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Over the past 10 years, scientific studies have revealed the remarkable effects that fish consumption has on neurological function. Fish oils contain eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), both of which are omega-3 oils. DHA is essential to brain health because it constitutes between 30 and 50 percent of the total fatty acid content of the human brain (Young G et al 2005).
Deficiencies in DHA have been linked to cognitive decline, and human cell studies have shown that DHA reduces beta-amyloid secretion (Lukiw WJ et al 2005). DHA has been documented to increase phosphatidylserine, a naturally occurring component found in every cell membrane of the body (Akbar M et al 2005). DHA may also improve the memory of animals with Alzheimer's disease by suppressing oxidative damage in the brain (Hashimoto M et al 2005). In a 10-year study that tracked the DHA levels of 1188 elderly subjects, Alzheimer's disease was 67 percent more likely to develop in those whose DHA levels were in the lower half of the distribution (Kyle DJ et al 1999).
Scientists have recently developed a compound that takes DHA and binds it to a lecithin extract that has itself been shown to reduce the risk of cognitive dysfunction in the elderly. Laboratory studies document that this patented compound delivers higher DHA concentrations to brain cells.
One of lecithin's most effective brain-protecting extracts is phosphatidylserine. Phosphatidylserine supports healthy levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, facilitates brain cell energy metabolism, and provides structural support for brain cell membranes.
Scientists have discovered that DHA attaches itself to phosphatidylserine molecules and acts as an important ally in the promotion of brain cell energy production. A number of brain researchers, such as Dr. Norman Salem, head of the Laboratory of Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics at the National Institutes of Health, are convinced that phosphatidylserine with attached DHA is among the most critically important molecules for healthy brain function. Scientists believe that phosphatidylserine supplementation works optimally if DHA levels are kept commensurately high (Kidd P 2005).
In response to an increasing body of research showing the intricate relationship between DHA and phosphatidylserine, scientists have developed a phosphatidylserine-DHA (PS-DHA) compound that can be incorporated directly into the membranes of brain cells. |
