When it comes to Brain Food, Fish is the Answer! : Brain Foods

Article by Laurel Cohen

When it comes to brain food fish is the big winner. Many people have believed that for years, but only recently was there an explanation. It has to do with the nutrients that it contains, primarily the unique omega-3 fatty acids found in the oils.

You may know that dietary fats are an essential part of any healthy diet, but too much fat is bad for your heart and can cause you to have a weight problem. You might not know that there are good fats and bad ones.

Trans-fatty acids are the worst, apparently. When you see partially hydrogenated oils listed as an ingredient on foods that you eat, you are consuming trans-fatty acids. They are believed to play a role in heart disease and cancer.

Saturated fats are bad choice, too. But, many foods contain a small amount of saturated fat. It’s hard to get them completely out of the diet. Trans-fatty acids, on the other hand, can be easily avoided.

The good fats are the polyunsaturated fats. Those are actually the ones that are essential to human health. They absolutely must be present in the diet or we will suffer from fatty acid deficiency.

There are two types of polyunsaturated fats; omega-6s and omega-3s. As brain food fish is the winner because it is the only dietary source of two distinct omega-3s known as Eicosapentaenoic acid and Docosahexaenoic acid or EPA and DHA.

Omega-6s are found in numerous foods. There is no shortage of an omega-3 called alpha-linolenic acid, either. It is found in a variety of vegetable oils, including canola and olive oil.

Ideally, to keep the body at its healthiest, we would consume an equal amount of omega-3s and 6s every day. That doesn’t happen very often in the average American diet, because Americans don’t eat enough seafood.

Not only is it brain food fish and seafood are also heart healthy and they fight inflammation. When people consume a great many more omega-6s than omega-3s, it leads to chronic inflammation throughout the body. Chronic inflammation plays a role in heart disease, cancer and most age-related diseases.

So, there are many reasons to include more omega-3s in your diet and reduce your intake of omega-6s. But, when it comes to things like memory, IQ, spatial relationships and learning, regular intake of DHA and EPA are essential.

When it comes to brain food fish that swim in coldwater are the winners, because they contain more DHA and EPA than any other species. DHA is necessary for the construction and repair of damaged brain cells and neurons. EPA is necessary for them to be able to transmit signals from one section to another.

During early childhood development, a lack of DHA and/or EPA in the diet can lead to learning disorders and behavioral problems. As time goes by, a lack of the fatty acids in the diet can lead to attention deficit disorders in both children and adults.

If you want brain food fish should be your choice. If you don’t like it, take a DHA/EPA omega-3 supplement. You should see the same benefits.

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