SECRET 6: EMBRACE THE GOOD FAT
The Promise
In three weeks of making this change, you will:
notice improvements in memory, reaction times and thinking ability
possibly notice positive changes in your mood and emotions
show a drop in cholesterol levels and risk factors for heart disease
In six months, you will:
notice continued improvements in memory and mental function
feel more hopeful and experience more even, positive moods throughout the day
possibly drop a pound or two
In one year, you will:
remember where you put your keys, the dog’s name and the title of that movie
feel more yourself, happier and calmer or less agitated
be able to cope better than you did a year ago
have dropped a few more pounds
Twenty years from now, you will:
think more clearly and remember more than your friends
I make sure to get my fair share of DHA every day. I encourage my kids to take it. I caution all pregnant women to absolutely make sure they get enough of it. And every time a client complains of feeling down in the dumps or is concerned about memory problems, DHA is the first nutrient I recommend. This little fat is the most outstanding brain-boosting nutrient around. Everyone from babies to grandparents should include it in their daily diets.
Hey There, Fathead
Second only to those rolls of pudge around our waists and elsewhere, brain tissue has the most fat of any other tissue in our bodies. About 60% of our brain is fat. No, it’s not stored in big bulges; in the brain, fat is a building material. Each of our 100 billion brain cells is encased, like a balloon, by a sheath or membrane made up of two layers of fat. Through that membrane, the cell gets rid of toxins, takes up nutrients and sends and receives messages.
The more fluid or flexible those fatty membranes, the better they relay and transport information. The less flexible, the more our thought processes are jammed and mood plummets. The next time you can’t remember your PIN for your bank card or where you left your glasses (car keys, wallet, wedding ring…), there is a good chance the message got stuck getting through a cell membrane in your brain.
The omega-3 fats are especially flexible. That’s why the brain loves them. While the grease in a hot dog or an order of carne asada goes to your hips as storage fat, the omega-3 fats are structural fats that go straight to tissues, like the brain, to keep them running in tip-top order. They make up a huge portion of the fatty membranes of brain cells and one in particular, docohexaenoic acid (DHA) accounts for 75% of the omega-3 fats in brain and nerve tissue. The more DHA you eat, the more it is incorporated into brain cells, the more flexible your brain cell membranes become, and the better, faster and more cleverly you think.
Fats 101: Omega-6s versus Omega-3s
Let’s say you don’t eat a lot of DHA-rich foods, but instead, like most Americans, love vegetable oils, which contain omega-6 fats. These include almost all commercial salad dressings and soy, safflower, corn or sunflower oils. You also get a truckload of these omega-6 fats in fried foods like chips, doughnuts or any food prepared in those fats, from French fries to Chicken McNuggets. Without ample DHA, the brain is forced to turn to the next best option, which are the omega-6 fats. These fats aren’t as flexible, so the membranes they help build are stiffer and less efficient at moving messages, nutrients and toxins in and out of the cells.
The end result? You don’t think as fast or as clearly, or remember as well. You also are more likely to feel grumpy or depressed, since stiff membranes don’t manage the mood-boosting nerve chemical, serotonin, as well as the omega-3s, so serotonin gets backed up at the ends of nerve cells rather than relaying its message to be happy. That’s why getting enough DHA and cutting back on vegetable oils is something happy, fit people take very seriously.
The Natural High
The more of the omega-3 fat DHA you eat, the more it is incorporated into brain cells, the more flexible your brain cell membranes become, and the better you think, the more you remember and the happier you are.
The Pollyanna Nutrient
It is a no-brainer that the omega-3 fats lower heart disease—researchers have known that for decades. Hundreds of studies, from prestigious groups like the National Institutes of Health and universities like Harvard and Tufts, repeatedly and consistently show that when you add omega-3–rich foods or supplements to the diet
blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels drop and the good cholesterol, called HDL, goes up;
the bad cholesterol, called LDL, changes in size so it is less harmful to arteries;
your blood is less likely to form nasty blood clots that block arteries and lead to heart attack and stroke;
there is less inflammation in your arteries, so they are more resistant to the development of atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of heart disease; and
even your blood pressure and heart rate drop.
