Did You Know Brain Weight Starts To Deteriorate Significantly At Age 45?!?

I never would have guess I'd have to start worrying about my brain shrinking when I hit my forties, but a recent article caught my eyes and this is what I learned! The human brain develops quickly and quadruples in size during the first three years of life.  It maxes out at 3 lbs by the age of 20.  But then by around age 45 is starts to significantly deteriorate, decreasing by an average of 11% from its weight in early adulthood.  The shrinkage mostly affects the forebrain region that is responsible for your personality, memory, and cognitive function.  Researchers now believe that the brain shrinkage can help predict Alzheimer's disease years before it can be diagnosed!  Alzheimer's disease causes brain cells to shrink or disappear causing dense spots know as plaque.  The good news is that thanks to MRI imaging Doctors can detect this shrinkage up to 10 years before one starts to show signs of Alzheimer's.  The amazing thing is that recent studies have shown that OMEGA-3 supplementation can HALT or PREVENT this brain shrinkage!

A couple studies where done on Brain Boosting abilities of Omega-3s.  The first study found "a significant positive association between fish oil supplement use and average brain volumes in two critical areas utilized in memory and thinking".  [ Source:"Rhode Island Hospital Study Identifies Fish Oil's Impact on Cognition and Brain Structure," Lori Daiello, Brain Ott, Assawin Gongvatana, et al, Rhode Island Hospital's Alzheimer's Disease and Meory Disorders Center. Sept. 1, 2011].
The second study concluded that people with diets high in omega-3 fatty acids are less likely to have brain shrinkage.   Gene Bowman who conducted the study said, "It is very exciting to think that people could potentially stop their brains from shrinking and keep them sharp by adjusting their diet". [Source:"Nutrient bimarker patterns, cognitive function, and MRI Measures of brain aging" G.L. Bowman, L.C. Silbert, et al., Neurology January 24, 2012 vol.78. p. 241-249]

So what can we do to gain the best benefits from Omega-3s? Well you could add more seafood to your diet unless your not a fan of fish. But that can be pretty tough to do because in order to get the average daily dose of 1000 mg as a healthy adult, you would have to eat four to seven servings of cod, about four servings of shrimp, or one to two servings of salmon.  Plus adding large amounts of seafood to your diet also means increasing your risk of ingesting contaminants such as mercury and chemical toxins.  Uhhh....no thank you!   Not to worry though because the best way to get it is by taking fish oil supplements.  However, not all supplements are not created equal.  You need to make sure to read the label and follow three easy steps!  Look to ensure the label meets these critical criteria:

1. Source: Natural fish oil with highest concentration of omega-3s coming from wild-caught fish in deep, cold waters. You also want to choose fish with shorter lifespans, so they are far less likely to accumulate toxins.

2. Purity:  Just because it's a pill doesn't mean it's pure.  Look for a supplement that is molecularly distilled by water microdistillation without chemicals or excessive temperatures.

3. DHA & EPA levels: The higher the levels the more beneficial they are. For overall health benefits, look for fish oil with a 2:1 balance of DHA:EPA.


I hope you find this information useful!  I was so inspired by it given the fact that my family recently when through the devastation of loosing my grandma to Alzheimer's Disease a year and a half ago.  I hope to never go through it again.  My goal is to get my family members to seriously consider adding fish oil supplements to their daily diets being that it's in the family genes. I'm also hoping to do my part to spread the awareness of the benefits of Omega-3 by sharing this article with as many interested people out there as possible! So please I encourage you to "share" my article with your friends and spread the word! 

The best part I want to tell you is that you don't even have to do your homework by looking for the 3 critical criteria I listed above.  Why? Because MELALEUCA, The Health & Wellness Company that I work from home for has already had their amazing researchers do it for me.  That's right!  It's called "Vitality COLDWATER OMEGA-3".  It supports brain, eye, and heart health. It has all the benefits without the contaminants.  If you'd like to try out this products among a selection almost 400 other health and wellness products at a discounted price then I'm the person to talk to! 

[Sources for this article comes from Melaleuca The Wellness Company, "A Sharper Brain Starts With A Little Oil", May 2012 Specials flyer insert]

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