Posted on 01/30/2011 10:47:40 AM PST by decimon
Neuroscience of nutrition
How maternal essential fatty acid deficiency impact on its progeny is poorly understood. Dietary insufficiency in omega-3 fatty acid has been implicated in many disorders. Researchers from Inserm and INRA and their collaborators in Spain collaboration, have studied mice fed on a diet low in omega-3 fatty acid. They discovered that reduced levels of omega-3 had deleterious consequences on synaptic functions and emotional behaviours. Details of this work are available in the online version of the journal Nature neuroscience, which can be accessed at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nn.2736
In industrialized nations, diets have been impoverished in essential fatty acids since the beginning of the 20th century. The dietary ratio between omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid omega-3 increased continuously over the course of the 20th century. These fatty acids are "essential" lipids because the body cannot synthesize them from new. They must therefore be provided through food and their dietary balance is essential to maintain optimal brain functions.
Olivier Manzoni (Head of Research Inserm Unit 862, "Neurocentre Magendie", in Bordeaux and Unit 901 "Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée" in Marseille), and Sophie Layé (Head of Research at INRA Unit 1286, "Nutrition et Neurobiologie Intégrative" in Bordeaux) and their co-workers hypothesized that chronic malnutrition during intra-uterine development, may later influence synaptic activity involved in emotional behaviour (e.g. depression, anxiety) in adulthood.
To verify their hypotheses, the researchers studied mice fed a life-long diet imbalanced in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. They found that omega-3 deficiency disturbed neuronal communication specifically. The researchers observed that only the cannabinoid receptors, which play a strategic role in neurotransmission, suffer a complete loss of function. This neuronal dysfunction was accompanied by depressive behaviours among the malnourished mice.
Among omega-3 deficient mice, the usual effects produced by cannabinoid receptor activation, on both the synaptic and behavioural levels, no longer appear. Thus, the CB1R receptors lose their synaptic activity and the antioxidant effect of the cannabinoids disappears.
Consequently, the researchers discovered that among mice subjected to an omega-3 deficient dietary regime, synaptic plasticity, which is dependent on the CB1R cannabinoid receptors, is disturbed in at least two structures involved with reward, motivation and emotional regulation: the prefrontal cortex and the nucleus accumbens. These parts of the brain contain a large number of CB1R cannabinoid receptors and have important functional connections with each other.
"Our results can now corroborate clinical and epidemiological studies which have revealed associations between an omega-3/omega-6 imbalance and mood disorders", explain Olivier Manzoni and Sophie Layé. "To determine if the omega-3 deficiency is responsible for these neuropsychiatric disorders additional studies are, of course, required".
In conclusion, the authors estimate that their results provide the first biological components of an explanation for the observed correlation between omega-3 poor diets, which are very widespread in the industrialized world, and mood disorders such as depression.
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« Nutritional Omega-3 deficiency abolishes endocannabinoid mediated neuronal functions » Mathieu Lafourcade1,3#, Thomas Larrieu2,3#, Susana Mato4#, Anais Duffaud2,3, Marja Sepers1,3, Isabelle Matias1,3, Veronique De Smedt2,3, Virginie Labrousse2,3, Lionel Bretillon6, Carlos Matute4, Rafael Rodríguez-Puertas5, Sophie Layé2,3,¶,° and Olivier J. Manzoni1,3,7,8,9, ¶,°
1 Unité Inserm 862, Physiopathology of Synaptic Plasticity Group, Neurocentre Magendie, 146 Rue Léo—Saignat, F 33077 Bordeaux Cedex, France.
2 INRA UMR 1286, CNRS UMR 5226, PsyNuGen, F 33077 Bordeaux Cedex, France.
3 University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, F 33077, France.
4 Department of Neuroscience and 5 Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country, 48940 Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.
6 UMR1324 CGSA, INRA, 17 Rue Sully, 21065 Dijon, France.
7 Unité Inserm901, Marseille, 13009, France.
8 Université de la Méditerranée UMR S901 Aix-Marseille 2, France.
9 INMED, Marseille,
Nature Neuroscience, 30 janvier 2011 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nn.2736
Contacts chercheurs
Olivier Manzoni Directeur de recherche Inserm Tel.: 04 91 82 81 37 Mel : olivier.manzoni@inserm.fr
Sophie Layé Directeur de recherche INRA Tel: 05 57 57 12 32 Mel: sophie.laye@bordeaux.inra.fr
Fish head ping.
