Parkinson´s And Fish Oil
by Albert
(Australia)
Hello. Is there a possible connection between long term use (15 years or more) of taking a daily capsule of fish oil and Parkinsons disease ?
Thanks
Answer:
Albert, fish oil is generally well known for its benefits as an anti-inflammatory agent and for its nerve protecting effects. This is important in many mental diseases like Parkinsons.
Omega 3 fats are generally present in very low amounts in patients suffering from Parkinson’s, that is, there is an omega 3 deficiency in these patients. Particularly, DHA, one of the omega 3 fats, is more relevant for its benefits for the brain and neurological system health.
Please, take a look to the following studies that indicate the importance of a high omega 3 diet with Parkinson:
• Reduced brain levels of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (arachidonic acid and docosahexanoic acid (DHA)) are observed in elderly subjects and patients with Alzheimer's disease.
We believe the beneficial effects of fish oil might be common to other agents, i.e., induce TTR expression, like nicotine and Ginkgo biloba extract.
http://www.pnas.org/content/100/4/1580.short
• Depression in Parkinson's disease: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study of omega-3 fatty-acid supplementation.
These results reveal that PD patients taking fish oil, with or without antidepressants, presented improvement in depressive symptoms and indicate that the intake of omega-3 can be used with an antidepressant effect or as adjuvant therapy with some other medication. This is a first pilot study with parkinsonian patients and omega-3 supplementation and requires replication in a larger sample.
http://www.jad-journal.com/article/S0165-0327(08)00128-6/abstract
• Beneficial effects of dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid on toxin-induced neuronal degeneration in an animal model of Parkinson’s disease.
In this study, we examined whether omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may exert neuroprotective action in Parkinson’s disease, as previously shown in Alzheimer’s disease.
Taken together, these data suggest that a high n-3 PUFA dietary intake exerts neuroprotective actions in an animal model of Parkinsonism.
http://www.fasebj.org/content/22/4/1213.short
• Relationships among diet, physical activity and other lifestyle factors and debilitating diseases in the elderly.
Diet and physical activity are two major lifestyle factors that play a role in the prevention or management of debilitating conditions affecting older people. Both under- and overnutrition predispose to diseases. Low sodium
and high potassium intakes, as well as the consumption of fruits and vegetables are associated with a reduction of hypertension and diseases arising from hypertension such as stroke and dementia.
Physical activity is important in the prevention of functional decline and increased survival, reduced incidence of falls and fractures, and has various cardiovascular health benefits. Apart from prevention of diseases, exercise also has an important role in improving function in some chronic diseases such as heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Both diet and exercise interact, so that public health recommendations often take the form of lifestyle medication advice in the prevention of disease and disability.
http://www.healthmegamall.com/Articles/BabeskinArticle258.pdf
• Fish Oil Protects Against Diseases Like Parkinson's ScienceDaily (Apr. 20, 2009) — Dr. Nicolas Bazan, Director of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence will present new research findings showing that an omega three fatty acid in the diet protects brain cells by preventing the misfolding of a protein resulting from a gene mutation in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Huntington's.
"These experiments provide proof of principle that neuroprotectin D1 can be applied therapeutically to combat various neurodegenerative diseases," says Dr. Bazan. "Furthermore, this study provides the basis of new therapeutic approaches to manipulate retinal pigment epithelial cells to be used as a source of NPD1 to treat patients with disorders characterized by this mutation like Parkinson's, Retinitis Pigmentosa and some forms of Alzheimer's Disease."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090419133844.htm
Now, regarding your 15 year old supplementation with fish oil, I would like to say that taking one fish oil capsule a day is a very low fish oil dosage. It may contain around 300 mg of omega 3 fats (EPA plus DHA) which is well below the 900 mgs of omega 3 fats general recommended for overall heath maintenance. When you are overweight, with a degenerative disease like Parkinson’s or have a high omega 6 diet (sugars, starches, processed foods) you should start with at least 1.800 mg of omega 3 (equivalent to 6.000 mg per day of fish oil).
You see, there are many factors that determine the omega 3 dosage you may want to take. Diet, exercise, age, health, etc. are part of the equation to adjust your dosage. The best way to find if you are taking the proper amounts is by measuring your triglycerides and HDL cholesterol, if the ratio is close to 1/1, you are at the perfect omega 3 level.
Please, read
Omega 3 Diet Best wishes,
Alfredo E.
