Prime Way to a Healthy Body and Mind

In a previous article I showed how the human body is reconstructed from the chemicals that that flow in and out, moment by moment.(1) Far from being a permanent structure, you and I are in a constant state of flux.

There is a specific mix that fits our genome correctly and when we regularly provide this mix plus the right stimulation from learning and physical activity the resulting expression is phenomenal – think of the musical genius of guitarist Paco de Lucia, the astounding ability of Oscar-Claude Monet to capture the essence of a scene and then produce art that delivers it right into your soul, then there’s the effortless power that is precisely timed, controlled and displayed by Usain Bolt. All of these talents and much, much more are expressions of the potential contained within the human genetic code.

Yet we live in a world where the majority of people, most of whom have the genomic power to approach or even exceed the few examples above do not provide themselves with the right materials to draw out and develop these innate abilities. In fact, they actually do the opposite – they seem content, even intent, on filling themselves with junk – junk food, junk information and junk lifestyles.

‘What a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable’ ~ Socrates

This is not hyperbole, the typical UK resident is in pretty lousy shape – it’s estimated that 25% is suffering from metabolic syndrome, and 65% of men and 58% of women are overweight. There’s no way that you can optimally express your genome in that condition.

The chronic inflammation, excessive oxidation and Insulin resistance and many other physiological disturbances that accompanies metabolic syndrome and obesity causes brain damage and reduces brain function, it also impairs every part of the body from being able to function optimally or repair damage.

This is simple but clear evidence that people are allowing the wrong information into their bodies and minds.

As I’ve laid-out previously, a big part of the information-in equation is to get the basic structure right. That basic structure is the elemental nutrients that compose you and me.

The first four elements that we are made up of are oxygen, carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen. The air that we breathe and the water we drink provides us with much of the oxygen and hydrogen which form 75% of our body; which is why it’s vital to drink clean water and breathe clean air. The carbon (18.5% of your structure) and nitrogen (3% of your structure) are provided by the proteins, fats and carbohydrates (macronutrients) that you eat. All together these four elements form 95% of your structure. So in combination with clean air and water, the quality of your basic macronutrients determines the quality of your body and your ability to release and realise your potential.

In the mid nineteenth century Gerardus Mulder extracted a substance from plant and animal tissue that he inferred was without doubt the most important of all substances of the Organic Kingdom and without it life on our planet would probably not exist.  Mulder named this substance Protein (from the Greek proteios, meaning ‘the first importance’).

Of the three macronutrients your first concern is to ensure that you obtain optimum protein. Like fats and carbohydrates, protein can provide carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, but unlike the other two, protein is the only macronutrient that can provide the nitrogen essential to life.

Protein forms the major part of the lean human body, on average 16%. Every single cell in our body contains protein. Muscles, connective tissue, blood cells, immune cells, the structure of your brain and eyes, even the internal support structure of your bones. All of your enzymes and many hormones are proteins too. Aside from water, it is the next most vital nutrient.

Every day your body is rebuilt by the proteins you eat, and unlike the fats (except the essential fatty acids) and carbohydrates that are far more easy come, easy go, the protein that you eat builds into your structure and is there for the life cycle of that cell. The protein in your skin is generally replaced every two weeks, which is why changes in nutrition are often noticeable there first as the quality of the tissue changes. The protein in your muscles on average takes approximately six months to turnover, so changes in quality take at least that long to reflect noticeable differences. Your bones turnover at a rate of about 12% per year, thus the cycle takes even longer to show changes in quality.

This is why it’s so important to eat quality protein every day, and avoid poor quality protein in the same breath. Your body’s primary objective is survival; it will make the most out of what you give it. So, if you provide your body with protein nutrition from a supermarket reformed sliced ham product which is as far away from real ham as you’d like to get, you are stuck with that inferior protein built into your structure for up to seven years, and it sets the limit of your genomic expression throughout that period.

