12.01.10
Dr. Barry Sears, founder and chairman of Zone Labs, believes the key to benefits from consumption of fish or fish oil supplements are due to the EPA, not the DHA. He explained that there has been a growing body of knowledge that women who consume fish or fish oil supplements have less postpartum depression, and their children have improved cognitive development. However, fish and fish oil supplements always contain a mixture of EPA and DHA. “Because the brain contains relatively low amounts of EPA compared to DHA, it has always been assumed that it was the DHA that gave rise to these benefits,” said Dr. Sears. “In fact, an entire industry was built on the concept that supplementing infant formulas with DHA would improve the neurological health of both the mother and child. Of course, no one ever tested this hypothesis until now.” He cited a study in the October issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association that found no cognitive benefits from a fish oil supplement exceptionally high in DHA and very low in EPA for either the mother or child. He noted that both EPA and DHA get into the brain, but the EPA is rapidly oxidized, whereas the DHA is shunted into long-term storage. “This explains why there is little EPA found in the brain, leading to the misconception that it isn’t important in the brain. However, while the EPA is present in the brain, it can act as a powerful anti-inflammatory agent.” Dr. Sears hypothesized that this anti-inflammatory action is responsible for the neurological benefits. This is confirmed by numerous studies in which DHA has little, if any benefits, in treating depression or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, whereas fish oils rich in EPA do have benefits.