Omega-3 Moves Into Medical Mainstream
BY JAMIE TALAN

In the days following the Jan. 2 Sago Mine explosion disaster, the only survivor, Randal McCloy Jr., was experiencing multiple organ failure and severe brain damage.

Dr. Julian Bailes, McCloy's neurosurgeon at the West Virginia University School of Medicine and head of the trauma center, was up to speed on the latest benefits of the "miracle molecule" omega-3 fatty acids when he phoned Barry Sears of Zone Diet fame to ask about a recommended dose for the very ill miner.

"I've read everything Sears has written," Bailes said. "And he convinced me that DHA could play a role in Mr. McCloy's recovery. He sent me his product, which was the main source in his [McCloy's] treatments."

Omega-3 is an essential amino acid that is in short supply in American diets, and its use has catapulted up the charts of popular nutrient supplements. And seemingly for good reason. It has so many jobs in the human body that cardiologists, neurologists, psychiatrists and now trauma surgeons are using these naturally safe amino acids to prevent and treat a wide variety of medical problems.

Sears, who has studied omega-3 fatty acids and now manufacturers his own pharmaceutical-grade product, suggested that Bailes administer a total of 18 grams of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the two most important omega-3 fatty acids, via feeding tube. McCloy remained on the supplement via feeding tube until his return home March 30.

High dose for brain repair

This was an extraordinarily high dose, Sears explained, but staff monitored McCloy's blood levels to assure it remained within a certain therapeutic range. The EPA reduced the inflammation caused by the lack of oxygen within the brain, and the DHA was required to repair the damage, Sears said. "I certainly think it played a big role," in his recovery, Bailes said. "How can he rebuild his brain if he doesn't have the substrate to do it?"

After being in a coma for weeks and in rehab for months, the grateful miner is stiff and thin but walking on his own and exercising his weak right arm.

Besides helping heal the brain, omega-3, which is probably one of the most studied natural supplements, has passed muster in helping heal the heart, pancreas, immune system and joints. Potent anti-inflammatories, omega-3 fish oil supplements contain the same fatty acids - DHA and EPA - found in fish. Scientists say the American diet is so depleted of these fatty acids that supplements are not just useful, but necessary.

A recent analysis of several large studies published in the British Medical Journal said the amino acids didn't possess the benefits touted in the medical literature. But many experts say that analysis failed to cover the wide range of scientific findings. Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, said that one large British study with a "sub-optimal design wiped out the benefits from all the other studies." He said many studies have confirmed omega-3 supplements reduce the risk for sudden cardiac death and protect against cardiovascular diseases.

"This has more evidence-based science than any other supplement," said Dr. Steven Lamm, an internist at New York University School of Medicine. "It can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering triglycerides, and shift the balance between good and bad forms of cholesterol." Its powerful anti-inflammatory qualities also make it a natural for arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.

"Here is one example where more is better," Lamm said.

But just how much? Dr. Joseph Hibbeln of the National Institutes of Health has studied the role of omega-3 fatty acids in depression and seen that 9 grams a day of omega-3 fatty acids are as potent as a prescription antidepressant for some patients. Others say the body needs a minimum of 4 grams a day.

The brain is 60 percent fat, and fatty acids are key to brain health. Hibbeln's work has linked diets rich in omega-3 fish oil to a lower incidence of depression and bipolar illness, and has led to tests of its effects as treatment for these conditions. The results are very impressive, experts say.

Help for bipolar patients

Dr. Andrew Stoll of Harvard Medical School's psychiatry department gave 30 people with bipolar illness (manic-depression) 9.6 grams daily of omega-3 supplements or a placebo pill and followed them for several months. He found significant improvement in the groups taking omega-3. Scientists say that it works because the physical component of the brain's membrane system is made up of DHA.

Many other groups have found similar benefits.

Omega-3 supplements are also being used to prevent or treat heart disease, arthritis and other psychiatric illnesses, he said.

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in algae. Fish live on algae, which is how humans consume these key fatty acids.

The benefits on heart health led the American Heart Association to recommend a diet rich in fish oil. In a nurses study at Harvard Public School of Health, 84,688 women were followed from 1980 to 1994, and researchers documented the foods they ate, finding that women who ate fish once a week had a 34 percent lower incidence of death from heart disease and a 25 percent lower incidence of non-fatal heart attacks. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association identified the omega-3 fish oil as the reason.

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