Therefore quality protein nutrition is essential, but how do we know what quality protein is? There are methods that can measure and estimate protein quality based on their ability to support body growth and maintenance. The four main methods are the chemical score, the protein efficiency ratio (PER), the protein digestibility corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) and the biological value (BV). They all have their uses – however the biological value is the most relevant in many cases. Biological value measures how efficiently a food protein is turned into body tissue – the higher the score the more efficiently that protein is retained.

These are the proteins you should seek if you want to excel.

Up until about 30 years ago the highest biological value protein food was whole eggs, which scored 100 percent. However, with advances in technology food scientists were able to extract high quality whey protein from cow’s milk, and depending on the method of extraction, were achieving scores approaching 180. Obviously, you can’t exceed 100%, so the scores above this level had to be limited to 100%, but as a non-percentage score, you can see that whey proteins were superior to all other protein foods.

Does providing your body with these quality proteins really make a difference to health? A growing body of evidence certainly gives weight to the premise. Here’s a representative sample of studies that show that whey protein may have a significant effect on many of the symptoms and causes of metabolic diseases.

Several studies have found a relationship between whey protein intake and improvement in insulin sensitivity and lipid profile with possible increase of energy expenditure.(2,3) These findings alone warrant further investigation from those displaying signs of obesity, type ll diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Of particular interest of those who are either confirmed type ll diabetic or in a pre-diabetic condition, whey protein may be a possible utility to reduce insulin resistance due the increase in secretion of GLP-1 (Glucagon-like peptide-1) and to reduce serum glucose and insulin levels.(4,5)

Whey protein intake was also found to be associated with a reduction blood pressure by inhibition of ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) enzyme and possibly via lower body weight gain in individuals that habitually consumed whey.(6) Therefore, whey protein may be considered extremely important for the control of hypertension.

Whey has also been shown to reduce the expression of inflammatory and oxidative stress markers, which underlie the majority of all disease and ageing.(6-10) Anything that can reduce the burden of excess inflammation and oxidative stress is a boon for health and performance.

As a food base for protein nutrition, it appears that whey is the premium source for optimal expression of the human genome. I and all the high level performing people I consult with use whey protein everyday to provide ourselves with the best protein we know of to ensure that our bodies are receiving the right nutritional information to express our genetic heritage.

If you would like to begin to see how deep your potential is, you may want to consider whey as an essential tool for your discovery.

Here’s the product I use everyday: Whey Protein

References:

1- http://humanperformanceconsulting-uk.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/real-body-composition.html

2- Pichon L, Potier M, Tome D, Mikogami T, Laplaize B, Martin-Rouas C, Fromentin G. High-protein diets containing different milk protein fractions differently influence energy intake and adiposity in the rat. Br J Nutr. 2008;99:739–748.

3- Mortensen LS, Hartvigsen ML, Brader LJ, Astrup A, Schrezenmeir J, Holst JJ, Thomsen C, Hermansen K. Differential effects of protein quality on postprandial lipemia in response to a fat-rich meal in type 2 diabetes: comparison of whey, casein, gluten, and cod protein. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009;90:41–48. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2008.27281.

4- Frid AH, Nilsson M, Holst JJ, Bjorck IM. Effect of whey on blood glucose and insulin responses to composite breakfast and lunch meals in type 2 diabetic subjects. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005;82:69–75.

5- Veldhorst MA, Nieuwenhuizen AG, Hochstenbach-Waelen A, van Vught AJ, Westerterp KR, Engelen MP, Brummer RJ, Deutz NE, Westerterp-Plantenga MS. Dose-dependent satiating effect of whey relative to casein or soy. Physiol Behav. 2009;96:675–682. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2009.01.004.

6- Pal S, Ellis V. The chronic effects of whey proteins on blood pressure, vascular function, and inflammatory markers in overweight individuals. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2010;18:1354–1359. doi: 10.1038/oby.2009.397.

