Alzheimer's Disease and Essential Fatty Acids

This section is compiled by Frank M. Painter, D.C.
Send all comments or additions to:   Frankp@chiro.org

If there are terms in these articles you don't understand, you can get a definition from the Merriam Webster Medical Dictionary.   If you want information about a specific disease, you can access the Merck Manual.   Search Pub Med for more abstracts on this topic.

   Dietary Fats and the Risk of Incident Alzheimer Disease
           Arch Neurol 2003 (Feb);   60 (2):   194–200
           High intake of unsaturated, unhydrogenated fats may be protective against Alzheimer disease, whereas intake of saturated or trans-unsaturated (hydrogenated) fats may increase risk.


   Consumption of Fish and n-3 Fatty Acids and Risk of Incident Alzheimer Disease
Arch Neurol 2003 (Jul);   60 (7):   940–946
Dietary intake of n-3 fatty acids and weekly consumption of fish may reduce the risk of incident Alzheimer disease.


   Life in the Balance - The Critical Need for Omega-3 Supplementation
           Natural Medicine Online July 2000 ~ FULL TEXT
           Throughout human history mankind has ingested an approximate equal proportion (1/1 ratio) of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids. The Omegas 6 and 3 are two of forty-nine known essential nutrients. As essential nutrients they cannot be synthesized by the body, but must be ingested directly in foods or in the form of dietary supplements. The relationship of equivalence between the two Omegas is critical because they self-check each other in a delicate balance to regulate thousands of metabolic functions through prostaglandin pathways.

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Since 7-23-2003

Updated 10-21-2008