There is a saying common among Naturopaths and other nutritionally minded individuals that follows as such, "If it's not in the soil, it's not in the carrot". This simple slogan highlights a very important fact about the quality of the food that we consume. With present day farming techniques, our soils are being depleted of critical minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients. Unfortunately, this approach to farming (cash crop and animal) manifests itself at our dinner tables each and every day.
In order to combat the decreasing quality of our food, many individuals rely upon nutritional supplementation to offset these nutrient deficits. I often compare nutritional supplementation to buying insurance for your house. We never intend on our houses being damaged by a fire, but we purchase insurance in case that very thing happens. In the same vein, using nutritional supplements such as a daily multivitamin can "insure" us against the deficits in our food. A healthy, well-balanced diet should be our number one priority, and supplementation should never be used as a substitute for a healthy diet.
One nutrient of particular importance is what we commonly hear of as "good fat", or omega fatty acids. The most important of the omega fatty acids to use as a supplement is Omega 3. In nature, omega 3 fatty acids exist in relatively high amounts in flax seeds and fish. Unfortunately, Ontarians eat relatively little fish, compared to friends and family living in coastal provinces, and the majority of Canadians, use very little flaxseed in their diet. The list of benefits pertaining to the consumption of omega 3 fatty acids is both lengthy and impressive.
An article exploring one aspect of omega 3 fatty acid supplementation was presented in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2004. It is entitled, Cognitive aging, childhood intelligence, and the use of food supplements: possible involvement of n-3 fatty acids. Participants in this study were all born in 1936, had mental ability testing completed in 1947, and were followed up with in 2000, 2001 at which time cognition, diet, food supplement use, and risk factors for vascular
disease were assessed. These authors concluded that food supplement use, especially omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, could improve retention of cognitive function in old age. Participants that consumed higher than average omega 3 fatty acids did so through fish oil supplementation.
Results of this study are both exciting and important. We are living longer these days and keeping a sharp mind is becoming just as important to people as maintaining healthy hearts and lungs. Supplementing your diet with omega fatty acids, especially omega 3, may be a relatively cheap and efficient way to combat cognitive aging.
Michael Joseph Meade, HBSc., BEd., MEd. (counselling), ND
Doctor of
Naturopathic Medicine
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