7- Kume H, Okazaki K, Sasaki H. Hepatoprotective effects of whey protein on D-galactosamine-induced hepatitis and liver fibrosis in rats. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2006;70:1281–1285. doi: 10.1271/bbb.70.1281.

8- Zavorsky GS, Kubow S, Grey V, Riverin V, Lands LC. An open-label dose–response study of lymphocyte glutathione levels in healthy men and women receiving pressurized whey protein isolate supplements. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2007;58:429–436. doi: 10.1080/09637480701253581.

9- Chitapanarux T, Tienboon P, Pojchamarnwiputh S, Leelarungrayub D. Open-labeled pilot study of cysteine-rich whey protein isolate supplementation for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis patients. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2009;24:1045–1050. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1746.2009.05865.x.

10- de Aguilar-Nascimento JE, Prado Silveira BR, Dock-Nascimento DB. Early enteral nutrition with whey protein or casein in elderly patients with acute ischemic stroke: a double-blind randomized trial. Nutrition. 2011;27:440–444. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2010.02.013.

Breast Cancer Survivor? Embrace the Iron

Osteoporosis (progressive deterioration of bone) is often referred to as a silent epidemic due to its widespread prevalence but little awareness. It is thought that around 3 million people in the UK have verified osteoporosis – with specific populations more likely to develop the condition. Breast cancer survivors are at particular risk.

Partially due to the initial treatment, bone loss is a problem for individuals who develop and survive breast cancer. The biggest problem is the loss of the hormone estrogen. For many breast cancer survivors estrogen is severely diminished due to early onset-menopause (sometimes purposely induced or as a result of specific treatments) and the use of aromatase inhibitors (aromatase is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of estrogen) in certain individuals.

Estrogen and bone is a complicated lot, which involves many systems in the body. Although the entire cascade hasn’t been completely mapped out yet, there is sufficient evidence to say that estrogen is a key player in the growth and re-modelling of bone – in the years leading up to menopause and a decade after, women can lose up to 50% of their total bone mass. So anything that can slow down, arrest, or even stimulate accrual of bone is a big boost to the quality of life of breast cancer survivors (BCS).

Although not a novel premise in regards to the average population, researchers have recently studied the effects of resistance training in this specific cohort of individuals (BCS) on the parameters of strength, body composition (Because muscle loss is also a big issue in cancer treatment this study also looked at the potential for lean body mass changes too), blood markers of bone, and inflammation.(1)

As well as resistance training the researchers also looked at the potential of ingesting dried plums (prunes) on bone remodelling. Prunes have previously been shown to improve several indices of bone remodelling, one of which is to inhibit the activity of osteoclasts (specific cells that break down and remove bone tissue).(2)

The combination of the two interventions – resistance training to provide the stress needed to stimulate growth; and the effect of the prunes in modulating the breakdown of bone – may tilt the balance in favour of at least maintaining current bone levels, or preferably, an increase.

In the study 23 BCS (RT, n = 12; RT+DP, n = 11), aged 64 ± 7 years, were evaluated at baseline and after 6 months of intervention on the following: muscular strength; body composition, specifically bone mineral density (BMD) by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA); biochemical markers of bone turnover; and inflammation. Resistance training prescription was 2 days/week of 10 exercises. The Resistance training plus dried plums group also consumed 90g (around 10 prunes) of dried plums daily.

At baseline there were no differences between groups. Both groups increased upper and lower body strength over the intervention, with the resistance training plus dried plums group gaining slightly more.

Resistance training was also found to be effective for improving biochemical markers of bone turnover.
Although there were no significant changes noted in body composition and measures of inflammation, the authors did suggest that a longer and higher intensity intervention may be needed to reveal the true effects.

Having viewed the resistance training component I tend to agree, as the workout was fairly poorly designed for purpose. That however is a positive sign, as even with a sub-optimal set-up, positive effects were seen in terms of bone health – with a well designed program I would suggest the results would be markedly superior.

