Re: Succes with fish oil switch - question about EPA

August 17, 2008

about 1/2 a tsp is about 2 capsules of the ProEFA or the

Omega 369. The professional line (the pro line) and the commercial

line is the same product but distributed differently -the pro line

being more economical since there's 90 capsules per bottle vs the 60

in the commercial line even though both bottles are around the same

cost. You can purchase from the same place you are currently

purchasing the Omega 369 a product called EPA (which in the pro line

is called ProEPA) The ratio we use is typically 1 capsule of the

ProEPA to 2 capsules of the ProEPA -so for you that would be to

squeeze in one capsule of the EPA to every 1/2 tsp of the Omega 369.

Right now you really aren't doing the protocol for this group as you

are doing a much higher dosage of the ProEFA without increasing the

EPA. Many of us over the years found just the ProEFA to work alone -

but the EPA seems to accelerate it more. The only other things we've

found success with as a group is adding the natural vitamin E -and in

the past many of us tried the carnosine/carn-aware with reported

success in quite a few children.

I have tried with Tanner some of the recommendations of supplements

by some of the name nutritionists people talk about on this group

today and have to say that noticed zero difference on anything else.

In the archives you'll find a message from Suzanne Smolyar who like

you found that the more expensive and complex method of biomedical

did not bring the wow results that those of us that just took our

child to speech and occupational therapy and gave them fish oils (the

right formula) did.

Here's some archives that may help

The following is an old EFA archive from this group which has worked

in this group for years so it's up on the Speechville message

board.

Recently there are a few members who are staying with the same

formula -but raising the dosage to multi dosing two to three times a

day and anecdotally they are observing even more dramatic and

accelerated surges. Due to recent messages I want to clarify that

the following was for the average new member who in the majority

will have a child that is 2 to 4 years old. If your child is around

5 or older you will probably want to start at one a day just for a

week or so and then increase right away to two. Not that you won't

see any changes on the lower dosage but for older children the one a

day (which is comparable to the dosage in infant formula) may not be

enough. Also most see the first plateau somewhere between 3-6

months and the second somewhere between 6 months to a year following

the lower dosage way. We don't know yet as a group if and when

plateaus are reached with higher dosage supplementation. If however

you hit a plateau at any point -you probably want to look to

increase dosage -especially if you are at one a day with a 4 year

old say.

You can run by your child's MD -start with the basic and observe and

go from there. With fish oils typically the changes are within one

day to three weeks almost across the board -so you'll know pretty

soon whether it's " working " ! Let us know the good news!

From

http://www.speech-express.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=620

What fish oil should I give to my baby?

What fish oil should I give to my child?

The confusion is more the brand names than the formulas. In

actuality there really is no such thing as a " children's EFA "

perfect for all children yet. However fish oils can be marketed to

children by making fun flavorings and smaller capsules. Most of

the parents I know squeeze the oil out of the capsule anyway -so

that's besides the point for most of our group.

EFAs are now in baby formula and food, and EFAs come and are used in

a variety of formulas for children for various reasons. Mainly we

hear about the use of them for healthy brain development in regards

to children -but they are even proven to help prevent asthma

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/02/20/1077072840758.html

And they may be coming to a school lunch near you -if you live in an

area of savvy parents

http://www.valleystar.com/localnews_more.php?id=51945_0_19_0_C

more here

http://www.cherab.org/information/historyEFA.html

http://www.cherab.org/information/indexinformation.html#diet

Regarding your specific question: (and to answer your question

Chris)

ProEFA is an Omega 3 (DHA and higher EPA) formula with a small

amount of Omega 6 (GLA) The Omega 3 in the ProEFA is from fish oil -

not from the liver of the fish -so no vitamin A. Only fish oil made

from the

liver of the fish contain vitamin A.

Children's DHA is cod liver oil which since it's from the liver of

the cod fish, it naturally contains Vitamin A. Cod liver oil only

contains Omega 3 (DHA and EPA) about that point:

" Most of our experience is with one, 1.0 gram capsule of ProEFA

(Complete Omega) that contains 144 mg EPA, 99 mg DHA and 40 mg of

GLA. We know that this combination appeared to work well. There

were some other supplements used but we could not conclude anything

about them. I can only say that both EPA and DHA are important and

GLA appears to have an additional positive effect on speech.

