A few days ago, the New York Times published a story about fitness supplements. Reading this, I was reminded that I'd intended to expand on comments I've made about supplements in previous WHEE diaries. But first - what are WHEE doing here, anyway?
WHEE (Weight, Health, Eating and Exercise) is a community support diary for Kossacks who are currently or planning to start losing, gaining or maintaining their weight through diet and exercise or fitness. Any supportive comments, suggestions or positive distractions are appreciated. If you are working on your weight or fitness, please -- join us! You can also click the WHEE tag to view all diary posts.
Omega-3 for ADD? Is that just a fish story?
A few weeks ago, my wife got to talking with some friends at a knitting group. The conversation came around to the subject of unfinished projects. Now, as I understand it, almost all knitters (and similarly crafty types) have unfinished projects - in fact, I believe it's something of a clichéd joke in the crafting community. But my wife was feeling almost buried by the burden of incomplete and unfinished projects. Her daughter has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), and my wife has wondered if she's also afflicted with ADD. One of the other women in the knitting group recommended a psychologist and an MD that she said specialized in ADD treatments.
She started by making an appointment with the MD, who had her fill out a questionnaire. According to the doctor, her answers put her definitely in the ADD camp. However, the doctor was unwilling to put her on a standard ADD medication, because my wife's regular physician has her on a prescription that would interact with the ADD medications. Instead, he recommended she start by taking a standard Omega-3 supplement.
Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats that cannot be synthesized in the body, but instead have to come from our food or from supplements. There are three Omega-3 fats that are of particular interest: ALA, EPA, and DHA. The latter two, EPA and DHA, are the ones with the greatest health benefits. Our bodies can convert ALA into EPA and DHA, but the process isn't very efficient. So why not just take an EPA/DHA supplement?
Unfortunately, EPA and DHA can only be found high on the food chain. They're actually synthesized by green algae, but it takes a lot of processing and concentrating to extract useful amounts from algae. It's a lot cheaper to extract oil from small fish such as sardines. Omega-3s can also be found in larger carnivorous fish such as salmon, which is one reason salmon has become so popular in recent years - so much so that a large industry of salmon farming has grown up in recent years. As you may know, salmon farming is one of the most environmentally destructive practices in food production. Ironically, since farmed salmon are sometimes fed meal made from corn instead of smaller fish, the farmed salmon often has little of the Omega-3 fats that made salmon so popular in the first place.
Another problem with salmon and other carnivorous fish is that they don't just concentrate Omega-3 fatty acids. They also concentrate mercury in their tissues. Smaller fish also absorb mercury (although not as much as larger, carnivorous fish), which is why many people recommend looking for a "molecularly distilled" fish oil supplement. It's also possible to find DHA supplements that have been produced directly from algae, which are a good choice for those with ethical objections to eating fish. As for the Omega-3s found in flaxseed and other plant seeds -- that is ALA. As I noted above, ALA has to be converted to EPA and DHA in our bodies, and this conversion is not completely efficient.
So my wife's doctor recommended that she find a molecularly distilled fish oil supplement, and take up to 3 grams of this supplement daily. These days, that's not an unusual prescription - but for heart health. What is Omega-3 supposed to do for ADD?
According to her MD, the fish oil supplement will thicken myelin sheaths of her neurons, which will reduce static and crosstalk, which will in turn help her deal with her ADD. If you're a bit skeptical about that claim, you're not alone. It also sounds a bit "out there" to me too. The Wikipedia article on Omega-3s mentions theorized effects on brain health, but nothing that seems to relate to alleviating ADD in adults. Again according to Wikipedia, many parents of ADHD children give them Omega-3 supplements, but there is little real evidence to support this as beneficial for adults.
However, there is still a good deal of evidence supporting the benefits of EPA and DHA on cardiovascular health, so I think taking an Omega-3 supplement is probably a good idea regardless. Maybe it will help her ADD, maybe it won't. In fact, I've started taking Omega-3 capsules too, as I have issues with completing projects myself. Perhaps the only way it will help me complete projects is preventing a heart attack, thus giving me more years to continue working on writing the Great American WHEE Diary. But that seems like a good enough reason.
Disclaimer: Omega-3 supplements are not necessarily safe for everyone. If you're taking warfarin or an aspirin regimen, if you're diabetic, or if you suffer from congestive heart failure or chronic angina, talk to your doctor before taking Omega-3 supplements. And for everyone - don't exceed three (3) grams per day, and do choose a trustworthy pure source of fish oil. Don't expect miracles from flaxseed-based Omega-3 supplements, and don't eat farmed salmon!
Scheduled WHEE diaries:
January 21
Thurs AM - ???
Thurs PM - 1864 House
January 22
Fri AM - ???
Fri PM - Wee Mama
January 23
Sat AM - ???
Sat PM - Edward Spurlock (Kessler, Ch. 43)
January 24
Sun AM - ???
Sun PM - ???
January 25
Mon AM - NC Dem
Mon PM - ???
January 26
Tues AM - ???
Tues PM - Clio2 (Kessler, Ch. 44)
January 27
Weds AM - ???
Weds Pm - Edward Spurlock