References:

1- Emily Simonavice, Pei-Yang Liu, Jasminka Z. Ilich, Jeong-Su Kim, Bahram Arjmandi, Lynn B. Panton. The effects of a 6-month resistance training and dried plum consumption intervention on strength, body composition, blood markers of bone turnover, and inflammation in breast cancer survivors1. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 2013; 1 DOI: 10.1139/apnm-2013-0281

2- Hooshmand S, Chai SC, Saadat RL, Payton ME, Brummel-Smith K, Arjmandi BH. Comparative effects of dried plum and dried apple on bone in postmenopausal women. Br J Nutr. 2011 Sep;106(6):923-30. doi: 10.1017/S000711451100119X. Epub 2011 May 31. PubMed PMID: 21736808.

HPC-UK Bitesize (Health) – A Balancing Act

 Although balance seems automatic, it actually depends on multiple muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, and other structures working in synergy to hold you upright. To maintain balance, your brain integrates multiple sensory signals from vision, hearing, touch, proprioception, and the vestibular system. It then transmits thousands of integrated signals throughout the brain and body every moment, especially through a system called the substantia nigra (black body) to govern your balance.

Balance is a primary brain function for many skills, including all sports, especially those performed on the feet. But most folk don’t even think about it, and lose balance rapidly with aging. Loss of the cognitive ability to balance because of brain aging is the largest cause of falls and consequent fractures in seniors. Yet it’s relatively simple to maintain.

A new study examined the association between objectively-measured physical activity and balance in a representative sample of U.S. adults 40 years of age and older. Physical activity was measured over a 7-day period using accelerometry (similar to the sensor found in smart phones that can measure movement, speed and direction), and balance was assessed using the Romberg test (simple standing, eyes closed procedure).

The study found that for every 60-minute increase in light-intensity physical activity, participants were 10% more likely to have functional balance. Similarly, for every 1-minute increase in moderate to vigorous physical activity, participants were 23% more likely to have functional balance.

Regular physical activity, regardless of intensity, may have health benefits for older adults and is associated with functional balance.

Reference:

Loprinzi PD, Brosky JA. Objectively-Measured Physical Activity and Balance Among U.S. Adults. J Strength Cond Res. 2014 Feb 10. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 24513627.

Superkids: Kryptonite

Within the last 100 years, we have unleashed a deluge upon our environment with thousands of toxins, including pesticides, herbicides, and chemicals from building products, household products, furniture, carpets, and industrial waste (1) – many of which did not exist in nature before humans synthesised them, and consequently we haven’t evolved the mechanisms to deal with them.

These toxic chemicals may be triggering the recent increases in neuro-developmental disabilities among children — such as autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and dyslexia — according to a new study from Harvard School of Public Health and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.(2)

The authors of the study, however, suggest that the greatest concern is the large numbers of children who are affected by toxic damage to brain development in the absence of a formal diagnosis. Many children are suffering from reduced attention span, delayed development, and poor school performance, yet they fall just shy of the diagnostic criteria for outright diagnosis of these conditions – Industrial chemicals are now emerging as a likely cause.

The report follows up on a similar review conducted by the authors in 2006 that newly identified five industrial chemicals as ‘developmental neuro-toxicants’ or chemicals that can cause brain deficits – in addition to the 202 known before that point. The new study offers updated findings about those chemicals and adds information on six newly recognised ones, including manganese, fluoride, chlorpyrifos and DDT (pesticides), tetrachloroethylene (a solvent), and the polybrominated diphenyl ethers (flame retardants) – which has brought the total of industrial chemicals known to be toxic to the human nervous system up to 214.

The study outlines possible links between these newly recognised neuro-toxicants and negative health effects on children, including: Manganese – associated with diminished intellectual function and impaired motor skills; Raised levels of Fluoride – associated with a 7 point decrease in IQ; Solvents – linked to hyperactivity and aggressive behaviour; and Pesticides – increasingly being correlated with cognitive delays.

