A high level of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in blood may lower the risk of small infarcts and other brain abnormalities that are linked to cognitive decline in the elderly, according to new research. The study of 3,660 people aged 65 and older, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, investigated
Despite the daily suicides, the shootings, all the facts and figures that are now tragically cliché, our government institutions remain in a state of surreal paralysis. Soldiers do not have lobbyists. Expensive pieces of military hardware, pharmaceutical drugs — they have lobbyists. While less than half of soldiers and veterans are being helped by medications,
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) during childhood can have long-term effects on cognitive and psychosocial functioning, including poor academic achievement. Pediatric TBI can cause significant deficits in working memory, as demonstrated in a study published in Journal of Neurotrauma. Read full article. CLICK for link to Journal of Neurotrauma study.
Football happens … along with soccer, basketball, baseball and softball. Millions of children and young adults are playing these and other sports to the delight of their parents, other family members and friends cheering from the stands and along the sidelines. Sports are deeply ingrained into our culture, and for kids can offer valuable life
Higher blood levels of long-chain omega-3s, and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) in particular, were associated with better reading and working memory performance, according to a new observational study conducted at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Lead researchers indicated that an increased dietary intake of omega-3s may be beneficial for healthy children aged 7
It is always a pleasure when I read the words of an author who eloquently articulates ideas I believe to be important. Even better when it is a patient’s family that leads me there. A couple of days ago, I was led to a brainline.org article published last year, “Fighting the “TBI Wars”: New Alternatives
July 29, 2013 — Diets lacking omega-3 fatty acids — found in foods like wild fish, some eggs, and grass-fed livestock — can have worsened effects over consecutive generations, especially affecting teens, according to a University of Pittsburgh study. Published in Biological Psychiatry, the Pitt team found that in a rodent model second-generation deficiencies of
Pulitzer Prize winning writer Eric Newhouse has been looking into this. “I’ve been deeply troubled about the lack of TBI diagnoses. Five years ago, the Rand Corporation interviewed several thousand soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and predicted that 18 percent of them would return with PTSD.” Newhouse is on a lecture circuit speaking about
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These days, parents, student athletes and coaches are much more aware of the long-term medical problems that concussions can cause. Fortunately, many efforts are being made to protect kids from head injuries. Sports equipment companies have jumped on the bandwagon and have improved the protection their helmets and pads offer. However, some of these newer
Because of a diet low in fish and seafood, children and adults in North America and other parts of the world, have a “nutrition gap” of omega-3 fatty acids, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Read full article here.
Reaction to last week’s study linking omega-3 with prostate cancer have been vociferous and near-unanimous in condemning its methods and conclusions. Here Alan Ruth, PhD, and CEO of the Irish Health Trade Association (IHTA), explains why that condemnation was justified and not just sourced from an industry concerned with defending its own patch. Read full article
Obviously, the big news of this past week in the world of omega-3s is a study published claiming that “omega-3s cause prostate cancer.” I have had friends and family call, text, stop me in person, and email their concerns about what is clearly a headline grabbing ploy by the press to make a huge deal
One of the biggest problems is persuading people to eat more healthy fat in their diet. Fat has unfortunately been demonized by mass media, and even by medical practitioners, who claim that fat is bad for our health. That is only half the truth. Bad fats will make us gain weight and lead to many
A survey shows that depression and other psychiatric disorders are common after a head injury. Previous research has suggested that depression may be a complication of traumatic brain injury (TBI), but the issue has not been extensively investigated. Researchers at the University of Iowa compared 91 patients with TBI with 27 patients who suffered multiple
The weight loss benefits associated with omega-3 have been well-documented in the past, but can it actually deter our cravings for junk food? Researchers from the University of Liverpool’s Institute of Aging and Chronic Disease examined 185 research papers dealing with fish oil’s effect on weight loss and neurogenesis, the process that generates nerve cell
The horrible events of the Boston Marathon are etched into our psyche that gives America a glimpse into what our military has faced every day for the past eleven years in Iraq and Afghanistan. One thing that worries me as a retired Army physician when I see injured soldiers –or a victim of terrorism—are the
Increased intakes of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA may counter the alleviate oxidative stress in older people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), says a new study from Malaysia. Read full article.
The eyes may be the window to the soul, but researchers are finding they also provide a view into the brain that could help detect neurological damage from bomb blasts, sports concussions and a wide range of diseases, including Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis. Read full article.
U.S. researchers say a Mediterranean diet high in omega-3 fatty acids and low in red meat and dairy may help reduce the risk of “cognitive impairment.” The study, outlined in the latest issue of Neurology, the American Academy of Neurology’s official journal, examined the mental abilities of more than 17,000 people consuming varying diets. Researchers
