Forgot The Name of the Supplement That's Good For Memory~

[Al]

Old joke...

Anyway, I know omega 3 & choline are s'posed to be good for helping basic brain function stuffs & memory. Certain fish like salmon have a higher level of omega 3's but, using my poor math skills, I calculated that I'd have to eat enough salmon to feed the entire crew of the USS Enterprise to get a helpful amount of omega 3.

I discussed this with a pharmacist and she said that the best way to get omega 3 as a supplement wasn't fish derived. She recommended "cold pressed flaxseed oil."

Agree? Disagree? Comments & suggestions appreciated~

Al

[Ella]

Hi Al,

I take cold pressed flaxseed oil (organic) in preference to salmon oil.  Whether it's doing any good or not only time will tell.  At least you don't get that awful fishy reflux, and you also avoid the nice chemical cocktail they feed farmed salmon these days.  Walnuts are also a good source of omega 3.  But speaking of the brain (not that we were, but anyway..) there is one thing I've started taking that has had a definite improvement on my declining brain functions, and that's a thing called 'PhosChol' - a 100% pure phosphatidylcholine concentrate.  I've only been taking it for a couple of weeks, but already it seems that a few brain cells that I'd given up for dead have started kicking in again.  I originally started taking it for my liver, but this is a very welcome additional result.  It tastes foul, but you gotta take the bad with the good.

Apparently, you should always take a vitamin E supplement along with flax seed oil to prevent oxidation.

[willy]

I also do the flaxseed oil.  It's fairly cheap and you don't need much per day.  It is also theorized that a little oil in the AM may rev up your metabolism as well as aid your outlook.  Ella is correct about the salmon.  They claim the pond fed is cleaner than the wild salmon (no mercury).  The problem is that the pond fed end up full of pesticides as well as the crap that they feed them.  Such as it is the pond fed may be worse.  Of course organic flaxseed oil allows you to get the oils that you need without the additional "body burden" from eating the pollutants associated with fish.

When I first read this thread I also thought of ginko biloba, which I thought was also supposed to be a memory herb.

Ella; what's up with the vitamin E with flax seed oil?  It is also theorized that too much vitamin E may not be good for you.

Willy

[Ella]

Willy, I think it's because flax oil oxidizes so easily - that's why it should be refrigerated after opening, and in a brown bottle to prevent light getting to it.  You don't need very much vitamin E, but apparently it prevents the flax oil from oxidizing in your body.  Also, regarding vitamin E, I've read that the mixed tocopherols (of natural vitamin E) are much better than the straight D-alpha-tocopherol.  (DL-alpha tocopherol is synthetic).  The mixed tocopherols contain D-alpha, D-gamma, D-delta and D-beta tocopherols.  Maybe the reason that Vitamin E has been given a bit of a bad rap lately is because of the fact that they have separated one component from what should be an entire complex.

[robin]

Can you cook with Flax seed? I was thinking it could easily be added to muffins, cakes, kind of like sunflower or rye seeds. Keep your spirits high...robin

[Ella]

Hi Robin - no, flax seed oil should never be heated.  Best to cook with olive oil.

[robin]

Thanks Ella...I'm not the smartest...in fact probably one of the dumbest on herbals. Keep your spirits high...robin

[Ella]

Robin - regarding cooking with oil - it seems I'm mistaken about cooking with olive oil, as it too oxidizes.  I had thought it was the safest one, but apparently (see Tom's thread) coconut oil is safer and better.  Just had a meal cooked in coconut oil last night and it tasted great!  Also, the red palm oil sounds good, but I can't get it over here.  Good health!

[Ginger3115]

Hi Al,

Not to scare you away from Flax, but I've read it MAY be a precurser to Prostrate Cancer. Take a look at this page on EFA's and what they say in regards to Flax oil in Men.
Have a good day~
Ginger

http://www.annieappleseedproject.org/flaxoilcaner.html

[Ginger3115]

I forgot to mention that ground flaxseeds are claimed to be better, due to the fact they won't go rancid as Flax Oil can quite easily. I use ground Flaxseeds on Salads and Oatmeal. This way I know I'm getting something fresh I grind myself.

take care...Ginger 

[willy]

Ginger, that is an awesome link and I intend to read more from the site later.

I am an over 50 male, a coffee drinker, a flaxseed oil user, and I have wondered whether my oil got rancid, and so this link was dead on for me.  I also note that all the flax seed oil that I see comes in jet black plastic containers which while they may protect the flaxseed oil from light also may leak cancer causing substances into the oil.   

It appears that eating as raw and as natural as we can is one of our best actions that we can take.

Thanks again,

Willy