Many of these chemicals enter our systems through the food, drink and air we take into our bodies. However, your body does have exquisite ways in which to rid itself of toxins, and if not, other ways to minimise their effect upon the body. Many of the toxic chemicals are lipophilic – that is they are readily incorporated into fatty structures within your body including your brain. The majority however (thankfully) is stored in body-fat, in which it doesn’t affect function immediately, but does have a massively insidious effect over time, primarily through chronic inflammation.

To remove these toxins, your body has an integrated number of systems that together collectively perform what is known as metabolic detoxification. Please, however, do not confuse this with the marketplace ‘definition’ of ‘detox’ which usually come complete with ‘proprietary’ juice cleanses – I’ve previously written about these ‘detox’s’, and their potential issues.(3)  Metabolic detoxification, on the other hand, is firmly seated in physiology.

The process occurs in pathways divided into 3 phases (Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3). Phase 1 is the initial process that enables us to remove toxins from our body. The lipid membrane of our cells presents almost no barrier to lipid-soluble compounds, which can freely pass through it. Potentially damaging lipid-soluble toxins can therefore gain free access to cellular interiors, and are much more difficult to remove.

The metabolic detoxification systems address this problem by converting lipid-soluble toxins into water-soluble metabolites. The ‘solubilisation’ of a toxin is accomplished by enzymes which attach (conjugate) additional water-soluble molecules to the lipid-soluble toxin. Following the solubilisation reactions, the chemically-modified toxin is transported out of the cell and excreted.

The transport and excretion of phase 1 products is dependent upon sufficient water being present in the body. Your body is 75% water, as is your brain, muscles are 82% and (those supposedly dry as a) bone – 25% water. Almost all of your biochemical reactions can only take place in water – with one caveat, it has to be clean.

The quality of your body is dependent on the quality of the water you drink. You cannot function optimally, nor clean your body without clean water.

Tap water in the UK is in all fairness better than much of the world, but it is still not perfect. The treatment plants can only reduce the level of many contaminants down to specified agreed safe levels, and in the process of doing so have to often add in, or as a by-product create other toxins in an attempt to reduce others. Chlorine is the major method of treating water and there is no specified limit to how much the water companies can add – the way they discern an upper level is by taste quality. The by-products of chlorine reactions with compounds present in the water are recognised as being strongly linked to gastrointestinal and urinary tract cancers.(4-6)

The other issue is after it has left the treatment plant and makes its way through the pipe system to your home. Many of the pipes are antiquated and present their own source of contamination. Looking at the local report for my water supplier, the mains pipes in five areas are being overhauled due to problems with excessive levels of iron, manganese, nitrates and bacterium.*

Despite the good job that the workers of the water treatment plants perform, they are fighting an increasingly polluted raw material, and increasing demand as population grows, which will overwhelm the ability of the current treatment plants to clean your water.

So what can you do to prevent toxins from entering your child’s body and help support the removal of the ones already present? Bottled water isn’t the answer, many brands are simply tap water conditioned to make it taste better. And then there’s the processing, storage and packaging of these products which is causing increasing concern in the scientific community. (7)

The only real option is to clean your own drinking water.

Like much bottled water, common water (charcoal) filter jugs really only condition the water to reduce some of the chlorine, taste and odour – they do not remove most of the toxins. To do that you need a system that can purify your water to a higher standard – the two best ways are reverse osmosis and distillation.

A well maintained reverse osmosis system can produce water that is 10-20 times cleaner than the tap water that enters. You can find a good reverse osmosis system here: Reverse Osmosis Water Filter

The best method of producing clean water is through steam distillation, which can produce water that is 40-600 times cleaner than the tap water prior to distillation. Previously home distillation units were expensive, cumbersome machines, but as technology has improved, and consequently become cheaper and less obtuse, they have become a viable option for home use. A good counter-top distiller now costs no more than an entry level tablet device and is immeasurably more important to the development of your child. A good example of a counter-top distiller can be found here: Water Distiller (replace the collection jug with a good quality glass version)

Simply put, the most important nutrient in the body is water – for optimal performance and health of your family, make sure it’s pure.