Benefits are seen whether you take omega-3s in general or only the omega-3 DHA. These benefits are experienced by men and women with heart disease, by healthy people, by vegetarians and by people at any age from infancy to the elder years. The benefits to your heart also appear to be cumulative. The more you eat, the healthier your heart. Eat omega-3–rich foods once or twice a week and you lower heart disease risk by 30%, but include those foods every day and your risk drops by up to 83%!
For years, nutrition experts focused on this exciting heart disease connection. Then a few researchers started to ponder the effects omega-3s might have on the brain. They had noticed an interesting phenomenon: people with heart disease also had an unusually high rate of depression. Could there be a common factor underlying both problems? If DHA and other omega-3 fats could dramatically lower heart disease risk, what were the possibilities for brain tissue, which is so much more dependent on these fats? DHA was the omega-3 of choice for their studies, since both the brain and the retina of the eyes contain up to 30 times more DHA than any other omega-3. There had to be a connection between those high tissue levels and DHA somehow regulating mood, memory and brain health.
In the 1990s, the results of those studies started rolling in. Study after study showed that people who are depressed and women with postpartum depression have much lower DHA levels in their blood, fat tissues and cerebrospinal fluids, up to 36% lower than happy people. It is now clear that as DHA levels drop, so do levels of the feel-good brain chemical serotonin, leaving people grumpy, blue and downright depressed. Even the severity of depression is affected; as tissue levels of omega-3s drop, depression worsens. On the other hand, boost intake of DHA by including more DHA-rich foods or by taking supplements, and serotonin levels rise and mood improves in men, women and new moms. “Studies show up to a 50% reduction in depression in people who are the toughest to treat and even an improvement in well-being for those battling everyday blues,” says Joseph Hibbeln, M.D. at the National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in Bethesda, Maryland.
The time factor varies from person to person; some people report improvements in mood within days or even hours of eating daily omega-3–rich meals. And it doesn’t take huge amounts. Even a slight increase in blood levels, say a 1% to 5% increase, is enough to see the sneering wicked witch turn into happy-go-lucky Pollyanna.
The mood-boosting benefits of DHA go far beyond just a few studies. DHA can change the mood of entire countries. Depression rates vary up to sixty-fold from one country to another. Those rates mirror rates for heart disease and also reflect omega-3 intake. For example, as people switch from their culture’s traditional diets that are adequate in omega-3s to Western-style diets almost devoid of omega-3s, the country’s rates of heart disease, depression and postpartum depression skyrocket.
From Tantrums to SAD
There is more to the story than just depression and postpartum depression. Omega-3s help curb symptoms of manic depression or bipolar disease, schizophrenia and self-harm disorders, from cutting to suicide. Researchers at Purdue University found that children with low omega-3 levels are most likely to throw tantrums, have sleep problems and battle learning disabilities, while kids who are optimally nourished in these fats are least prone to attention deficit disorders. Even convicts in prison are less aggressive and angry when they take omega-3 supplements.
People who suffer from winter blues, or seasonal affective disorder (SAD), battle mild to serious depression from late fall to early spring. Typically, SAD has been linked to lack of sunlight. But studies show that even in some northern climates, like Iceland, where the dark days of winter can be pretty grim, depression rates are at an all-planet low. How do people living in gloomy climates like Iceland stay happy? Icelanders might not see much sunlight, but they eat more omega-3–rich foods, particularly fish (up to 225 pounds of seafood per person per year), than almost any other group of people on the planet. Apparently, a DHA-rich diet can reduce, if not eliminate, winter blues even when the days are long, dark and dreary.
The evidence is so overwhelming in favor of the omega-3s in the prevention and treatment of depression and mood disorders that DHA is often recommended along with antidepressant medications. The American Psychiatric Association in 2006 released a statement that the omega-3s were important when treating depression, and evidence now suggests that because omega-3s reduce anger and anxiety, they might be useful in drug and alcohol treatments. In fact, many experts suspect that depression and feelings of despair are actually good indicators or symptoms of a DHA deficiency! No wonder this is the most amazing nutrient when it comes to staying happy.
Some Fats Are Just Plain Wrong
The more than one million Americans who slip into mild memory loss and the half a million who develop more serious dementias each year would do well to consider cutting way back on artery-clogging saturated fat and upping their DHA intake.
