Free Republic

It's good news that we are living longer, but bad news that the longer we live, the better our odds of developing late-onset Alzheimer's disease. Many Alzheimer's researchers have long touted fish oil, by pill or diet, as an accessible and inexpensive "weapon" that may delay or prevent this debilitating disease. Now, UCLA scientists have confirmed that fish oil is indeed a deterrent against Alzheimer's, and they have identified the reasons why. Greg Cole, professor of medicine and neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and associate director of UCLA's Alzheimer Disease Research Center, and his colleagues...

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A diet rich in fish and other sources of omega-3 fatty acids helped cut the risk that children with a family history of diabetes would develop the disease, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday. whose study appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association. "It is exciting because it suggests we might be able to develop nutritional interventions to prevent diabetes."Type 1 diabetes, formerly called juvenile diabetes, is the most common form of diabetes in children. It occurs when the immune system goes haywire and starts attacking insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.No one knows exactly what triggers...

A diet rich in a type of omega-3 fatty acid can help prevent Alzheimer's disease, and a newly discovered molecule might block enzymes in the brain that lead to plaque formations -- a hallmark of the progressive brain disorder -- two new studies suggest. In one of those studies, at the University of California, Irvine, scientists used genetically engineered mice and it is reportedly the first to show that an omega-3 fatty acid known as docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA for short, can slow the accumulation of tau, a protein that leads to plaque and tangles in brain tissue seen in...

See for example this comment first. I hope you're all taking fish oil 'fore shuffling off this mortal coil If your heart's feeling ill Take this little pill It's health from the sea, not the soil.

ROME — Every patient in the cardiac care unit at the San Filippo Neri Hospital who survives a heart attack goes home with a prescription for purified fish oil, or omega-3 fatty acids. “It is clearly recommended in international guidelines,” said Dr. Massimo Santini, the hospital’s chief of cardiology, who added that it would be considered tantamount to malpractice in Italy to omit the drug. In a large number of studies, prescription fish oil has been shown to improve survival after heart attacks and to reduce fatal heart rhythms. The American College of Cardiology recently strengthened its position on the...

UCLA study shows altering fatty acid levels in diet may reduce prostate cancer growth rate UCLA researchers found that altering the fatty acid ratio found in the typical Western diet to include more omega-3 fatty acids and decrease the amount of omega-6 fatty acids may reduce prostate cancer tumor growth rates and PSA levels. Published in the Aug. 1 issue of the journal Clinical Cancer Research, this initial animal-model study is one of the first to show the impact of diet on lowering an inflammatory response known to promote prostate cancer tumor progression and could lead to new treatment approaches....

A daily dose of fish oil is better at treating hyperactivity than Ritalin - the 'chemical cosh' linked to the deaths of children, stunning research has revealed. Just six capsules a day of the naturally-occurring oil can vastly improve children's behaviour without any of the side-effects of Ritalin and related drugs. The controversial drugs can cause heart problems, dizziness and insomnia and have been blamed for the deaths of nine children in the UK and dozens more in the US. The new study provides a natural alternative - and gives fresh hope to the parents of the 30,000 British children...

Australian researchers have discovered that fish oil rich in omega 3 and 6 fatty acids may improve attention spans and even help children with ADHD. Children with behavioural problems can seem like little terrors. But according to doctors, they are not problem kids: they are sick kids.   Experts have long debated whether or not attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) even exists, let alone an effective treatment or cure. But a new study has claimed results. Researchers at the University of South Australia and CSIRO studied 145 children with ADHD, giving some capsules containing fish oil high in omega 3 and...

CHICAGO - Fish oil, seen as beneficial for reducing heart disease risks, probably doesn't help prevent cancer, according to a review of studies involving more than 700,000 patients. Researchers examined data from 38 studies that tracked patients for up to 30 years, and said most showed there is no cancer protection from omega-3 fatty acids. Although a few studies found some risk reduction for cancers of the breast, prostate and lung, those studies were relatively small and not definitive, said Dr. Catherine MacLean, the lead author and a researcher at the Rand Corp. and Greater Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Healthcare...

The nude mouse tale: Omega-3 fats save the life of a terminal cancer patient Category: Cancer/Oncology News Article Date: 11 Nov 2005 Ron Pardini is not a medical doctor. Yet he is seen as a hero by his cancer-stricken neighbor, "D.H." Pardini helped the 78-year-old after D.H. was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. "In 2000 he was told by his doctor he had only a few months to live," said Pardini, a professor of biochemistry and associate director of the Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of Nevada, Reno. "But five years later, he is still alive, and has...

Check your local listings for airtimes. (Current show is updated every weekday at 5pm EST.) HEALTH Health Experts Warn of Antidepressant Dangers for Children, Teens By Darla SittonCBN News Producer In America, Prozac is the only drug the FDA has "approved" for pediatric depression. CBN.com – (CBN News) - As many as one in eight adolescents suffers from clinical depression. And these kids are often treated with anti-depressant drugs that have been tested and approved for adult use. But the drugs may not be safe for children. Corey Baadsgaard doesn't remember storming into his honors English class with a...

By Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS, October 19, 2005, abstracted from “Anticancer properties of propofol-docosahexaenoate and propofol-eicosapentaenoate on breast cancer cells” in the June 7, 2005 issue of Breast Cancer Research   Despite increases in technology, research, and education, breast cancer incidence in the U.S. has increased from one in twenty people in 1960 to one in eight today, with a woman being diagnosed every three minutes. In addition to the 216,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer expected to be diagnosed in 2004, 59,390 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed, both expected to claim the lives of...