*All water companies in the UK have to produce an annual water quality report in which they disclose details regarding method of treatment, the guidelines for acceptable levels of materials within the water, and known incidences of contamination and the current status of action in rectifying the issue.

References:

1- Jandacek RJ, Tso P. Factors affecting the storage and excretion of toxic lipophilic xenobiotics. Lipids. 2001 Dec;36(12):1289-305. Review. PubMed PMID: 11834080.

2 – Philippe Grandjean, Philip Landrigan. Neurobehavioural effects of developmental toxicity. Lancet Neurology, February 2014 DOI: 10.1016/S1474-4422(13)70278-3

3- http://humanperformanceconsulting-uk.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/what-your-detox-guru-doesnt-tell-you.html

4- Neale PA, Antony A, Bartkow ME, Farré MJ, Heitz A, Kristiana I, Tang JY, Escher BI. Bioanalytical assessment of the formation of disinfection byproducts in a drinking water treatment plant. Environ Sci Technol. 2012 Sep 18;46(18):10317-25. doi: 10.1021/es302126t. Epub 2012 Aug 24. PubMed PMID: 22873573.

5- Zhao Y, Anichina J, Lu X, Bull RJ, Krasner SW, Hrudey SE, Li XF. Occurrence and formation of chloro- and bromo-benzoquinones during drinking water disinfection. Water Res. 2012 Sep 15;46(14):4351-60. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2012.05.032. Epub 2012 Jun 2. PubMed PMID: 22739498.

6- Bull RJ, Birnbaum LS, Cantor KP, Rose JB, Butterworth BE, Pegram R, Tuomisto J. Water chlorination: essential process or cancer hazard? Fundam Appl Toxicol. 1995 Dec;28(2):155-66. PubMed PMID: 8835225.

7- J. Muncke, J. Peterson Myers, M. Scheringer, M. Porta. Food packaging and migration of food contact materials: will epidemiologists rise to the neotoxic challenge? Epidemiology and Community Health, 2014 (in press) DOI: 10.1136/jech-2013-202593

Little by little...

Super-Kids: (O)Mega-man

Parents, when questioned about their hopes for their children commonly respond with two main words – ‘Happiness’ and ‘Success’. Now both of these are of course dependent upon an individual’s perception of what makes one happy or successful, but one key factor underlies both of these – the health and optimal functioning of the brain. To understand how to support the health and optimal functioning of the amazing Human brain, we need to take a very terse look at how our massive brain power originally developed.

The divergence of Humankind from our great ape cousins is thought to have occurred about 5-7 million years ago. I sketched out the evolutionary timeframe in a previous article.(1) The two main outcomes of this evolution was our gradual adaptation towards true bi-pedalism (we are the only species capable of being able to truly do this – other species can only do so for short periods and are decidedly awkward in the position), and the conversion from a dominantly plant eating species to an omnivore (the consumption of both plant and animal foods) – both of which occurred as a result of the disappearance of the forests in Africa to a savannah landscape.

These two adaptations had a huge influence on our brain structure – the bi-pedalism freed our hands so that we could begin using tools, and the adoption of a more carnivorous diet provided a much more nutrient and energy dense food which is required for brain power. Despite our current habits of eating the muscular tissue of animals, our ancestors prized the internal organs (heart, liver, kidneys, intestines etc) and especially the brains of their prey. The organs are the most nutrient dense tissues in the body, with the brain being packed with high concentrations of long-chain omega 3 and 6 fatty acids.(2)

These factors combined began to make our brains ever so slightly different from our primate cousins and the land based mammals. During mammalian evolution all mammals including primates lost brain size – except Humans.(3) It is likely that the energy and the supply of long chained fatty acids prevented our ancestors from succumbing to this widespread brain drain. However, it doesn’t explain the massive leap in brain power that occurred in our ancestors 150,000-200,000 years ago. That particular development requires a large supply of a particular fatty acid called Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA).