ALA, linoleic and oleic acids in " The Total Omega " contribute very

little to the EPA, DHA, and GLA effect.

I see at least 2 possibilities that you could use if you decide to

make the transition from short-chain omega-3s in plants (flax seed

oil containing alpha-linolenic acid or ALA, C18:2n-3) to the long-

chain mixture of EPA (C20:5n-3) and DHA (C22:6n-3). These are DHA

Jr. (30 mg DHA and 20 mg EPA in a serving unit) and Coromega (350 mg

EPA and 230 mg DHA). Both of these have been anecdotally successful

in the past.

Coromega can be divided in two and taken one half in the morning the

other in the evening. If you choose this mode you will provide your

son with the equivalent EPA+DHA of 2 ProEFA capsules per day without

the GLA.

Flax seed oil or freshly ground flax seeds are an excellent source

of the essential omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA or LNA) which is

the quintessential parent member of the omega-3 family of essential

fatty acids (EFAs). The body transforms it into EPA and the EPA

into DHA. This transformation is very inefficient (the yield is

about 10%) and is further inhibited by over consumption of omega-6

fatty acids from most vegetable oils or certain disease states.

Therefore, it is advisable to independently consume also ready made

EPA and DHA from good quality fish of from high quality fish oil

supplements. Some recommended intakes are listed on the

Introductory lecture on EFAs that I gave at the First Conference on

Therapy of Verbal Apraxia, July 23-24, 2001, town, NJ. (

http://www.cherab.org/news/scientific.html )

The CHERAB Foundation's positive research results on potential

improvement in speech following EFA supplementation are based

on the use of ProEFA (Complete Omega) and that contains also

another essential fatty acid, GLA which is an omega-6 fatty acid.

The latter appears to be beneficial to children with apraxia. It is

not present in flax seed/flaxseed oil.

None of these materials present with any known side effects or

known toxicity in an otherwise healthy person. Nevertheless, we

advise every user of supplements to use them under medical

supervision. We don't know your child and we cannot provide you

with medical advice.

Sincerely,

Katz, Ph.D. "

About mercury and fish oil (vs. eating fish)

" Fish oils have been tested for various heavy metals like mercury

and there has been enough preliminary proof through studies, as well

as theory from reputable sources, that as I've posted many times

I've heard that the oils from fish may be the safest way to get the

benefits of the EFAs without the toxins due to the fact that mercury

etc. binds to the proteins/muscles of the fish.

" Measurement of mercury levels in concentrated over-the-counter fish

oil preparations: is fish oil healthier than fish? "

" CONCLUSIONS: Fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and their

consumption is recommended to decrease the risk of coronary artery

disease. However, fish such as swordfish and shark are also a source

of exposure to the heavy metal toxin, mercury. The fish oil brands

examined in this manuscript have negligible amounts of mercury and

may provide a safer alternative to fish consumption. "

Division of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Pathology,

Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston,

Mass 02114, USA.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?

cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=1\

4632570 & dopt=Abstract

And one other thing to keep in mind for those like me who do eat

both fish and take fish oil, there are toxins in the fish you eat

that won't be in the oil For example while mercury etc. binds to

the protein (muscle of the fish) so it's not in the oil of the

fish. From what I've read -the largest problem with fish oil itself

is rancidity. Oxygen and fish oil doesn't mix well.

Consumer Reports had this to say (most likely because toxins in

many cases bind to the protein and most oils are not tested for

rancidity)

" Consumer Reports tested 16 top-selling fish-oil pills which, like

other supplements, aren't closely regulated by the FDA.

Consumer Reports' Metcalf says the test results are

reassuring, " We found that all 16 brands that we tested had the

amount of Omega-3s that they said they did, which is good news. And,

we don't always find that with supplements. "

Since fish can contain toxins, Metcalf says Consumer Reports also

checked the supplements for purity, " We tested for three kinds of

toxins that often appear in fish - mercury, dioxin, and PCBs. "

Testers didn't find significant levels of toxins in any of the pills

tested, so you don't have to worry about contaminants. "

http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/features/consumerwatch/consumer_070303_omega3.html

