So how much truth is there to this?

Both DHA and EPA found in fish oil are important for proper cognitive functioning, however unless the diet is absent in these essential fatty acids I doubt you would see much of an improvement.

I know it's not fish oil, but how about flaxseed oil or other types?

My cognitive performance actually goes down...But that's because I eat too much of that "other" fish! Ahh! But it's so delicious! I can't help it!

Flax, Hemp, and Perillia provide an omega 3 fatty acid called ALA which can be converted into DHA/EPA, however it is more effective to take fish and/or krill oil.

Maybe the performance of that "other" brain goes up, though.

All sounds fishy to me!!*! Remember, what goes in doesn't necessarily come out (of the digestive system [includes the liver], that is).

But we likely aren't getting enough. Most Americans consume less than 100 mg/day of EPA and DHA. The national Food and Nutrition Board has established an 'adequate intake' level of 110 mg for adult women and 160 mg for adult men. Other nutrition experts advise a more generous intake of 500-1,000 mg/day from food if possible but from supplements if needed. I get my Omega 3s from a product called Coromega. It has a pleasant orange flavor, and no fishy smell, taste or aftertaste.

Here's some info about all the benefits, though I think the cancer-fighting potential of fish oil has recently been disputed.

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsSupplements/...ttyAcidscs.html

As for cognitive function and fat intake:

http://www.dha-omega3.com/research.htm

PARIS, FRANCE. Several epidemiological studies have shown that a high dietary intake of linoleic acid and a low intake of fish oils (eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA] and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]) are associated with cognitive impairment and an increased risk of dementia. French researchers now report that the fatty acid composition in erythrocytes (red blood cells) is an indicator of the risk of cognitive function decline (ability to learn, think and remember). Their study involved 246 men and women (aged 63 to 74 years) who had the lipid (fatty acid) composition of their erythrocytes analyzed in 1995. All participants also underwent tests to determine their cognitive function at baseline and after a 4-year follow-up period. The researchers found that study participants with high erythrocyte levels of stearic acid (a saturated fatty acid) had a 91% higher risk of having experienced a significant decline in cognitive function over the 4 years than did participants with average levels. Participants with high levels of linoleic acid (an unsaturated omega-6 acid) had a 59% increased risk of decline while those with high levels of EPA and DHA had a 41% lower risk of experiencing cognitive decline than did those with normal levels. The researchers suggest that the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and especially DHA help keep the membranes of brain cells more fluid while saturated and omega-6 fatty acids tend to "harden" them. They believe this and the anti-inflammatory effects of EPA and DHA are what help preserve cognitive function.
Heude, Barbara, et al. Cognitive decline and fatty acid composition of erythrocyte membranes – The EVA Study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 77, April 2003, pp. 803-08

There must be a list of a thousand supplements that are purported to give some or other advantage, and the list will increase. Soon there will be no room left in the diet for food! We seem to know very little about even the best dosage of vitamin C, let alone all of the other supplements. And much of the data is debatable.

And don't forget, most of the advantageous ingredients of a balanced diet (whatever that is!) can be poisons in excess or in combination with certain other ingredients and/or pharmaceuticals.

And what about a balanced diet? And what about exercise? And what about air pollution, pesticide residues on foods, oestronic analogues in water, antibiotic residues etc etc etc etc etc etc? Will we ever get it right? And if we do, what about human variation? And what about that bus that will knock you down whilst you're reading the label on a new supplement bottle?

We should work harder on robotics, and silicon (or other future elecronic/photonic/whateveronic substrate) - organic interfaces. We could dispense with the body and leave all of these problems behind. Except the bus, of course!

Individuals who ingest supplemental GLA are advised to take additional antioxidants, especially vitamin E, to protect against free radical oxidation in the body.

GLA also influences the production of the series 2 prostaglandins (PGE2) from arachidonic acid, which promote platelet aggregation, water retention, vasoconstriction, and inflammation.

Could get quite complicated eh?

Eat, drink and be merry and kick the bucket happy!

Am I having an off day? Need more serotonin. Now how could I influence that? Several ways ........... yawn. That's it ....... sleep. zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I claim to eat more oily fish than eskimo's !!

And, I have done so for 15 years or more.

Ti ralley hleps u to consentr8!

No folks, I can report no major benefit from eating so much oily fish (eg. tin mackerel fillet for breakfast, smoked mackerel fillet for lunch - both on most days + cod or hake as a main meal twice a week).

I have now cut down because of the depletion of fish stocks!!
I predict that there will soon be a shortage of cereals, cheeses and poultry.

I have concluded that warnings from experts on what to eat and what not to eat are merely a refined attempt from 'experts' who are in the pay of marketing giants who attempt to control the supply-demand chain.

Well, I rest my case. Rhymer, you are living proof that fish oil benefits brain function. Plus, I've never met a dumb Eskimo. Granted, I've never met an Eskimo at all, but that's beside the point...

So what can I buy at Super Saver or Hy-Vee fish-wise. I have salmon in my freezer right now. Would I be better off buying Krill fish?

And OmeGod! What are Omega3s? Something good for the brain no doubt.

Omega 3's are essential fatty acids that play a massive role in regulating nearly every biochemical process in the body/brain.

Only now, can I admit that I indeed have not cut down on oily fish.
I tried, but love it so much that I have reverted to my old habit!

One reason I started on it in the first plaice was its supposed usefulness against joint pain and degradation (arthritis).
When my right hip started to give me pain I wondered if oily fish was not as useful as claimed.
Now, with a replacement hip (ceramic ball and socket) I glide around like a nymph [BUT THE LEFT HIP IS GOING TOO]!!!!!!

Like oil or something?

Basic human nutrition is not something I'm teaching right now. Do a google and pubmed search to find out more.

Agency doubts fish oil benefits

Oily fish will still be on school menus
Insufficient evidence exists to warrant giving children a daily dose of fish oil to help improve school results, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has said.
Research by Teesside University for the FSA concluded there were "too many inconsistencies" in recent studies.

Some tests to measure how fish oil improves learning skills among children have produced encouraging results.

The agency is to leave its dietary advice unchanged, but wants more long-term research into the issue.

Last month Education Secretary Alan Johnson was said to be about to consider introducing fish oil supplements for every child at school, depending on the outcome of the FSA research.


It is essential that children receive a healthy and balanced diet
Department for Education and Skills

The agency's report said there was "some evidence" that fish oil supplements could benefit children with learning difficulties.

But there were "too many inconsistencies" between scientific studies to reach a firm conclusion on the impact for all children.

The FSA's report followed studies which claimed Omega-3 fish oil supplements led to improved behaviour and school grades. The FSA's review, carried out by the University of Teesside, examined research already published on children aged four to 18.

The agency said the evidence suggested that missing breakfast "may have a detrimental effect on performance" at school.

A spokesman for the Department for Education and Skills said: "The Food Standards Agency has concluded that there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate a clear link between Omega-3 and children's attainment in school.

"Clearly, it is essential that children receive a healthy and balanced diet.

"This is why we are ensuring that every meal in school is a healthy meal, supported by £220m of investment. This includes regular provision of oily fish, rich in Omega 3."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tees/5156936.stm

Sesame Lignans work better.