have been recommended by various sources as being beneficial for brain health and function.
Although you and I might be hopeful that some natural product such as an herbal, vitamin or mineral supplement would be helpful for us, it is very difficult to determine with certainty which products are likely to actually work.
True scientific testing of any product is very expensive and time-consuming, and the best that could be hoped for would be that a product is found to help a certain percentage of the population.
If you are fortunate enough to fall into that percentage of positive responders, good for you.
If not, you are still out of luck, even if the product has been proven to be beneficial for others.
Conversely, even if the product has not been proven by scientific standards, that doesn't mean that it is ineffective.
It may just mean that no one has spent the enormous amounts of money that good research costs.
Or it may mean that some research has been done, but that it is inconclusive.
So it is with supplements intended to benefit the brain.
There are a number of well-known supplements that have at least some research to indicate that they are effective, but it will always boil down to a trial and error approach to see if you will benefit personally.
One of the product classes that shows the greatest promise is omega-3 fatty acids (O3FA's).
Particularly, one O3FA that has been shown to have benefits is docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
DHA is the most abundant omega-3 fatty acid in the brain and retina.
Your body needs sufficient DHA in the diet to maintain healthy brain cells.
Studies show that it might be helpful in preventing memory loss and possibly even in treatment of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's.
Some research has shown a decreased occurrence of Alzheimer's disease in patients that supplemented with DHA.
Some doctors therefore recommend DHA supplements for patients that have or might be at risk for degenerative brain disease such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.
Their rationale is that there is some evidence to recommend it.
However, another test by the National Institutes of Health did not find any meaningful benefit from DHA for patients already diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
Another large study in 2010 involved otherwise healthy adults with complaints of mild memory issues.
That study did show a significant improvement among the participants that took the DHA for six months over those that did not.
This may indicate that DHA deficiency is more widespread than earlier believed and that supplementation will help some people with memory complaints.
DHA plays other roles in human health as well.
DHA has been shown to reduce the growth of colon cancer tumors and has been beneficial in increasing the effectiveness of chemotherapy in cancer treatment.
It is vitally important to child neurological development and a healthy heart.
It is also important in the production of sperm cells.
Of all the proposed supplements to benefit brain health and function, DHA may be the one most likely to have a beneficial effect, although other supplements may be helpful as well.
The question some people ask is whether they can simply obtain sufficient DHA through their diet.
Knowing what most American's eat, my short answer would be probably not.
DHA is primarily available in meat, dairy and egg products.
The levels of DHA in these foods have decreased markedly during the past decade.
Vegetarian diets contain extremely limited DHA and vegan diets contain none.
DHA is widely supplemented in infant formulas and is now found as an additive in many dairy products such as yogurt.
If you have noticed a decline in mental function, memory or concentration, a six month trial of a quality brand DHA may be beneficial
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