N A T U R A L S®
Strategies for Wellness SM

In today's society, 'fat' has become a bad word. Our quest for good health has influenced many of us to drastically reduce our intake of fatty foods. But this dietary change has brought unintended consequences. As we've cut back on unhealthy saturated fats, we've also reduced certain 'good' fats, which are essential to our well-being. Few people realize how important fats are to a healthy brain. In fact, our brains are primarily fat, 60% by dry weight! And DHA, the most plentiful fatty acid in the brain, is crucial to brain health, from infancy to old age. Now DHA is available in a vegetarian source compatible with today's trimmed-down lifestyle.


The Building Block of the Brain
 
DHA is shorthand for docosahexaenoic acid. This omega-3 long chain fatty acid is the primary
building block of the brain and retina of the eye. The brain is 60% fat, and DHA is the most abundant fatty acid in the brain, comprising 25-35%. DHA is found in even greater concentrations ' about 50-60% - in the retina of the eyes.                                                                                                                         
 
DHA is critical for infant development. Compelling research links DHA to the rapid cerebral and eye development that occurs during pregnancy and in the first few months after birth. DHA passes through the placenta to the fetus during pregnancy, and to the nursing baby through breast milk. Optimal levels of DHA in the bloodstream of pregnant women and the breast milk of nursing mothers are crucial to babies.
 
In fact, DHA's presence in breast milk may explain why breast-fed babies have demonstrable IQ advantages over babies fed formula without DHA. An emerging body of research led an expert committee of the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization to recommend that DHA be included in infant formulas at levels comparable to those of mothers' milk. Yet DHA levels in the breast milk of American and European women rank among the lowest in the world, and DHA is still not available in most infant formulas.


Supporting a Healthy Nervous System

DHA's benefits are not limited to infant development. Supplementation may be helpful to
anyone with a low DHA intake, especially for supporting a healthy nervous system. DHA
has been associated with optimal memory function, visual acuity, and maintaining a positive
mental state.
 
DHA is an integral component of all membranes with electrical activity. The cells in our brain, retina and other parts of the nervous system have a complex network of connecting arms that transport electrical messages throughout the body. DHA's presence in nerve cell membranes
is critical because this is where messages are transmitted. It is at the membrane that nerve cells generate the electrical impulses that are the basis of all communication in the nervous system. Without the necessary fatty acids, this communication system can break down or become less
effective.
 
DHA supplementation may be especially important, as we grow older. The body's ability to
synthesize DHA, which is very limited in all human beings, may decline even further with age.
Research suggests that aging interferes with the activity of delta-6-desaturase, the enzyme involved in the conversion of omega-3 fatty acids into DHA. Elderly people with inadequate or DHA-deficient diets may benefit from a supplementary source of DHA.


Insufficient in Today's Diet

Because human beings cannot adequately synthesize DHA, most of it is obtained from our diets.
The richest sources are red meats, animal organs and eggs' and these are among the very first foods to be eliminated by people concerned about fat intake. Today, the average American (and European as well) is getting less DHA from his/her food than his/her ancestors. Vegetarians, vegans, and people on lowfat diets are in this respect especially at risk.
 
Fish are a good dietary source, but must be eaten several times a week to provide enough
DHA for optimal brain function. Fish obtain their DHA from Arctic/Antarctic microalgae the nutritional basis of NEUROMINS.


Neuromins: a Pure, Safe Source

Source Naturals DHA is obtained from NEUROMINS, a dietary supplement derived from algae in a base of sunflower oil. NEUROMINS DHA is a highly purified form of DHA, produced under tightly controlled manufacturing conditions. Unlike fish oil, which used to be the main supplemental source of DHA, NEUROMINS do not contain the fatty omega-3 eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which is not recommended for infants or young children.


References

Crawford, M.A. (1990). Upsala J Med Sci Suppl 48: 43-78.
 
Crawford, M.A. et al. (1993). Nutr and Health: 9. 81-97.
 
FAO/WHO Expert Committee (1994). Fats and Oils in Human Nutrition.
Food and Nutrition Paper No. 57. FAO: Rome. 49-55.
 
Hibbeln, Joseph R. & Salem, Norman Jr. Am J Clin Nutr: 62. 1-9.
 
Horrobin, David F., ed. (1982). Clinical Uses of Essential Fatty Acids.
Eden Press. 3-36.
 
