Have you been taking your fish and cod liver oil? You should, as this study shows that omega-3s protect against Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative disease marked by the death of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain.

Parkinson’s disease is caused by the progressive death of the neurons responsible for producing dopamine, a neurotransmitter closely linked with movement control. The disease is usually diagnosed when 50 to 80% of these neurons are already dead, and there is currently no medication to stop that process.
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The researchers observed that when mice were fed an omega-3 rich diet, they seemed immune to the effect of MPTP, a toxic compound that causes the same damage to the brain as Parkinson’s.
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By contrast, another group of mice that were fed an ordinary diet developed the characteristic symptoms of the disease when injected with MPTP, including a 31% drop in dopamine-producing neurons and a 50% decrease in dopamine levels.

Between the sardines I eat almost daily, fish once or twice a week, and a daily tbsp each of cod liver oil and fish oil, I get more than enough omega-3s. I noticed when I started supplementing with cod liver and fish oils way back that my recovery times from workouts improved, likely due to the anti-inflammatory nature of omega-3s. By contrast, omega-6s are pro-inflammatory.

While omega-3 intake is vitally important, the other major key to maintaining a good omega-6:omega-3 ratio is the avoid omega-6 fatty acids. And where do you find omega-6s? Why, in the very oils that we’re told to consume for their “healthful polyunsaturated fats”, the vegetable oils. Here’s are two graphs showing the fatty acid profiles of various oils. In the first graph, omega-3s are shown in orange and in the second, red. Contrast those colors with the blue (first graph) and yellow (second graph). Notice that only flaxseed oil contains more omega-3 than omega-6, and this is of the alpha-linolenic acid variety, which as we’ve discussed is poorly converted into the EPA and DHA the human body needs. Take a look at corn, soy, peanut, and cottonseed. Is it any wonder that most people are highly skewed to omega-6? It’s further justification for eating the healthful saturated tropical oils (coconut and palm) with some olive oil thrown in for good measure, and avoiding all of the other polyunsaturated oils.

Another huge source of omega-6 in the typical US citizen’s diet? Grains. And don’t forget all of the grain-fed, feedlot-raised animals that most people are eating. The grains skew the fatty acid profile of the meat, resulting in an increase in omega-6 and a decrease in omega-3. So ditch your vegetable oils, cut way down (or completely eliminate) grains, and add some fish and/or fish oil to your diet. Grassfed beef also contains omega-3 fatty acids. Check out this graph showing what grain feeding does to a cow’s omega-3 ratio. Bad news there. If you’re eating feedlot animals, you have a huge need for getting some fish and cod liver oil into your diet.


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