Horrible Nutrition in the Medhus Household
I'm ashamed to admit it, but my kids eat nothing but crap. And here, I'm a doctor. A doctor, I guess, who secretly wishes some scientist will report some occult ingredient in Pop Tarts and Cocoa Puffs is the key to longevity. A doctor who loves to pamper her kids through their stomachs and so gives in to their yearnings for cotton candy and ice cream. FOr a while there, my kids excluded their dietary intake to food that's beige--french fries, crackers, and cheese pizza. (Okay, don't quibble with me on the color, here, folks.) But I have to face the facts now. My kids have disorders that can be linked to a Omega 3 Fatty Acid deciency and they all have signs of it. So I'm starting the whole family on a supplement program and a more nutritious diet. Here's some info about this deciency which seems fairly exclusive to the Western countries:
The food we eat here on this side of the world is so woefully deficient in essential nutrients, it's pitiful. We over-process the goodies out of everything. Most importantly, we have little if any Omega-3 Fatty Acids in our diets. These are nutrients we cannot synthesize on our own. We must acquire them through our diet. How important are they? Very. For one, they make up the cell membranes in our nerve cells. When we lack O3FA, our bodies search for a shoddy replacement--trans-fatty acid. Unfortunately, these molecules are stiffer and straighter, so the cell membranes become distorted and rigid so that the ionic channels embedded in them aren't very patent. That means, dopamine and serotonin can't go from one cell to the next, synaptic membrane to synaptic membrane. And when we learn, the brain tries to make new neural pathways with this same inferior substitute molecule, so our ablility to retain information, think clearly and stay focused declines.
I think some kids have trouble metabollizing these O3FA from their precursor anyway, so given this and the fact that our diets are so lacking and it's no wonder LD and ADHD are up in Western countries. It's no wonder bipolar disease, depression, and other mental illnesses are highest in those countries who eat the least fish--the qunitessential source for O3FA in nature.
Our cattle once roamed in pastures, eating leafy green vegetation rich in these fatty acids but now they are grain fed and are therefore no longer rich sources for our diet. Fish are now farm raised. The algae they feed upon in these farms are low in O3FA. Our crops are alos deficient because our soils are not longer as rich in nutrients as they were hundreds of years ago.
What are the symptoms of O3FA deficiency? Some have cracked heels, excessive thirst and urination, eczema, allergies, headaches, stomachaches, hyperactivity, poor academic performance, attentional problems, dry hair and skin, thin or brittle nails, low immunity, slow wound healing, among others. It can be linked to gastrointestinal diseases like enteritis, hypertension, heart disease, mental illness, diabetes, etc.
I recommend all kids and adults begin taking O3FA supplements indefinitely. My family does.If you're pregnant, this is particularly important. In Japan, parents put their kids on these supplments to raise their grades in school. Hmmm. Think about it. Asians tend to excel in school and they eat alot of fish! Gerber uses trans-fats in their baby food but is thinking about changing to O3FA instead.
Anecdotal accounts are exciting. Kids who are not longer learning disabled, ADHD that disappears, etc. It may not be the cure-all for some but it's imperative to incorporate this essential nutrient in our diets at the very least as a preventative measure.