Over Easy

Over Easy

Think of all the people who fell for the ridiculous egg scare a few years ago. They were led to believe that egg would clog their arteries, so to save their lives they went cold turkey: No more eggs benedict, omelets, or egg salads.

Too bad. Because among the many nutritious components of the egg, there’s a fatty acid in egg yolk that appears to help the aging brain stay healthy.

Clear Thinking

Arachidonic Acid (ARA) is a type of omega-6 fatty acid that helps maintain brain neuron function, as does DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid. But our levels of these fatty acids naturally decrease as we age. Recent studies with laboratory animals have shown that DHA and ARA supplements may help improve cognitive function, so a team of researchers at the Japan Foundation for Aging and Health designed a study to test the effects of these fatty acids on humans.

STUDY ABSTRACT

• Researchers recruited 21 elderly subjects: three had mild cognitive dysfunction, eight were diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), and 10 had organic brain lesions (caused by traumatic head injuries or hemorrhage)
  
• For 90 days, half of the subjects received 240 mg of DHA and ARA daily, while the other half received a placebo containing olive oil
  
• Neuropsychological tests given before and after the study period assessed changes in mental status of each subject
  
• Test results showed that most subjects who took the fatty acid supplements had significant improvement in attention and immediate memory, but not delayed memory
  
• AD patients who took the supplements did not improve
  
• The most pronounced improvements occurred among brain lesion subjects in the supplement group
  
• Subjects with brain lesions who took the supplements also showed a strong improvement in delayed memory
  
• No improvements were recorded in the placebo group

In addition to egg yolks, good sources of ARA include organ meats and other animal meats. The best dietary source of DHA is fish, such as salmon and mackerel, which are also rich in EPA, the other key omega-3 fatty acid.

Something fishy

DHA and ARA may not be an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s, but at least one study has shown that DHA may help prevent the disease.

In a 2005 study from Tufts University, researchers analyzed ten years of data taken from more than 1,100 elderly men and women who participated in the Framingham Heart Study. Results showed that those who had high levels of DHA and who also ate about three fish meals each week, had nearly 50 percent reduced risk of developing AD.

In the e-Alert “Mercury Rising” (4/25/02) I told you about a Canadian study from the University of Guelph that found Alzheimer’s patients and elderly patients with various types of dementia all had lower levels of DHA than subjects with normal cognitive functioning.

In a press release, Julie Conquer, director of the University of Guelph’s Human Nutraceutical Research Unit said, “Low DHA levels are already affiliated with several disorders. Given that our research indicates that decreased levels of DHA also appear to accompany cognitive impairment with aging, we think this is a sign we should all be eating more fish.”