People who indulge in plates of artery-clogging saturated fat have flabby brains. This bad fat clogs arteries that supply oxygen to the brain, which handicaps mind power. One study from the University of California, Los Angeles found a diet high in saturated fats and sugar actually changed brain structure and reduced learning ability. In contrast, happy people who choose DHA-rich diets are the ones most likely to think clearly well into their eighties and beyond.
Why Your Memory Loves DHA
The omega-3s are critical for building and maintaining brain and nerve cells and in helping them function well. These fats give a boost to nerve chemicals, reduce inflammation, build better cell membranes and keep brain cells functioning like new. When DHA levels are low, the brain takes a nose-dive toward premature aging. Inflammation around nerves increases, brain cell membranes can’t regenerate, areas of the brain that are important for memory actually shrink, and risks for serious brain and nerve disorders escalate, from Parkinson’s, schizophrenia, attention deficit disorders and multiple sclerosis to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. In contrast, people who maintain high DHA levels also are the ones who protect their minds, memories and problem-solving abilities throughout life. Also, the risk for developing Alzheimer’s even drops by as much as 60%! They also sleep better and cope more soundly with stress.
Avoiding Alzheimer’s
My mother developed this horrible disease years ago. Thank heavens for my family’s well-developed sense of humor, because that was one of the main crutches that helped us get through the 10-year process of watching our loved one disappear. I’ve followed the research closely, looking for any edge that might save me—and my children who would be forced to care for me—from the same fate. DHA is the most promising dietary aid I’ve found so far.
One of the contributing factors in Alzheimer’s is the accumulation of nerve tangles, called amyloid plaque, in the brain. Preliminary research shows that DHA might help prevent these tangles by up to 40%. DHA also improves cell-to-cell communication, nerve chemical release and nerve conduction, all of which allow brain cells to effectively send messages to each other. A study from the Rush Institute for Aging in Chicago compared the dietary habits of 800 men and women between the ages of 65 and 94 years old. They found that those who included omega-3s in their weekly diets were significantly less likely to develop Alzheimer’s compared to those who consumed few or no omega-3s. Now you know why I make sure to get enough DHA every day!
DHA for Kids
DHA isn’t just a feel-good nutrient for grown-ups. It is critical for brain and vision development in babies and children, too. Babies born to moms who consume ample DHA during their pregnancies and while breast-feeding score higher on IQ tests later in life and have better hand-eye coordination and better vision compared to babies who didn’t get enough of this critical nutrient. Those brain benefits last a lifetime.
Mothers who choose to breast-feed must make sure to get enough DHA in their diets. For mothers who don’t breast-feed, it is critical that they give their babies formulas fortified with DHA, such as Enfamil Lipil, Similac Advance, Nestlé Good Start Supreme, Parent’s Choice Organic, or Earth’s Best with DHA.
A Stone Age Wake-up Call
Stone Age diets were based on vegetables, roots, fruits, nuts and wild game. Anthropologists estimate that the diets of our prehistoric ancestors averaged about 2,000 milligrams or more of omega-3s a day. Lucky for them, vegetable oils hadn’t been invented yet, so the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats was very low, or about two to one.
The omega-3 content of those diets was a key factor in our ancestors’ evolution. Many experts believe that the omega-3s were important in helping our ancient ancestors develop their unique and complex nervous systems, which we inherited. For example, our ancestors’ brains increased threefold in size at the same time that those ultra-great-grandparents started eating more omega-3-rich foods. Fast-forward to the present, and perhaps we can thank the omega-3s for all modern conveniences, from bagged lettuce to rocket science!
Today, few of us eat much wild game or many omega-3-rich greens, and often the only seafood to make it on the plate is a fish stick, so the average omega-3 intake has dwindled to about 100 milligrams a day—5% of what our Stone Age ancestors ate. With the glut of fried, fast-food, processed and snack items we consume, the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio now averages 11 times (some estimates are as high as 40 times) more omega-6s than omega-3s, not the two to one ratio on which humans evolved. Our bodies evolved and require omega-3s, but we can’t make them. They must come from the diet.
Our totally out-of-whack ratio of omega-6 to omega-3s is the fast track to inflammation and disease in the body, including today’s epidemic of heart disease, cancer, depression, attention deficit disorders, suicide, memory loss, asthma and even possibly the aggravated symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and menopause. As omega-3 fat intake has gone down in the past few hundred years, human brain size also has started to shrink!
