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Medical Forum / General / Nutrition / January 2006Oily fish makes 'babies brainier'
"Oily fish makes 'babies brainier'", BBC News, January 20, 2006, Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4631006.stm Eating oily fish and seeds in pregnancy can boost children's future brain power and social skills, research suggests. A study of 9,000 mothers and children suggested those who consumed less of the essential fatty acid Omega-3 had children with lower IQs. These children also had poorer motor skills and hand-to-eye co-ordination, research in the Economist said. A team from the National Institutes of Health in the US analysed data from a long-term study done in Avon, UK. 'Frightening data' Looking at the effects of Omega-3 intake on 9,000 mothers and their children, the team found mothers with the lowest intake of the essential fatty acid had children with a verbal IQ six points lower than the average. While those with the highest consumption of mackerel and sardines and other sources of Omega-3 had children, at age three-and-a-half, with the best measures of fine-motor performance, researchers said. Low intake of the crucial fatty acid also appeared to lead to higher levels of social interactions - such as an inability to make friends. Research leader Dr Joseph Hibbeln said "frightening data" showed 14% of 17-year-olds whose mother had eaten small quantities of Omega -3 during pregnancy demonstrated this sort of behaviour. This compared with 8% of those born to the group with the highest intake, he said. Dr Hibbeln said: "The findings of poor social development and poor motor control in children indicate that these children may be on a developmental trajectory towards lifelong disruptive and poorly-socialised behaviour as they grow up." Professor Jean Golding of Bristol University set up the original research - the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children -15 years ago to look at the predisposition to disease. She told the BBC: "The baby's brain needs Omega-3 fatty acids. It doesn't create its own fatty acids so it needs to be something that the mother will eat." The new research also builds on earlier work in the US which suggests pregnant mothers will develop children with better language and communication skills if they regularly consume oily fish. Nutritional expert Patrick Holford, director of the Brain Bio Centre, said Omega-3 was key to children's intelligence because the brain is formed of 60% fat - 30% of which is essential fats. Successive studies have shown clear links between intelligence and consumption of this essential fatty acid, he added. Seed option "It's absolutely essential that pregnant women take in enough Omega-3 and that children in early infancy take in enough Omega-3." The richest sources of Omega-3 are larger fish which eat other fish, but research shows that the larger the fish the more pollutants, such as mercury, they contain. For this reason Mr Holford recommends women consume two portions of wild or organic salmon, trout or sardines weekly. The Food Standards Agency says pregnant women should consume only one or two portions of oily fish a week. Seeds such as flax, pumpkin and hemp are good sources of Omega-3 for vegetarians, but large quantities need to be consumed to gain the same effect. This might translate to two tablespoons of seeds daily, Mr Holford said, but women can also use a high quality Omega-3 fish oil supplement. It is not just the omega-3, it is all the rest of the great nutrition that comes from fresh fish. Like vitamins A and E and complete proteins. There is no way that this kind of thing can be attributed to only one simple singular component of a diet or of a given complex food item. It is the combined sum of all components of what is a fresh good whole food like fish. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts And that is what is wrong with the mainstream and how they look at nutrition and health. They fixate on only a small aspect of the whole thing and they miss the forest for the trees. They are too stupid to consider multiple aspects at once. It s not the individual components that make the diet strong, it is the sum total of its parts IN COMBINATION. The singular component bullshit is an extension of the bullshit concept that one singular unique molecular entity will be the savior of our sick and the resulting pharmaceutical pills will be the answer that will make us healthy. TC > "Oily fish makes 'babies brainier'", BBC News, January 20, 2006, > Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4631006.stm [quoted text clipped - 77 lines] > This might translate to two tablespoons of seeds daily, Mr Holford > said, but women can also use a high quality Omega-3 fish oil supplement. 20 Jan 2006 06:50:22 -0800 in article <1137768622.421100.105020@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com> "TC" <tunderbar@hotmail.com> wrote: >It is not just the omega-3, it is all the rest of the great nutrition >that comes from fresh fish. Like vitamins A and E and complete >proteins. And taurine (especially in small fish eaten as whole), calcium (in small fish such as sardines eaten with bones), phosphatidylserine (especially in mackerel and herring), trace-elements such as selenium, vitamin D (fish is the best dietary source of vitamin D), etc. etc.  