| There has been a great deal of publicity that has gone | | | | significantly reduce the symptoms of mental health |
| into promoting the health benefits of eating more fish, | | | | conditions and in some cases will bring about a |
| particularly for heart health. However, many people still | | | | complete recovery of mental health disorders without |
| aren't aware of why fish can do wonders for both | | | | the use of drugs. |
| brain function and consequently mental health too. | | | | Can't we eat more fish? |
| The truth is, the Omega 3 fatty acids found in fish, | | | | Some may believe the answer lies in eating more fish. |
| particularly fatty fish, are absolutely vital for healthy | | | | The problem we have here is that there is a certain |
| brain development and for healthy brain function | | | | amount of fear surrounding fish consumption because |
| throughout our entire lives, so if we aren't getting | | | | although we are encouraged to eat more fish, at the |
| enough, this is obviously going to have an impact not | | | | same time we are being warned about the dangers of |
| just on our ability to process information, but will also | | | | eating too much due to the toxins they contain. |
| have an impact on our emotional and mental health | | | | Over the past few decades we have been eating |
| too. | | | | less and less fish to the extent that very few people, |
| The brain itself is composed mostly of fatty acids and | | | | particularly in the West, are actually getting enough |
| needs Docosahexaenoic acid or DHA for healthy brain | | | | EPA in their diet. |
| development right at the beginning and a regular dose | | | | What about vegetable sources of Omega 3? |
| of the Omega 3 fatty acid known as | | | | You can find Omega 3 in vegetable sources too such |
| Eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA in order for the brain to | | | | as walnuts, hemp seed, flax seed, and in dark green |
| work properly on an ongoing basis thereafter. | | | | leafy vegetables so many people who are aware of |
| If the brain doesn't get the right type of fats (fuel) in | | | | how important Omega 3 is are happy to consume it in |
| the form of EPA, it won't stop working altogether, it will | | | | this form only. However, the kind of Omega 3 in these |
| just use whatever is available and as these | | | | sources is not EPA or DHA but ALA or Alpha linolenic |
| 'replacement fatty acids' are not ideal, there's likely to | | | | acid. |
| be problems along the way. For some people this may | | | | In an ideal world our bodies would be able to covert |
| mean nothing more than a few memory lapses or lack | | | | ALA into the more beneficial EPA and DHA and this is |
| of concentration and focus at times but for others the | | | | what many believe but in practice our ability to do this |
| result can be disastrous and a complete breakdown | | | | is severely limited. In truth, we just cannot eat enough |
| of mental health. | | | | of the vegetable sources of Omega 3 to give us |
| It's really no coincidence that people suffering from | | | | enough of the right kinds of essential fatty acids we |
| anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, | | | | need to make a difference to our brain and how it |
| schizophrenia, dementia and that kids with symptoms | | | | functions. |
| of attention deficit disorder or attention deficit | | | | The solution |
| hyperactivity disorder and other developmental | | | | A daily dose of fish oil has been clinically proven to |
| disorders, have all been found to have lower levels of | | | | help reduce the risk of developing many different kinds |
| Omega 3 fatty acids in their blood and a higher level of | | | | of mental health problems. Fish oil is perfectly safe to |
| so called replacement fatty acids than people without | | | | take and an ideal way of giving your brain the right kind |
| these conditions. | | | | of oil it needs to work properly provided you choose |
| When we consider this it's not surprising that numerous | | | | one that has been purified and which is concentrated |
| research studies have shown that supplementation | | | | to contain high amounts of EPA. |
| with fish oil high in EPA can improve brain function and | | | | |