The Skinny on Omega-3s
Omega-3s can make you happy, but can they make you skinny? Possibly. In a handful of studies, people or animals lost more weight when the diet contained omega-3s than when it was only calorie controlled. It appears that these fats help curb hunger for hours after a meal, which any dieter will tell you is a huge factor in whether or not you stick with the plan. How the omega-3s encourage weight loss is not clear, but a few studies found that DHA inhibits fat cells from expanding and also helps regulate leptin, a hormone that tells your body how much fat to store.
Not All Omega-3s Are Created Equal
You can get all the omega-3 fat you want from flax-seeds, walnuts, canola oil, leafy greens or soy to help lower your risk for heart disease, but those foods will do nothing for your mood or memory. That’s because there are three omega-3 fats, and they are not all created equal when it comes to health benefits.
The omega-3 fat in plants—from flax to walnuts—is called ALA, which stands for alpha-linolenic acid. This omega-3 shows promise in lowering heart disease risk, but that’s about it. Granted, the body can convert ALA to other omega-3 fats, but the conversion is poor. One 2008 study found that eating flax was completely useless in raising levels of the other two omega-3s, EPA and DHA. Keep taking ALA-rich foods if all you want is a healthy heart. But if your goals are also to feel great, think fast and stay mentally sharp at age 100, then you won’t get there with the omega-3 fat ALA.
The other two omega-3s are EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA. These are the big guns when it comes to the omega-3s, and, even then, DHA is by far the most powerful. And since DHA can be converted to EPA in the body, you get two for one in that omega-3.
Prozac from the Sea
Fatty fish is the best dietary source of DHA and EPA. Ounce for ounce, you get the biggest omega-3 bang for your buck with salmon, herring, lake trout, anchovies and sardines. Other seafood is better than a pork chop but has considerably less of these mood-and mind-boosting fats. All the research on omega-3s and mood has used either seafood or supplements; both work equally well at keeping people happy and smart.
Your mood and mind go up and down with how much fish you eat. Eat fatty fish twice a week and you reduce the risk for developing memory loss by 28%, according to a study from Tufts. On the other hand, eat it less than once a week and depression risk goes up 34%.
Net Worth
Not all seafood is good for you. While wild salmon is rich in EPA and DHA, a white-meat fish called tilapia, a farmed fish rapidly gaining in popularity, is low in omega-3s and high in both omega-6 and saturated fats. Catfish is not much better. In other words, these fish potentially increase inflammation, which is bad for your mind and your mood. They don’t count toward your goal of two servings of fish a week.
A study from the University of Kuopio in Finland found that older folks who eat fish three or more times a week significantly lower their risks for silent brain damage that otherwise contributes to stroke and dementia. In the study, people who ate the most baked or broiled fish each week were less likely to show “silent” brain infarcts, or tiny areas of tissue that have died because of insufficient blood supply, much like undetected ministrokes. However, fried fish did not produce the same benefits, possibly because fish burgers and fish sticks typically are made from fish low in the omega-3 fats and because adding omega-6 fats from oil for frying off sets the ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s and negates all the benefits of the omega-3s.
If you get your omega-3s from fish, make sure to bake, broil or poach it. Examples of great ways to get your omega-3s from the sea are found in the Recipes section of this book.
DHA or Mercury: The Fish Dilemma
The more fatty fish you eat, the more DHA you get, with conservative recommendations suggesting we need at least two servings of fatty fish a week. But here comes the dilemma: fish also is one of the most concentrated sources of mercury, a metal that is toxic to nerve cells. The more mercury you eat, the lower your brain function.
In a study from the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, where fish intake was assessed in a group of men, women and children, about one in five participants warranted testing for mercury either because of high intakes of fish or because they were showing signs of mercury poisoning (i.e., fatigue, reduced memory and/or joint pain). Results showed that the mercury level for all women was 10 times that found in the general public, and some children had more than 40 times the national average. Almost all participants had blood mercury levels above 5 micrograms per liter, the maximum level recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Up to 18% had levels greater than 20 micrograms per liter. People with the highest mercury levels also reported eating greater amounts of swordfish, ahi and other fish known to be high in mercury.
Fortunately, these dangerously high mercury levels were reversible, although it took almost ten months to reach acceptable levels and required stopping or greatly reducing consumption of fish. The findings were so shocking that the researchers recommend that questions regarding fish consumption should be part of all comprehensive health screenings. The results of this study and others confirm that the more fish you eat, the more likely you are to consume too much mercury.
