What do Alzheimer’s and coronary heart disease have in common?  The common trigger and influence they both have is inflammation. What causes the inflammation?  In simple terms it is free radical damage which causes the irritation.  Free radicals are compounds that are in need of electrons to make their molecule more stable.  What this means is they will steal electrons from any source they can.  They can disrupt your biochemistry.

If there is an abundance of bio-compounds that have free electrons to give… like vitamins A, C & E, plus bio-flavenoids in fruits and vegetables… they are satisfied.  Free radicals won’t then rob weaker compounds that your body needs. Another important anti-inflammatory and proven aid in both coronary heart disease and Alzheimer’s are the omega 3′s.  Let’s explore the omegas.

Exactly why omega’s are so powerful in preventing heart disease and Alzheimer’s is not fully clear but studies and statistics prove their efficacy. It is well accepted in mainstream medicine and in alternative medicine that abundant omega 3′s are huge in prevention of coronary heart disease.  Now Alzheimer’s prevention can be added. Omega 3′s are essential fatty acids that you body, and especially your brain, needs because the fat content of the brain is relatively high.

A recent study presented to the American Academy of Neurology found that high amounts of the omegas, along with vitamin E and folate,  greatly reduced Alzheimer’s… to the tune of 42%. Also in the equation was (surprisingly) increased vitamin B-12… without apparent benefit.  The study did not find a co-relationship of high B-12 levels alone with reduced Alzheimer’s.  Normally deficient vitamin B-12 is associated with compromised brain function in the form of dementia.  The explanation given was high levels of B-12 were present because of high meat consumption that also increased saturated fats.  Apparently the Omega 3′s were able to overcome the detrimental effects of the saturated fats, which are inflammatory, and the B-12 was irrelevant.

A prime example of omega 3′s overriding the negative effects of high fatty meat consumption and reducing coronary heart disease is found with the Eskimos.  They live almost exclusively on fish and fatty meat for months. Studies show that in spite of high consumption of fats they have almost no coronary heart disease.  The reason why clearly points to the high intakes of omega 3… that are found in fish and sea animals.

This validates the hue and cry of alternative doctors to “get your omega 3′s”.  They are most abundant in salmon and deep sea fish.  Also flax and hemp oil are good sources…Denis Van Loan D.D.S.

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