SignatureMatti Narkia > 20 Jan 2006 06:50:22 -0800 in article > <1137768622.421100.105020@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com> "TC" [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > mackerel and herring), trace-elements such as selenium, vitamin D (fish is > the best dietary source of vitamin D), etc. etc. Amen. Glad to see someone else who gets it. TC Some more brain-related information: http://www.healthsentinel.com/org_news.php?id=058&title=Stopping+epileptic+seizu res+using+omega-3%2C+vitamin+E%2C+diet%2C+and+more&event=org_news_print_list_ite m Enjoy your day. Roman >It is not just the omega-3, it is all the rest of the great nutrition >that comes from fresh fish. Like vitamins A and E and complete [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > >TC Kinda like your fixation with carbohydrates? > >It is not just the omega-3, it is all the rest of the great nutrition > >that comes from fresh fish. Like vitamins A and E and complete [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > > >TC > Kinda like your fixation with carbohydrates? Actually I haven't fixated on one component. Refined carbs are not one singular component. They are a class of fake foods. From sugar to high fructose corn sugar to potato chips to white four. They are all very different in source and in preparation. But they do have one thing in common. They are fake manufactured foods. They all raise blood glucose levels in unhealthy ways. They are slow poisons being sold to our children. I also talk about the unhealthiness of grains in general. They are good bird or cattle food but are slow poisons to man. Milk is no longer milk. It is now a highly processed dead substance. Ultra high temp pasteurization kills it and deforms the protein and fat molecules making it toxic. Vegetable fats are highly processed manufactured foods. Hydrogenation turns vegetable fats into poisons like trans fats. Soy is not real food. It contain phyto-toxins and phyto-estrogens that does more harm than it does good. Eat real foods. Real foods don't have food labels. They rot and go bad, unlike manufactured crap with months-long shelf lives. Carbs are only the most prevalent modern poisons and the most insidious because our children are being reared on and being accustomed to food being extremely sweet. They are being hooked while they are still sucking on a bottle. TC 20 Jan 2006 05:15:31 -0800 in article <1137762931.927817.108740@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com> "Roman Bystrianyk" <rbystrianyk@gmail.com> wrote: >"Oily fish makes 'babies brainier'", BBC News, January 20, 2006, >Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4631006.stm [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >These children also had poorer motor skills and hand-to-eye >co-ordination, research in the Economist said. Adults' brains also benefit from fish and fish oil consumption. Below some references about benefits of fish and long chain omega-3 fatty acids for the brain function: Lukiw WJ, Cui JG, Marcheselli VL, Bodker M, Botkjaer A, Gotlinger K, Serhan CN, Bazan NG. A role for docosahexaenoic acid- derived neuroprotectin D1 in neural cell survival and Alzheimer disease. J Clin Invest. 2005 Sep 8; [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 16151530 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] <http://www.jci.org/cgi/content/abstract/JCI25420v1> <http://www.jci.org/cgi/reprint/JCI25420v1> (full text) <http://www.pubmedcentral.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=16151530> (full text) Comment: Fatty Acids: Good For The Brain, Good For Alzheimer Disease <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/09/050911105120.htm> "A number of studies suggest a protective action of the fatty acid DHA in cognitive decline and in Alzheimer disease (AD). However, the molecular mechanism is not understood. In a paper appearing online on September 8 in advance of print publication of the October 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Nicolas Bazan and colleagues from Louisiana State University identify a specific mechanism by which DHA is neuroprotective in AD. The authors report that DHA can decrease levels of the pathogenic Abeta peptides that are associated with Alzheimer disease pathology in human brain cells. Meanwhile, the synthesis of neuroprotectin D1 (NPD1), an endogenous DHA-derived messenger, is upregulated. NPD1 inhibits apoptosis triggered by Abeta peptides. In a human AD donor brain, the authors show that DHA and NPD1 are reduced in vulnerable brain regions. This data raises the possibility that NPD1 is a key regulator of cell survival, and might be manipulated for the development of novel therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative diseases." Bazan NG. Neuroprotectin D1 (NPD1): a DHA-derived mediator that protects brain and retina against cell injury-induced oxidative stress. Brain Pathol. 