Omega-3 Fatty Acids and memory loss

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In the Journal of Neuroscience, scientists demonstrated that the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) increases the production of LR11, a protein that is found at reduced levels in Alzheimer's patients. LR11 is known to destroy the protein that forms the plaques associated with the disease. The plaques are actually a buildup of a protein called beta amyloid, which is thought to be toxic to brain cells. Higher levels of LR11 prevent the manufacturing of the toxic proteins, which is why researchers believe the low levels found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients may be a contributing factor to the disease. The researchers tested the effects of DHA by adding it directly to human and animal neurons grown in the laboratory. The research team acknowledged that their work does not identify a dosage of DHA that people could take to prevent Alzheimer's, but they recommend eating more fatty fish or taking a supplement. They did not recommend taking DHA to try to slow the progression of Alzheimer's. Source: Yahoo News It is good to know that progress is being made in fields where a disease touches many people you know. Alzheimer's is a horrible disease for not only the afflicted person but for their families and friends as well.