Makrides, M. et al. (1996). Eur J Clin Nutr:50. 352-7.
 
Sanders, T.A.B. & Reddy, Sheela (1992). J Pediatr: 120. S71-7.
 
Simopoulos, Artemis P. (1989). J Nutri 119: 521-8.
 
Simopoulos, Artemis P. (1991). Am J Clin Nutr: 54. 438-63.
 
Söderberg, M. et al. (1991). Lipids 26: 6. 421-5.
 
Uauy, Ricardo et al. (1992). J Pediatr: 120. S168-80.
 
The above information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
 
 
DHA - as a brain and nerve food

Fats make up sixty percent of the brain and the nerves that run every system in the body. So, it stands to reason that the better the fat in the diet, the better the brain and the healthier the nerves. So, with all the fat eaten by the average consumer, why don't we have more geniuses in our countries' That's why: The average brain is getting enough fat - but it's not getting the right kind of fat.

Think of your brain as the master gland that sends chemical messengers throughout the body, telling each organ how to work. An important group of these chemical messengers are the prostaglandins (so-called because they were originally discovered in the prostate gland). Prostaglandins initiate the body's self-repair system. The body needs two kinds of fat to manufacture healthy brain cells (the message senders) and prostaglandins (the messengers). These are omega-6 fatty acids (found in many oils, such as safflower, sunflower, corn, and sesame oils) and omega-3 fatty acids (found in flax, pumpkin seeds, walnuts and coldwater fish, such as salmon and tuna). The foods from which oil can be extracted are generally the foods highest in essential fatty acids.

Most important to brain function are the two essential fatty acids or EFA's, linoleic (an omega-6 EFA) and alpha linolenic (an omega-3 EFA). These are the prime structural components of brain cell membranes and are also an important part of the enzymes within cell membranes that allow the membranes to transport valuable nutrients in and waste out of the cells.

When the cells of the human body - and the human brain - are deprived of the EFA's they need in order to grow and function, the cells will try to build replacement fatty acids that are similar, but may actually be harmful. Higher blood levels of "replacement fatty acids" are associated with diets that are high in hydrogenated fats and diets that contain excessive amounts of omega-6 fatty acids. Levels of replacement fatty acids have been found to be elevated in persons suffering from depression or Attention Deficit Disorder. A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids (such as the LNA from flax oil or the EPA and DHA from fish oils) not only provides the body with healthy fats, but it also lowers the blood level of potentially harmful ones, such as cholesterol and, possibly, even reversing the effects of excess trans fatty acids.

Using the lock and key analogy will help you understand how the brain communication system works. Neurotransmitters are biochemical messengers that carry information from one brain cell to another, sort of like sparks flying across the gap between nerve cells. Each cell membrane contains a series of locks. The various message carriers (prostaglandins and neurotransmitters) are like keys. The keys and the locks must match. When the cell membrane is unhealthy because it is made of the wrong kind of replacement fatty acids, the keys won't fit, and brain function suffers. Nutrients may also fail to fit in a mismade lock.

The eye is a perfect example of the importance of getting the right kind of fat. The retina of the eye contains a high concentration of the fatty acid DHA, which the body forms from nutritious fats in the diet. The more nutritious the fat, the better the eye can function. And since most people are visual learners, better eyes mean better brains.

Western diets contain too much of the omega-6 fatty acids and too little of the omega-3's. Omega 3 fatty acids are found in ground flax seeds and flaxseed oil, coldwater fish (primarily salmon and tuna), canola oil, soybeans, walnuts, wheat germ, pumpkin seeds and eggs.


Smart fats for growing brains

Fats can also influence brain development and performance, especially at either end of life - growing infants and elderly people. In fact, there are two windows of time in which the brain is especially sensitive to nutrition: the first two years of life for a growing baby and the last couple decades of life for a senior citizen. Both, growing and aging brains especially need nutritious fats.

The most rapid brain growth occurs during the first year of life, with the infant's brain tripling in size by the first birthday. During this stage of rapid central nervous system growth, the brain uses sixty percent of the total energy consumed by the infant. Fats are a major component of the brain cell membrane and the myelin sheath around each nerve. So, it makes sense that getting enough fat, and the right kinds of fat, can greatly affect brain development and performance. In fact, during the first year, around fifty percent of an infant's daily calories come from fat. Mother Nature knows how important fat is for babies; fifty percent of the calories in mother's milk are in the form of fat.