You need fish to get your DHA, but that same fish also supplies a nerve-damaging metal. One way to get around the mercury problem is to choose fish that are lower in this toxic metal, such as salmon and canned light tuna. One study even found that these high-DHA fish help block the damaging effects from mercury on the nervous system. White-meat fish, such as cod, halibut or haddock, are relatively low in mercury but also have little of those mood-boosting omega-3s. So you don’t get much benefit or harm from eating them. Definitely stay away from the biggest mercury off enders, such as swordfish, albacore or ahi tuna, shark, mackerel and tilefish. Or look for foods that are fortified with DHA.
For an up-to-date guide to safe seafood, go to www.seafoodwatch.org.
Shopping for Omega-3s
If you don’t like or can’t afford fish, if you are vegetarian, or if you are concerned about the mercury issue in seafood, then look elsewhere in the grocery store to find your omega-3 DHA. Many foods are fortified with this healthy fat. But beware. As mentioned above, not all omega-3s are created equal. If a food is fortified with the omega-3 fat ALA, then you won’t get the mood and memory boost you are hoping for. Instead, look for foods fortified with an algae-based, vegetarian source of DHA, sometimes identified as “life’s DHA” on the label.
You might say “ick” at first to the thought of eating algae, but this contaminant-free source of DHA is exactly the same place fish get their omega-3s. Studies show this plant-based source of DHA is just as effective to your mental and emotional health as the DHA consumed in a salmon fillet, but without the mercury or pesticides.
A Sampling of Foods Fortified with DHA
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How Much Do You Need?
Most people are not consuming anywhere near enough DHA, but how much is optimal depends on who you talk to. The recommendations range from as little as 200 milligrams of DHA to 3.5 grams of a combination of DHA and EPA a day. Up to 1000 milligrams of DHA is used in research studies to lower heart disease risk. Even the most conservative nutrition groups recommend at least 500 milligrams of a combination of EPA and DHA, while you get up to a 50% reduction in grumpy moods if you double that to 1 gram a day. You’ll get some benefits from any increase in these fats.
Of course, it also depends on who you are and what you eat. People who wolf down tons of omega-6 fats really mess up their metabolism and increase their need for the omega-3s. Ideally, those people should cut back on vegetable oils while increasing their DHA intakes. If they refuse to give up the fast and convenience foods, then their requirement for omega-3s probably will be higher to regain something close to a sane balance between these two groups of fats. People with heart disease, inflammatory conditions, a risk for dementia or depression also might need higher doses of DHA than happy, disease-free folks. Pregnancy and breast-feeding can deplete DHA stores in the mother by up to 50%, so pregnant or lactating women need at least 300 milligrams of DHA a day from fish, fortified foods or supplements. In all other cases, 200 milligrams of DHA a day is a good starting point.
What About Supplements?
If you can’t get at least 200 milligrams of DHA each day from seafood or fortified foods (pregnant and breast-feeding women need 300 milligrams), then consider taking a supplement. Fish oil supplements are fine, but make sure to check the label. You want a supplement that spells out exactly how much DHA you are getting, not one that just lists the amount of fish oil. Some people complain of a few nasty side effects from fish oil capsules, such as burping or heartburn. Supplements of algae-based DHA also are available and are less likely to cause the fishy burping, especially when taken with meals or a glass of warm milk or orange juice.
When taking a supplement, always remember that just because some is good doesn’t mean more is better. Omega-3s are blood thinners, so taking too much (such as more than 3 grams a day) could cause excessive bleeding. They should be taken only with a physician’s approval if you are on blood-thinners, such as warfarin (coumadin) and other medications; aspirin; or high doses of vitamin E. Omega-3s also can lower blood pressure, so your doctor might want to lower the dosage on any blood pressure medications if you are taking DHA or other omega-3s. To be on the safe side, discuss any supplement, including fish oils or DHA, with your physician.
A Partial List of DHA Supplements
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How Much, of What and When?
DHA is a key factor in the diet of happy, fit people. You need at least 200 milligrams from fatty fish, foods fortified with DHA, or supplements. And you need to get that amount most days of the week. No ifs, ands or buts. Just do it!