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Virtually
everyone's health will benefit from using MegaOmega™ Organic Sprouted Flax.
Its combination of Omega 3
essential fatty acids,
lignans, fiber,
vitamins,
minerals and enzymes cannot be
matched. However, people suffering from depression,
alcoholism, attention deficit disorder, impulsive and violent
behavior or emotional hostility can particularly benefit by
bringing more of the omega-3 fatty acids found in MegaOmega™
Organic Sprouted Flax into their diet. In some of the most
amazing research done today, scientists have discovered that the
type of fat one consumes is "inextricably linked with your state
of mind."
Even with synthetic or natural medicines, one will never truly
overcome depression, violent behavior or other mood disorders
without adequate intake of omega-3 essential fatty acids. These
essential fats may be as important as medical drugs or natural
medicines when it comes to relieving mood disorders.
The brain is comprised of some 60 percent fat. However, this
isn't the kind of fat found in the area of the abdomen, thighs
or buttocks. This is structural fat that forms three-dimensional
cell membranes and governs cellular function. What's more, the
nerve cells of the brain are extremely rich in omega-3 essential
fatty acids. The brains nerve cells contain five times more
omega-3 essential fatty acids than red blood cells. However, our
diet is severely depleted in omega-3 essential fatty acids.
Thus, the nerve cells of depressed or violent persons may be
starved of this essential fat.
Early Research Findings
Dr. Donald O. Rudin launched the early
research into the impact of omega-3 essential fatty acids on mental
health. The former director of the Department of Molecular
Biology at Eastern Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute, Dr. Rudin
began experimenting with flax in the early 1980's. He performed
a clinical trial with 44 patients with various mental disorders.
Providing from two to three tablespoons a day of flax, he found
the results to be astounding. He observed that their "mood is
improved and depression is lifted."
This finding was replicated in varying degree among most of the
patients. By six to eight weeks, most of them were sleeping
better, more energetic and less anxious and depressed. Switching
the patients to other types of fats (i.e., omega-6 fatty acids
which are overly prevalent in the modern American diet) resulted
in a return of their symptoms.
Are you presently taking cholesterol-lowering drugs? Consuming
omega-3 essential fatty acid rich foods (such
as MegaOmega™ Organic Sprouted Flax) may be critically
important for you, If you are on a class of cholesterol drugs
called HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (also known as statins).
These drugs indiscriminately lower blood lipids so rapidly that
the brain can become starved of missing essential fatty acids.
One's cholesterol levels can be used to predict high or low
levels of such essential fatty acids. Thus, cholesterol levels
are indirect surrogate markers for lower levels of essential
fatty acids and the feel-good neurotransmitter chemical,
serotonin.
Scientists believe they may know why omega-3 essential fatty acids are so
key to a healthy mood and outlook. Serotonin is a brain
neurotransmitter that plays a key role in keeping people happy.
High levels of serotonin are good because this is a feel-good
chemical. Severely depressed patients, however, are known to
have very low levels of a serotonin metabolite or breakdown
product known as 5HIAA. It is now known that essential fatty
acid levels in the body predict 5-HIAA levels (and probably, in
turn, serotonin levels, too).
Depression: The lowest rates of depression worldwide
seem to be correlated with the amount of fish consumed per
capita. Seafood and flax are the most well known sources of
omega-3 essential fatty acids. It is also known that depressed
patients have very low levels of a type of omega-3 essential
fatty acid known as eicosapentaneoic acid (EPA), in their plasma
and red blood cells. Research has
pinpointed marked depletions of omega-3 essential fatty acids in
the membranes of red blood cells (which are thought to hold
similar fatty acid concentrations as in nerve cell membranes).
Postpartum Depression
It is known that women have a some six fold increased risk for
serious mood disorders following childbirth. This risk generally
remains quite high for at least two years. Because breast
feeding women are passing on their essential fatty acids to
their newborns, it is quite common for researchers to observe
depleted maternal omega-3 essential fatty acid levels.
Omega-3 essential fatty acids are essential to the normal brain
development of the newborn, especially during the last three
months of pregnancy when the brain of the unborn baby increases
rapidly. If women neglect to take in enough such essential fatty
acids, the unborn baby will rob the mother of these nutrients
from her own brain tissues. Modern laboratory testing shows new
mothers have only half the normal blood levels of omega-3
essential fatty acids. Nursing mothers may have even lower
levels of essential fatty acids, unless they supplement. This is
one of the reasons why, it used to be common practice for women
to take the horribly tasting cod liver oil during pregnancy!
Scientists at the Mayo Clinic state, "The mental
apparatus of the coming generation is developed in [the womb]
and the time to begin supplementation is before conception. A
normal brain cannot be made without an adequate supply of
omega-3 fatty acids, and there may be no later opportunity to
repair the effects of an omega-3 fatty acid deficiency once the
nervous system is formed."
Violence
Studies indicate that essential fatty acids may play an
important role in violent behavior. One study found that violent
criminals have much lower levels of a type of omega-3 essential
fatty acids than people without a history of violence. A
similar phenomenon has been observed in primates. Feeding male
money monkeys a diet with a high ratio of omega-6 to omega-3
fatty acids, similar to the typical Western diet resulted in
more slapping, grappling, pushing, and biting. In yet another
study, it shows that normal people given omega-3 fatty acids can
also reduce their hostility level as a result of the stresses of
daily life., adds Dr. Simopolous. In this study, Japanese
scientists gave either omega-3 essential fatty acids or placebo to college
students. During examination week, students given the natural
medicine exhibited much more measured goodwill compared to those
students receiving the placebo who scored higher on tests
designed to measure hostility.
Finally, people with a history of violent, impulsive behaviors
and those with nonviolent behavior were studied for their levels
of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a member of the omega-3 essential fatty
acid family. Violent persons had significantly higher lifetime
violence and hostility ratings and lower concentrations of
5-HIAA than nonviolent subjects, according to research from the
Laboratory of Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, National
Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, in Maryland.
Heart Disease-Depression
Part of the answer as
to why flax is excellent for immediately
lowering blood pressure may be due to the ability to help
people deal with daily stress. In one study, men with high blood
pressure were given extremely tough math and verbal skill tests
to perform with concomitant rises in blood pressure, but when
the same men received four tablespoons of flax, the rise in
their blood pressure was much smaller. These men also
experienced reduced levels of triglyercides, total cholesterol,
and low density lipoprotein cholesterol with increases in
beneficial high density lipoprotein cholesterol.
It has long been known that both depressed or hostile
people are far more likely to die of heart disease. There may
be an underlying link between heart disease, depression and
hostility. Scientists speculate that depressed, hostile or
self-destructive peoples are less likely to regularly take their
medications or perhaps it is the overproduction or cortisol and
other stress hormones which have a negative effect on
circulatory health. Another explanation may well be an
underlying deficiency of omega- 3 essential fatty acids, which is common
to each of these conditions.
Recommendation
The medical and research communities are becoming more aware of the
link between essential fatty acids and mood and the extreme value of omega-3
essential fatty
acids in determining whether depressed people or those who may
be violent or subject to impulsive, self-destructive behavior
will overcome the challenges they face.
To ensure you have adequate intakes of Omega 3 Essential Fatty
Acids consider taking 1 tablespoon of
MegaOmega™ Organic Sprouted Flax (which is your best
source of these essential
fatty acids) two times daily. Use your
MegaOmega™ Organic Sprouted Flax in recipes to create
wonderful delicacies. See Using
MegaOmega™ Organic Sprouted Flax
for ideas.
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