Different species provide different types of fat in their milk, fine-tuned to the needs of that particular animal. For example, mother cows provide milk that is high in saturated fats and low in brain-building fats, such as DHA. This helps their calves grow rapidly, though it may not do much for their brains. In adult cows, the brain is small compared with the body. Cows don't have to do a lot of thinking to survive. In human infants, the brain grows faster than the body. Highly developed brains are important to human beings, so human milk is low in body- building saturated fats and rich in brain-building fats, such as the fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), an omega-3 fatty acid.

DHA is the primary structural component of brain tissue, so it stands to reason that a deficiency of DHA in the diet could translate into a deficiency in brain function. In fact, research is increasingly recognizing the possibility that DHA has a crucial influence on neurotransmitters in the brain, helping brain cells better communicate with each other. Asian cultures have long appreciated the brain-building effects of DHA. In Japan, DHA is considered such an important "health food" that it is used as a nutritional supplement to enrich some foods, and students frequently take DHA pills before examinations.
 


Just how important is DHA for brain development?

Consider these research findings:

DUMB FATS

Just as there are fats that improve how the brain functions, there are fats that hinder the brain's work. The dumbest fats are those that are man-made through the process of hydrogenation. These fats are referred to on package labels as "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated". A diet rich in these fats not only deprives the eater of the smart fats, but they can actually interfere with the action of smart fats on brain function.


NOURISHING TEEN BRAINS

Even though the brain has completed most of its growth by adolescence, it continues to make vital connections. This is another window of opportunity for brain growth when a healthy diet is important. However, adolescence may be a period when there is a lack of essential fatty acids in the diet. There are several reasons for this deficiency: adolescents tend to eat a lot of saturated fat foods and foods that contain hydrogenated fats. Young athletes often restrict their fat intake in order to keep fit and trim. When they cut out fat, in general, they also cut out healthy fats. Teen brains need more fish and fewer fries.


NUTRITIP: Fat Food for Growing Brains

While a baby is in the womb, the brain grows more rapidly than in any other stage of infant or child development. And during the first year after birth, the brain continues to grow rapidly, tripling in size by an infant's first birthday. So, it would make sense for a pregnant and lactating mother to supplement her diet with brain-building nutrients, primarily the omega 3 fatty acids found in fish and flax oil (one tablespoon of flax oil daily, four ounces of tuna or salmon three times a week). In fact, some nutritionists recommend that pregnant and lactating women take 200 milligrams of DHA supplements a day.


DHA SUPPLEMENTS

The DHA supplement we recommend is Neuromins®, a pure form of DHA derived from seaweed. This is the exact source fish get their DHA from. Neuromins® DHA, is an omega-3 supplement derived from an all-natural plant source, which makes it a very pure and safe form of DHA. Neuromins® DHA has been evaluated by an independent panel of experts and found to be Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) for use by adults (including pregnant and lactating women). In fact, unlike DHA from fish oil, Neuromins® DHA is considered so safe and so important for brain and eye development, it is added to infant formulas in over 60 countries.

The recommended dosage of Neuromins® DHA is 100mg per day. Those who eat little or no DHA rich foods should take 200mg of Neuromins® DHA per day. Today, the average Americans or Europeans daily intake of DHA is significantly lower then it was 50 years ago. Similarly, the level of DHA in breast milk of American and European women is significantly lower then it was 50 years ago. An additional 200mg of DHA a day increases the benefits of the average mother's breast milk to near historic levels.


DHA FOOD SOURCES

The best sources of DHA are: seafood, algae, and especially coldwater fish. Omega-3 fatty acids are nature's antifreeze. In general, the colder the water, the higher the omega-3 content in the fish oil. Popular sources of DHA are: salmon, sardines, and tuna. Eggs and organ meats have a small amount of DHA in them, but the healthiest source of dietary DHA is seafood. Two 4-ounce servings of omega-3-rich fish per week should yield a sufficient amount of omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA. Besides fish oils, vegetable oils (primarily flaxseed, soy, canola and walnut) are also rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids, with flaxseed oil being by far the best. The two F's, fish and flax, are the top brain-building foods not only for growing children but also for adults!


A.D.D. (Attention Deficit Disorder)

Intuitive parents have long suspected that undesirable behavior and poor school performance in some children are linked to poor nutrition. New scientific studies of children with Attention Deficit Disorder are beginning to confirm these suspicions.