Excellent!
But there is truth to it. Omega 3 is very important for health health and depression.
I take Nordic or Eskimo Omega 3 pills (Eskimo has no aftertaste). Nordic gives you ...
Of course, the best way to get Omega 3 is through eating anchovies, sardines, mackerel and other small cold water fish.
“explanation for the observed correlation between omega-3 poor diets, which are very widespread in the industrialized world”
Come on people this is more marxist/anti-capitalism propaganda. Notice here how they blame the “industrialized world” which is capitalism.
The fake anti-capitalism science of global warming has been proven a hoax.
Life expectancies have risen in the U.S. every decade.
I don’t buy any of this “science”.
The told us fat was bad now it’s good.
Global warming, swine flu, BP oil “disaster” etc.
All fake threats to make people give up their freedoms and accept more government control (socialism).
Rush just debunked the “science” of eating fruits and vegetables.
My husband started taking purified fish pills with berry extract a few years ago. His blood pressure returned to normal and his cholesterol dropped. He now has his G.P. taking them as well. The fish oil is not suppose to be like valium or something that strong but does tend to equalize a person’s moods. Just a mild calming affect. Works for us. Just a thought.
A fish a day keeps the doctor away. Or is that going fishing every day keeps the doctor away, I forget.
Or you could get it where they get it from, and skip the fishy taste and mercury: green plants.
Hmmmm, hmmmmm, hmmmm.
Well whatdya know; I thought it was the Obama presidency, the Obamacare IRS 1099 reporting rule, & the NYS MTA tax that was making me depressed. Watch out, The Dems will be taxing the crap out Omega 3 supplements in the blink of an eye.
Well, Todd Palin looks to be in good health.
“... Dems will be taxing the crap out of Omega 3 supplements...”
Nothing will surprise me. In fact, very little surprises me anymore. I’m not saying that the pills work for everyone and with every case but they don’t have side affects like prescription meds and so far are doing a good job.
>>Of course, the best way to get Omega 3 is through eating anchovies, . . .
Hmmm, I may have to pick up some romaine and make a nice Caesar salad tonight. I may even get ambitious and make dressing from scratch, and not just chop up half a tin of anchovies and add that to dressing from the jar.
That & {good , high quality}anchovy's on almost everything makes me very happy.
& don't forget Adirondack's White Chocolate Seltzer water!
Well, I though as you did until I started taking Fish Oil and my blood pressure dropped enough to lower my medication levels. I did the research on the internet myself, without my doctor’s knowledge. When I went in for my bi-annual doctor appointment, I was a very happy patient. It has a very positive effect on the heart and blood vessels. Do your own research.
Vitamin D is also good for mental health and helps the immune system. Many people with mental health disorders have a difficult time getting through the winter months. Vitamin D seems to make a difference.
“The Dems will be taxing the crap out Omega 3 supplements in the blink of an eye.”
They already did, starting Jan. 1. Vitamins used to be something reimbursable using pre-tax health savings accounts/medical reimbursement accounts. Now such spending is no longer eligible.
https://www.mygreatwest.com/Members/MPPublic/OTCDrugs.aspx
It’s just one of many stealth taxes contained in the health law. http://healthreformreport.com/2011/01/changing-the-rules-on-flexible-spending-accounts-another-stealth-health-tax.php
Until this turkey is repealed, I think there are tens of millions of Americans who will be depressed, regardless of whether they’re taking Omega 3 supplements or not.
There is a good chance that the symptom of depression does not have a single cause. All depressions are not the same. Thus prozac and all other medicines act differently in different types of depression.
Any new breakthrough on depression is likely to apply to just a small percentage of those who experience depression.
And what is considered a “cure” for depression?
For some, a person who goes on SSI with a disability and takes medicine at taxpayer expense is “cured” as long as he takes his medicine.
For me, drinking MtnDew aides me to function, in spite of my depression. I’m still just as depressed as when I was non-functional. But I work and pay taxes to support the person on SSI rather than going on SSI myself.
Some of the vitamin D I take is with fish oil. Capsules of 1000mg fish oil and 1000IU vitamin D.
I freeze my fish oil and never get an aftertaste.
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