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Omega-3 fatty acids play an important role in heart and brain health. They've been linked to a stronger immune system, reduced inflammation and lower blood pressure and triglycerides, reducing the risk for heart disease and cognitive decline. But most people in the U.S. don't include enough omega-3s in their diets. There are three main types of omega-3 fatty acids: alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA; docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA; and eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA. The human body can convert small amounts of ALA into EPA and DHA, but the main way people increase levels is to consume foods and supplements that contain...

Consuming omega-3 fatty acids—particularly alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a nutrient found in foods including flaxseeds, walnuts, and chia, canola and soybean oils—may help slow the progression of disease in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a study. The researchers conducted a study among 449 people living with ALS who participated in a clinical trial. As part of this trial, the severity of their symptoms and the progression of their disease were tested and then scored from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating less severe symptoms of the disease. The researchers measured the levels of omega-3 fatty acids in...

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV airs footage allegedly showing schoolchildren hooked up to intravenous drips to help them study ahead of the country's notoriously difficult university entrance exams.Students at Xioagang high school in Hubei province have reportedly been using the drips, filled with amino acids, in yet another example of how children are pushed to succeed at the highest level. Gao Pingqiang, a school official, told The China Daily that the drips had become popular with children as there were no adverse health effects.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Protect Against Parkinson's, Study Says ScienceDaily (Nov. 26, 2007) — Omega-3 fatty acids protect the brain against Parkinson's disease, according to a study by Université Laval researchers. This study, supervised by Frederic Calon and Francesca Cicchetti, is the first to demonstrate the protective effect of a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids against Parkinson's. Parkinson's disease is caused by the progressive death of the neurons responsible for producing dopamine, a neurotransmitter closely linked with movement control. The disease is usually diagnosed when 50 to 80% of these neurons are already dead, and there is currently no medication...

Space radiation preferentially destroys specific forms of amino acids, the most realistic laboratory simulation to date has found. The work suggests the molecular building blocks that form the "left-handed" proteins used by life on Earth took shape in space, bolstering the case that they could have seeded life on other planets. Amino acids are molecules that come in mirror-image right- and left-handed forms. But all the naturally occurring proteins in organisms on Earth use the left-handed forms - a puzzle dubbed the "chirality problem". "A key question is when this chirality came into play," says Uwe Meierhenrich, a chemist at...