One theory about ADD is that it is caused by a neurotransmitter imbalance. Children with ADD use hyperactivity and undesirable behavior to stimulate production of neurotransmitters, but then they get overstressed and deplete themselves of neurotransmitters and are soon out of control. It seems, that a child with a tendency toward ADD needs a diet rich in special nutrients that build neurotransmitters, given the difficulties he may have regulating their production. Research supports this idea, specifically:

1)  A 1996 study of 96 boys found that those with lower blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids were significantly more likely to have learning and behavior problems than those whose levels were normal.

2)  DHA and A.D.D. Another study showed that children with ADHD tended to have low blood levels of DHA and arachidonic acid, two key brain fats. Perhaps this is why studies have shown that children who have been breastfed are less likely to have ADHD, and the longer the period of breastfeeding , the less the likelihood of having ADHD. The reason seems to be that breastmilk is high in important fatty acids, such as GLA, ALA, DHA, arachidonic acid, and others, but prior to 1997 most formulas contained none or little of these fatty acids. Studies at Purdue University in Indiana suggest that many boys with ADHD have low levels of the omega fatty acids DHA, GLA, and AA in their blood, and tended to have higher levels of AHA and LA precursors in their blood than boys without ADHD, suggesting that these children were unable to make the fatty acids their brain needs from the fats in their diet. The boys with ADHD who had the lowest levels of DHA, GLA, and AA, exhibited the most anxiety, impulsivity, hyperactivity and conduct disorders. The researchers suggested three possible explanations for their findings:

a) the children's diets were deficient in essential fatty acids,
b) the children had a metabolic problem that prevented the body from converting dietary   nutrients to essential fatty acids for the brain, or 
c) various lifestyle and dietary factors reduced the level of essential fatty acids available to the brain.

3) While a deficiency of omega-3 fats can contribute to poor behavior and learning, the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in the diet is also important. A study of fifteen children with motor coordination problems showed that motor skills improved after the children were given a diet rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Brain researchers believe that the ideal ratio in the diet is 1:1, but a study found that children with ADHD had a higher omega-6 to omega-3 ratio in their diet. When the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio gets too high, the important omega-3 fats may be less available to the brain.

4) Some children with ADHD have outward symptoms of essential fatty acid deficiency, such as excessive thirst, frequent urination, dry hair, and dry skin. These symptoms appear because the vital organs, such as the brain, seem to have claim on the essential fatty acids in the diet and rob these vital nutrients from less important organs, such as the skin.

5) The Hyperactive Children's Support Group in England, after researching the connection between ADD and essential fatty acid deficiency, concluded that since some children may have a problem with the normal metabolism of essential fatty acids, they should supplement their diets with essential fatty acids. The group even suggested that perhaps males require two to three times more essential fatty acids than females, since hyperactive male children seem to outnumber females by three to one.

6) In a study of DHA and behavior, a group of college students were given a daily supplement of DHA beginning in August and continuing until final exams. Students who took DHA supplements displayed far less external aggression than those not taking supplements.

7) Sugars can also affect the learning and behavior of children. Glucose tolerance tests on 261 hyperactive children showed that 74 percent had abnormal glucose tolerance tests, indicating that some children with ADHD are more prone to blood sugar swings and the poor behavior and school performance that may accompany them. In one study, seventeen children with ADD were shown to have a lower rise in plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine in response to glucose infusion, another indication that these children may have more difficulty with blood-sugar changes.

8) Some research suggests that vitamin and mineral supplements may help children with A.D.H.D. Studies have shown that schoolchildren receiving a daily multivitamin containing the recommended dietary allowance of essential vitamins and minerals showed better school performance. However, studies using megavitamin therapy (doses of vitamins well above the RDA) on children with A.D.D. showed no effects; researchers concluded that this type of treatment should be discouraged because of potential toxic effects from excess amounts of some vitamins.

9) Other studies show that children placed on vitamin and mineral supplements tend to exhibit less violent, antisocial behavior, and show higher gains in academic performance than children on placebos. One study found that children who took 100 percent of the RDAs did better on I.Q. tests than those receiving 200 percent or 50 percent of the RDA. The conclusion was that taking more or less than the RDA may not be helpful.

Finally, nutritionists who reviewed studies linking diet, behavior, and school performance, concluded that students who generally ate a nutritious diet showed improved conduct and academic performance. All the why's and wherefores may not have been discovered yet, but common sense prevails.