2005 Apr;15(2):159-66. Review. PMID: 15912889 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstra ct&list_uids=15912889> Lim GP, Calon F, Morihara T, Yang F, Teter B, Ubeda O, Salem N Jr, Frautschy SA, Cole GM. A diet enriched with the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid reduces amyloid burden in an aged Alzheimer mouse model. J Neurosci. 2005 Mar 23;25(12):3032-40. PMID: 15788759 [PubMed - in process] <http://www.jneurosci.org/cgi/content/abstract/25/12/3032> Comment: Fish Oil Holds Promise In Alzheimer's Fight <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/05/050528141248.htm> "The new study involved older mice genetically altered to develop Alzheimer's disease. The researchers fed one group of the mice DHA-fortified chow. The control mice ate a normal or DHA-depleted diet. After three to five months--the equivalent of several years in human biology--the high-DHA group had 70-percent less buildup of amyloid protein in the brain. This sticky protein makes up the plaques, or patches, that are a hallmark of Alzheimer's. A similar study by Cole's group published in Neuron last fall showed that DHA protected against damage to the "synaptic" areas where brain cells communicate and enabled mice to perform better on memory tests. The studies, say the scientists, suggest that even people who are genetically predisposed to the disease may be able to delay it by boosting their DHA intake. Omega-3 fatty acids, typically deficient in the American diet, are essential for human health. DHA in particular is vital to proper brain function, as well as eye health and other body processes. In recent years epidemiologists have tied fish-rich diets to a lower incidence of Alzheimer's disease and homed in on DHA as the preventive factor. Omega-3 fatty acid supplements are now being tested in clinical trials with early-stage Alzheimer's patients in the United States, Canada and Sweden to see if the therapy really slows the disease." Whalley LJ, Fox HC, Wahle KW, Starr JM, Deary IJ Cognitive aging, childhood intelligence, and the use of food supplements: possible involvement of n-3 fatty acids. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Dec;80(6):1650-7. PMID: 15585782 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstra ct&list_uids=15585782> "CONCLUSIONS: Food supplement use and erythrocyte n-3 content are associated with better cognitive aging. If associations with n-3 content are causal, optimization of n-3 and n-6 fatty acid intakes could improve retention of cognitive function in old age." Colombo J, Kannass KN, Shaddy DJ, Kundurthi S, Maikranz JM, Anderson CJ, Blaga OM, Carlson SE. Maternal DHA and the development of attention in infancy and toddlerhood. Child Dev. 2004 Jul-Aug;75(4):1254-67. PMID: 15260876 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstra ct&list_uids=15260876> " These findings are consistent with evidence suggesting a link between DHA and cognitive development in infancy. " Daniels JL, Longnecker MP, Rowland AS, Golding J; ALSPAC Study Team. University of Bristol Institute of Child Health. Fish intake during pregnancy and early cognitive development of offspring. Epidemiology. 2004 Jul;15(4):394-402. PMID: 15232398 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstra ct&list_uids=15232398> "CONCLUSIONS: When fish is not contaminated, moderate fish intake during pregnancy and infancy may benefit development" Kalmijn S, van Boxtel MP, Ocke M, Verschuren WM, Kromhout D, Launer LJ. Dietary intake of fatty acids and fish in relation to cognitive performance at middle age. Neurology. 2004 Jan 27;62(2):275-80. PMID: 14745067 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] <http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/abstract/62/2/275> "Conclusions: Fatty fish and marine omega-3 PUFA consumption was associated with a reduced risk and intake of cholesterol and saturated fat with an increased risk of impaired cognitive function in this middle-aged population." Helland IB, Smith L, Saarem K, Saugstad OD, Drevon CA. Maternal supplementation with very-long-chain n-3 fatty acids during pregnancy and lactation augments children's IQ at 4 years of age. Pediatrics. 2003 Jan;111(1):e39-44. PMID: 12509593 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] <http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/111/1/e39> "Conclusion. Maternal intake of very-long-chain n-3 PUFAs during pregnancy and lactation may be favorable for later mental development of children." Wainwright PE. Dietary essential fatty acids and brain function: a developmental perspective on mechanisms. Proc Nutr Soc. 2002 Feb;61(1):61-9. Review. PMID: 12002796 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstra ct&list_uids=12002796> Kalmijn S, Feskens EJ, Launer LJ, Kromhout D. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants, and cognitive function in very old men. Am J Epidemiol. 