Denton County Living Well Magazine Fall 2015 | Page 36

EPA or DHA?

Weather The Deep Waters No Further!

S

By Christina A. Reiter, BSN, CC

o, you go in for the yearly visit with your physician
and after a few tests, he informs you that your
cholesterol is too high, your cognitive abilities are
declining and, from the looks of things, your eyesight is at an all-time low. He then recommends
you might consider an over-the-counter omega-3 product
to help prevent further deterioration, in addition to the prescriptions that he has given you. When you ask him for specifics, he is unsure what brand is the best, but suggests you
might find it at the health food store. If this sounds like you,
along with having to endure the distasteful fish oil burping
and aftertaste from most food-grade fish oils, then you are
not alone and we are here to help! We encourage you to
know that there are four levels of quality in commercially
available nutritional products: pharmaceutical, national brands, house
brands (food-grade), and veterinary. Your choice here can greatly
determine how well a product will
work for you.

acid chain that adds
two more carbon bonds
and eight hydrogens. Its
behavior in the bloodstream becomes more
slippery than EPA, so
much in that it slips and
slides right by the bloodbrain barrier, helping
combat neurological and cognitive deficits, promote eye
health, relieve depression, balance hormones, and forge
new pathways in the brain, as studies indicate.
EPA and DHA are found mostly in deep-sea fish oils, those
being mackerel, salmon, herring, sardine,
and cod (liver) oil; however, they can also
be found in high levels in certain types of
microalgae and breast milk. Contrary to
popular belief, fish in and of themselves
are not just born [err, hatched] with high
levels of EPA and DHA, ready for us to
catch, grill, and consume at the next family cookout. The algae that comprise the
diet of most fish promote these levels, similar to how the nursing mother consuming
a diet rich in deep-water fish passes them
to her infant.

A significant body
of scientific evidence
supports the use of

fish oils

A significant body of scientific evidence supports the use of fish oils
for maintaining overall health. Two
of the most important omega-3 essential fatty acids known to man—
eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are often recommended by
physicians for a healthy pregnancy and the prevention of
cardiovascular disease; these fatty acids are now also being studied for benefits to the aging human brain.

FOR MAINTAINING
OVERALL HEALTH.

EPA and DHA are considered long-chained polyunsaturated fatty acids (sometimes called, “PUFAs” for short),
categorized by a group of fatty acids that are relatively
slippery in terms of their potential for sticking to things in
the bloodstream––especially when in contact with the walls
of arteries, veins and neural pathways (and themselves,
for tha X]\