Modern Human brains are in excess of 60% lipid, almost exclusively DHA.(4) DHA is essential for neurons and other specialised cells in the body. We can make DHA from the essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid which is found in plant foods, but the conversion is so low that it’s insufficient to generate adequate amounts of DHA to promote the massive encephalisation (Brain growth) that allowed Humans to develop the unique brain power that we have inherited today. The consumption of brains and other sources of long chained fatty acids would’ve definitely helped, but to develop brains to this extent needs a much larger and more consistent supply – that supply can only come from one place – the sea.

It is likely that our ancestors migrated to the southern coast of Africa and began to scavenge both algae (a single-celled organism that synthesises fatty acids, particularly Arachidonic Acid, Eicosapentaenoic Acid, and Docosahexaenoic Acid) and more importantly shellfish.  Although algae contain a high percentage of fatty acids, the total amount is relatively low, so requires large amounts to be consumed.(5)  However, algae is the main food source of plankton (zooplankton), which concentrates the algae derived fatty acids into its own tissues, making plankton a superior source of nutrition to algae – if you can see them.

Plankton is so tiny as to be invisible to Humans – but to shellfish, plankton is a gourmet meal. Just as the plankton concentrated the fatty acids into its structure by consuming algae, the same process occurs in the shellfish, which are easily seen and were readily available to our ancestors, who at this point had acquired the ability to use tools which helped to access the shellfish inside their protective shells, on the southern and eastern coasts (and rivers) of Africa.

With this newly discovered source of nutrition for their brains, our ancestors already slightly different brain structure began to expand rapidly especially the pre-frontal cortex which enables us to make complex plans, decide upon actions, and moderate our social behaviour. Just the kind of skills you would need to obtain an even more concentrated source of these powerful fatty acids – the source being fish, and the skill being fishing.

With the development of fishing, our brains were being supplied with large amounts of fatty acids and in particular DHA. It was this nutritional environment that enabled the huge leap in brain power that allowed us to develop all of the culture that you see around you today and in our distant past.
So with DHA being so vital in our evolution, you’d expect our brains today to reflect this need. Let’s take a look.

Childhood is a time of rapid brain maturation, connectivity, and expansion, all of which are associated with brain DHA accumulation. Infancy especially is also the key period for visual development which is also thought to be dependent upon DHA. Deficiency in DHA at this time has been shown to result in poorer visual acuity in follow up tests 4 years later.(6)

There is also indication that supplementation with long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids improved performance in problem solving at 9 months of age, which is correlated with later IQ and vocabulary.(7)
Low blood concentrations of Omega 3 have been correlated in children with ADHD and related behaviour or learning difficulties – and shown to improve upon re-dressing the deficiency status.(8)

A recent study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation for 16 weeks with DHA or placebo in healthy school children mainly aged 7–9 years who were initially underperforming in reading. As well as looking at reading, the study sought to investigate the effects, if any, on working memory and ADHD-like behaviour.(9)

Depending on the initial reading ability DHA had a variable effect on improving performance with the most significant benefit for those who began the study with the lowest scores. The children with the lowest initial reading score demonstrated a gain up to 50% higher than is generally expected for that time period.
Again like the reading measure, working memory showed an improvement, although not statistically significant, with increased DHA intake especially in the individuals with the highest under-performance initially.

Parents of the children in the study reported significant reduction in behavioural symptoms. These included hyperactivity and oppositional behaviour, mood swings and restless-impulsive behaviour as well as total ADHD-type symptoms (these children were not diagnosed ADHD). Teachers of the children with the lowest blood levels of omega 3 also noted increased anxiety.