1997 Jan 1;145(1):33-41. PMID: 8982020 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstra ct&list_uids=8982020> "This study raises the possibility that high linoleic acid intake is positively associated with cognitive impairment and high fish consumption inversely associated with cognitive impairment." SignatureMatti Narkia "And that is what is wrong with the mainstream and how they look at nutrition and health. They fixate on only a small aspect of the whole thing and they miss the forest for the trees. They are too stupid to consider multiple aspects at once." That's unfair. There are so many aspects to diet and to our bodies that there is no way any scientist, mainstream or not, could possibly consider all of them all at once. Analysing one factor, or a very small number of factors, at a time is the only way of teasing out repeatable knowledge from things as complex as we and our diet are. However, equating fish to solely omega-3, as the originally quoted study seems to have done, is indeed lousy science. On 20 Jan 2006 05:15:31 -0800, Roman Bystrianyk wrote in <news:1137762931.927817.108740@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com> on misc.kids.pregnancy,misc.kids.health,sci.med.nutrition : > "Oily fish makes 'babies brainier'", BBC News, January 20, 2006, > Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4631006.stm Hi Roman, I am a fish eater myself, but let me play the devil's advocate for the moment... > Eating oily fish and seeds in pregnancy can boost children's future > brain power and social skills, research suggests. > A study of 9,000 mothers and children suggested those who consumed less > of the essential fatty acid Omega-3 had children with lower IQs. They say "in pregnancy"... So it's the mothers who should eat such foods, right?... Does the study tell anything about the diet of the kids after weaning? > These children also had poorer motor skills and hand-to-eye > co-ordination, research in the Economist said. Is it on Pubmed too? > A team from the National Institutes of Health in the US analysed data > from a long-term study done in Avon, UK. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > essential fatty acid had children with a verbal IQ six points lower > than the average. When I read about a possible correlation, I always wonder whether there may be different reasons. For instance, in Italy, fish is now quite an expensive food, generally speaking, compared to meat. Besides, I believe it is a favourite food of health concerned people. I thus guess its consumption would be higher in top social-cultural classes rather in lower ones. Could that explain (at least part of) the fish-brains connection? > While those with the highest consumption of mackerel and sardines and > other sources of Omega-3 had children, at age three-and-a-half, with > the best measures of fine-motor performance, researchers said. > > Low intake of the crucial fatty acid also appeared to lead to higher > levels of social interactions - such as an inability to make friends. Well, "ability to make friends" does not always relate to IQ, or vice versa... Who gets along with swots? ;) > Research leader Dr Joseph Hibbeln said "frightening data" showed 14% of > 17-year-olds whose mother had eaten small quantities of Omega -3 during > pregnancy demonstrated this sort of behaviour. "Frightening data"? Isn't that a tad of a "frightening" way of speaking, for a researcher? > This compared with 8% of those born to the group with the highest > intake, he said. > Dr Hibbeln said: "The findings of poor social development and poor > motor control in children indicate that these children may be on a > developmental trajectory towards lifelong disruptive and > poorly-socialised behaviour as they grow up." > Professor Jean Golding of Bristol University set up the original > research - the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children -15 [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > doesn't create its own fatty acids so it needs to be something that the > mother will eat." I gather that pregnant mothers and their babies have special needs of essential fats... Assuming there is indeed a link between fish in pregnancy and brains, would that link be significant in other cases, say for the diet of grown-ups? :) > The new research also builds on earlier work in the US which suggests > pregnant mothers will develop children with better language and [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > For this reason Mr Holford recommends women consume two portions of > wild or organic salmon, trout or sardines weekly. > The Food Standards Agency says pregnant women should consume only one > or two portions of oily fish a week. > > Seeds such as flax, pumpkin and hemp are good sources of Omega-3 for > vegetarians, but large quantities need to be consumed to gain the same > effect. > This might translate to two tablespoons of seeds daily, Mr Holford > said, but women can also use a high quality Omega-3 fish oil supplement. So they are not taking into account other elements in fish. Those mothers ate oily fish, not fish oil supplements, right? 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