Salmon, tuna, and other fish are loaded with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, so they must be good for you, right? Not so fast—some types of fish have more mercury than others, and others are harvested from the ocean or farmed in a way that’s harmful to the environment.
Now, a new list has come to the rescue: It sorts through the confusion by rating fish in terms of levels of omega-3 fatty acids, mercury and other toxins, and in terms of their sustainability or ocean-friendly status. (more…)
Can’t find your keys … again? Whether your momentary memory loss is linked to doing too many things at once or just a bad case of menopausal brain fog, you don’t have to put up with it. In fact, experts say you can instantly boost your chances of remembering where you put your keys—and everything else you keep forgetting—if you start treating your brain right (no matter your age). Our simple lifestyle changes will help you stay sharp as the years go by.
Floss every day
What do loving licorice and hating the idea of flossing have in common? Both can contribute to plaque on your teeth, which is surprisingly bad for your brain. “The plaque between teeth can cause an immune reaction that attacks arteries, which then can’t deliver vital nutrients to brain cells,” says Michael Roizen, MD, co-author of YOU—The Owner’s Manual: An Insider’s Guide to the Body that Will Make You Healthier and Younger. Solution? Floss every day. Can’t remember? Keep the floss where you store your morning makeup. (more…)
Two trials that looked at whether the omega-3 fatty acid DHA might treat or prevent Alzheimer’s disease have produced mixed results.
The studies were done because of “a long history of epidemiological studies that related fish consumption to cognitive function,” explained Bill Thies, chief medical and scientific officer of the Alzheimer’s Association. Fish is rich in DHA, but the research scheduled to be presented Sunday at the association’s annual meeting in Vienna, Austria, used DHA derived from algae.
An 18-month study of people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease “did not show treatment benefit in the study population as a whole, and does not support use of DHA for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease,” said study author Dr. Joseph Quinn, an associate professor of neurology at Oregon Health and Science University. (more…)