This is only a tiny fraction of the research on DHA (and an even tinier fraction on fatty acids in general), however I hope it’s sufficiently compelling to at least consider investigating the intake of marine based omega 3 in your children. From the current evidence intakes of about 1000mg of combined DHA and EPA appear to be sufficient for health and performance in individuals without any identifiable condition. In those who do have certain neuro-developmental conditions, it’s likely that a higher intake is necessary to create a more optimal environment.

The best source of omega 3 is from sea-food, however the study above presented data that indicated that almost 90% consumed fish less than twice per week, and almost 10% didn’t consume fish at all.(10) Two to three meals of fatty fish per week would provide sufficient omega 3 for most individuals, however, for those individuals that do not get this amount the only reasonable avenue to obtain these fatty acids is via a supplement. Here’s a supplement I use with younger members of my family: Kids DHA

References:

1- http://wel-paleo.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/evolutionary-fitness.html

2 – Cordain L, Watkins BA, Florant GL, Kelher M, Rogers L, Li Y. Fatty acid analysis of wild ruminant tissues: evolutionary implications for reducing diet-related chronic disease. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2002 Mar;56(3):181-91. Review. PubMed PMID: 11960292.

3 – Crawford MA, Bloom M, Broadhurst CL, Schmidt WF, Cunnane SC, Galli C, Gehbremeskel K, Linseisen F, Lloyd-Smith J, Parkington J. Evidence for the unique function of docosahexaenoic acid during the evolution of the modern hominid brain. Lipids. 1999;34 Suppl:S39-47. Review. PubMed PMID: 10419087.

4- Crawford MA. The role of dietary fatty acids in biology: their place in the evolution of the human brain. Nutr Rev. 1992 Apr;50(4 ( Pt 2)):3-11. Review. PubMed PMID: 1608562.

5- Lang I, Hodac L, Friedl T, Feussner I. Fatty acid profiles and their distribution patterns in microalgae: a comprehensive analysis of more than 2000 strains from the SAG culture collection. BMC Plant Biol. 2011 Sep 6;11:124. doi:  10.1186/1471-2229-11-124. PubMed PMID: 21896160; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3175173.

6- Birch EE, Garfield S, Castañeda Y, Hughbanks-Wheaton D, Uauy R, Hoffman D. Visual acuity and cognitive outcomes at 4 years of age in a double-blind, randomized trial of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid-supplemented infant formula. Early Hum Dev. 2007 May;83(5):279-84. Epub 2007 Jan 18. PubMed PMID: 17240089.

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Is your mind hanging in the balance?

Unless you’ve been living with your head under a rock for the previous few years, you will have noticed the increasing international focus upon dementia, and with good reason. The phrase ‘neurological time-bomb’ used by the Neurological Alliance in 2012 was not a throw away comment, it really is potentially a massive crisis that we are currently under-prepared to deal with. One of the main reasons is that like many disease states it is gradual and almost imperceptible until it’s too late. The lack of saliency, especially in younger folk, is a major barrier in making any inroads into being able to disarm this time-bomb. So let’s make it salient.

I’m not going to go into detail about what is occurring in the brain, nor the areas and functions that this test is associated with (we can examine this at a later stage), I just want to get you thinking about your current condition. It’ll only take 30 seconds, and you are doing this at your own risk, I’m not responsible for any injuries that may occur.

Make sure you’re in a safe environment not too close to any hazards. Once you’ve read the instructions and understand the test, give it a go.

Take off your shoes and stand as shown in the accompanying picture with your palms facing up. Once you feel stable, close your eyes. Without moving the support foot (the one you’re standing on), time how long you can hold your balance with your eyes completely closed. If you have to open your eyes, hop, drop the unsupported knee from its position, move the foot from the spot, or over balance, that is the time you record.

If you scored 28 seconds or above that is super-optimal, with 20-28 seconds being optimal. 14-20 seconds is sub-optimal, with 8-14 seconds being average (do not read ‘good’). Below 8 seconds is poor.

How did you score? Optimal, average, or poor? If average or poor, and especially if you’re young, maybe it’s time to start asking yourself some questions.