A "SUPERMILK" containing Omega 3 fatty acids derived from oily fish is to go on sale this week. It is produced by cows which are given a special fish oil blend along with their normal feed. A 250ml serving contains ten times more of the Omega 3 acids known as DHA and EPA than regular milk but is said to taste the same. Omega 3 fatty acids tackle heart disease and ensure healthy nails, hair and skin. Claire Williamson, a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation, said many people in the UK do not eat the recommended one portion...

A combination of omega-3 fatty acids, found naturally in oily fish, and the anesthetic propofol appears effective in fighting breast cancer and may provide the basis for the development of new drugs to treat the disease, researchers report. In laboratory tests, this combination reduced the ability of breast cancer cells to turn into malignant tumors -- inhibiting cancer cell migration by 50 percent and greatly reducing their metastatic activity, the study said. Researchers at the Methodist Research Institute and Indiana University in Indianapolis studied the effects on breast cancer cells of two omega-3 fatty acids - docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and...

<p>Children's Diet Link To Disorders Study Shows Dramatic Effect of Fish Oil Supplement Study abstract follows.</p> <p>British children are suffering behavioural and learning disorders because their diets are deficient in vital nutrients needed for their brains to function normally, a study reveals today. Rigorous scientific research shows that the performance of underachieving children, some of whom were also disruptive, improved dramatically when their diets were supplemented with fish oils. The fish oils contain omega-3 fatty acids that are essential for brain development and function but are largely missing from modern processed diets. The study, published in this month's issue of the American journal Pediatrics and conducted by researchers from Oxford University's department of physiology, found that some 40% of the children made dramatic improvements in reading and spelling when given supplements high in omega-3 essential fats. The data also shows a significant improvement in concentration and behaviour. Symptoms of the sort associated with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were reduced by an order of magnitude usually achieved with stimulants such as Ritalin. Parents reported that other health problems, such as eczema and asthma, also improved, although no specific data on these other conditions has been published in the study. The research looked at 117 children aged five to 12 in 12 schools in Co Durham who were of normal ability but were underachieving and were suspected of having problems with coordination or motor skills, a condition known as dyspraxia. Dyspraxia is thought to affect at least 5% of British children to varying degrees - they may struggle to tie shoelaces or balance, for example. The disorder frequently overlaps with dyslexia and ADHD, and is part of a range of conditions that include autistic spectrum disorders. Researchers have been trying to establish why there has been a fourfold rise in these types of disorders in the past 15 to 20 years. The Durham study followed a rigorous scientific method called a randomised double blind placebo-controlled trial. Children were assessed for their motor skills, IQ, reading, spelling and behaviour. Testing confirmed they had dyspraxia. Half were given supplements of essential fats, over three months, and half were given placebos of olive oil. Neither the children nor the assessors knew which was receiving which. After three months, the placebo group were also given the supplements. Children on the supplements of omega-3 fatty acids made nine to 10 months' progress in their reading in three months, compared with the control group, who made the normal progress of three months. When the group on placebos was switched to active supplements, it too made similar leaps in progress. None of the children had been diagnosed as suffering from ADHD, although a third were found to have sufficient problems to put them in this category. After three months of fish oils, half of them showed so much improvement that they no longer fell into this category. The early results of the research, which began in 2002, were so dramatic that they attracted considerable publicity before the codes to establish which group had been on the fish oils and which had been on placebos had been broken. Now that the full data is available it proves what has been increasingly feared by parents and teachers - that children's diets today are inadequate for their basic needs. Dr Alexandra Richardson, who led the research, said: "Food affects behaviour. If you paid attention to diet, you could really make a difference."</p>

How Fish Oil Protects Your Heart   While there are many (unnecessary) pharmacological treatments for the prevention and management of coronary heart disease, both health professionals as well as the public believe simple dietary interventions may prove to be more beneficial. Specifically, omega-3 fatty acids from fish and fish oils can protect against cardiovascular disease.Omega-3 Protects Your HeartFollowing are just some of the benefits omega-3 has to offer: Antiarrhythmic: counteracting or preventing cardiac arrhythmia Antithrombotic: tending to prevent thrombosis (a blood clot within a blood vessel) Antiatherosclerotic: preventing fatty deposits and fibrosis of the inner layer of the arteries...

A new and emerging understanding of how heart attacks occur indicates that increasingly popular aggressive treatments may be doing little or nothing to prevent them. The artery-opening methods, like bypass surgery and stents, the widely used wire cages that hold plaque against an artery wall, can alleviate crushing chest pain. Stents can also rescue someone in the midst of a heart attack by destroying an obstruction and holding the closed artery open. But the new model of heart disease shows that the vast majority of heart attacks do not originate with obstructions that narrow arteries. Instead, recent and continuing studies...

Chronic fatigue syndrome or ME may be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, according to doctors. They have also suggested that taking certain fish oil supplements may help to alleviate some of the symptoms associated with the condition. Chronic fatigue syndrome affects an estimated 243,000 people of all ages in the UK. It causes a wide range of symptoms including muscle pain, memory loss, and severe exhaustion which can last many years and leave victims bed-ridden. Dr Basant Puri and colleagues at Hammersmith Hospital in London used state-of-the-art scanning technology to assess chemical activity in the brain. They...