| Home & Family

Have we driven a generation of patients to low fat diets which may have helped the heart but actually starved the brain?

PORTSMOUTH, VA. (Catholic Online) - The health of our brain is dependent on the food we eat, the life we live, and how hard we work our mind. We clearly know that a moderate amount of stress keeps the brain sharp. Sleep is absolutely essential, and meditative prayer daily is restorative, at a minimum. But, did you know that little and usually depressing word "fat" actually plays an amazing role in keeping us thinking… Positively!

What if I told you we may be driving our senior population into the Alzheimer’s - dementia long-term care facilities by the diet we as physicians have been promoting for years? My colleagues - and many of you my readers - might say at this point, "don’t listen; he’s just another health nut with a few facts". Well, let’s step back and look at the big picture.

In our attempts to improve health in this nation - specifically to lower the incidence of heart disease - we have driven our patients to a low-fat high fiber diet. The concept is right but we have failed to stress which fats you should be eating. By doing so the advertising industry has driven a generation of patients to low fat diets which may have helped the heart, but actually starved the brain.

The health of our brain is largely dependent on the amount of fat we eat. The intellectual performance of the brain is heavily powered by Omega-3 fatty acids. I find it helpful to remember Omega-3 this way - the beginning (omega)and the Trinity. No surprise to my mind that Omega-3 is tied to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit when I consider its' role in promoting the beauty of the human mind as created by a loving God.

This fat has been shown to be the main component of the outer membrane of brain cells. The fat-rich cell membrane of the nerve is where the signals pass. When the brain grows in cognitive function new connections are formed and the Omega-3 fatty acid rich membrane is an essential part of this creation. In addition, all brain cell membranes need these fatty acid to function and repair on a daily basis.

Multiple studies suggest that the omega-3s are best suited for optimal brain function. Barry Sears writings and, in particular his book "Omega Zone" is a good read for some scientific facts on this important area. If you have Alzheimer’s in your family, you really need to read this one.

Omega-3 fatty acid is largely found in fish. Interesting, it was a sign for the early Christians of their faith. Cold water salmon and sardines have some of the highest concentrations of Omega 3 fatty acids. Unfortunately, many of the fats that were touted as heart healthy have been shown to lack the essential fatty acids needed for the brain.

Corn, sunflower, and safflower commonly used for frying foods have little to no omega-3 fatty acids. A better choice is canola, walnut, or olive oil if you have to fry at all. Remember overheated oil and reused oil produce some pretty ugly byproducts!

What about those memory enhancing B-Vitamins? Choline is the one that appears to Boost our memory and alertness. Choline is a precursor in the development of neurotransmitters. (The little guys that jump with the message from one nerve to the other.). If we increase our intake of foods which contain these building blocks we can keep the brain functioning throughout our lives.

Choline is found in eggs. An interesting sidebar is that choline also appears to help minimize fatigue. In a study looking at running times, those patients given choline prior were found to have improved times. If you are a runner you are probably aware that much of the work we do to maximize our performance is mental. Interesting findings!

Interesting as well to consider that we put many of our patients on egg white diets and forget the yolk is what we really need as we age. Wow, another miss for contemporary medicine. The facts keep us oming back to two basic words in pursuing both beautiful eating and beautiful living… Natural and Moderation!

The next B vitamin to consider is Folic acid. Both animal and human studies have shown that folic acid supplements improve cognitive function. A Dutch prospective study gave a group of patients folic acid supplements over a three year period. The patients ages ranged between 50 and 70 years. The study showed improved memory and neuroprocessing(thinking).

So what’s the best drink for the brain? Let's say I am eating my Salmon, Sardines, Egg, and folic acid supplement but I’ve got to wash them down with something. (YUM YUM as wife puts it!) Well Green Tea of course. A recent study in Japan looked at a group of 70+ year old patients. The group was divided by those who drank high amounts of green tea and those who didn’t. The results showed the patients with the highest intake of Green tea had the fewest signs of cognitive decline.

Remember cognitive function (our Brain Power) has many requirements, but the most important may well be the food it has all too often been deprived.

I have two patients who showed signs of dementia and Alzheimer’s. One had recently lost his license and the other was losing words during normal conversations. I suggested taking commercial grade fish oil supplements to increase their Omega-3 fatty acids, 4000mg per day. After 3 months, both men have returned to clearly more normal lives.

I find it interesting that both men were also descendents of families where cold water fish were a mainstay of the diet for generations. This returns us to a crucial point and the subject of my last article entitled "What Diet is Best? Beautiful Eating." http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=34175.

Not all of us need the same things, but offering our brains some of these same nutrients can help us all to live better. After all, beautiful eating leads to beautiful living. I also hope that by following these common sense and good science insights on "Food for Thought" we develop more beautiful minds and help to curb the current trends of cognitive loss among many of our beloved seniors.