" The omega-3 fatty acids offer some unique benefits, should they

prove to be truly effective mood stabilizers. The advantages of the

omega-3 fatty acids as mood stabilizers include the apparent acute

efficacy in both the manic and depressive phases of bipolar

disorder, their lack of toxicity, as well as high patient

acceptance. In addition, omega-3 fatty acids confer some health

benefits during chronic use, such as possible reduction in the risk

of a fatal myocardial infarction. In addition, the omega-3 fatty

acids have no documented adverse drug interactions, and appear to be

safe (and possibly beneficial) in pregnancy and in children. "

http://ods.od.nih.gov/news/conferences/w6w3_abstracts.html

" I had the wonderful opportunity to hear ph Hibbeln, M.D.,

Chief,

Outpatient Clinic National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol

Abuse, NIH, Bethesda, land at the First Apraxia Conference

http://www.cherab.org/news/scientific.htm lecture about the

importance of PUFA -especially during pregnancy when you are growing

a brain inside you. If you don't consume enough PUFAs while

pregnant -the babies body will pull it from the mother's body. It's

his theory and research as to why so many mom's experience post

partum depression. http://www.beachpsych.com/pages/cc46.html In

additionit is proven that the PUFAs are important for cognitive

ability.

http://neuroscience.nih.gov/Lab.asp?Org_ID=352

Here is a quote from the US Department of Agriculture,

Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service,

20705, Beltsville, MD, USA

Brain-specific lipids from marine, lacustrine, or terrestrial food

resources: potential impact on early African Homo sapiens. The

polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) composition of the mammalian

central nervous system is almost wholly composed of two long-chain

polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)

and arachidonic acid (AA). PUFA are dietarily essential, thus normal

infant/neonatal brain, intellectual growth and development cannot be

accomplished if they are deficient during pregnancy and lactation.

Uniquely in the human species, the fetal brain consumes 70% of the

energy delivered to it by mother. DHA and AA are needed to construct

placental and fetal tissues for cell membrane growth, structure and

function. Contemporary evidence shows that the maternal circulation

is depleted of AA and DHA during fetal growth. Sustaining normal

adult human brain function also requires LC-PUFA.Homo sapiens is

unlikely to have evolved a large, complex, metabolically expensive

brain in an environment which did not provide abundant dietary LC-

PUFA.

http://www.unl.ac.uk/ibchn/e_Link/cbpbbmb2002.htm

" The omega-3 fatty acids offer some unique benefits, should they

prove to be truly effective mood stabilizers. The advantages of the

omega-3 fatty acids as mood stabilizers include the apparent acute

efficacy in both the manic and depressive phases of bipolar

disorder, their lack of toxicity, as well as high patient

acceptance. In addition, omega-3 fatty acids confer some health

benefits during chronic use, such as possible reduction in the risk

of a fatal myocardial infarction. In addition, the omega-3 fatty

acids have no documented adverse drug interactions, and appear to be

safe (and possibly beneficial) in pregnancy and in children. "

http://ods.od.nih.gov/news/conferences/w6w3_abstracts.html

Here is an archive answer to answer more on EFAs:

" I will use the following examples with the brand name ProEFA since

that's the formula/dosage that seems to work the best for most of us

(Efalex and EyeQ are similar Omega 3/6 formulas that also have good

reports) For any brand name of Omega 3/6 formula -you could make

the same formula by mixing together fish oil and either primrose or

borage seed oil if you prefer -or as found -another brand

name with a similar formula (and I hope also a good quality)

If you mix two fish oils together which is fine if you know why you

are doing that: Look at the amount of DHA, EPA (Omega 3) and the

amount of GLA (Omega 6) and then add them all together to see what

formula and dosage you now have is. So for those of you that ask -

you can mix any brand names together you would like -however what

you could change is the three things above (dosage, formula and

*quality (*if one of the companies you start using has rancid oils

which is not uncommon when it comes to fish oils -so make sure all

brands you use are pure) Keep in mind in anecdotal feedback done by

parents from all over through CHERAB -that pure Omega 3 or pure

Omega 6 either showed no results -or very little results in almost

all cases. Pure Omega 3 would include pure cod liver oil, fish oil,

flax seed oil without any Omega 6. So even though there is only a

small amount of GLA (Omega 6) in the formulas we found to be

successful -GLA appears to be important to be there for some

reason. GLA has anti-inflammatory properties which perhaps enable

to DHA and EPA to get to where it's needed in the brain?

Dosage of one capsule a day ProEFA that at the lowest dosage appears

to be the best -

148 mg EPA

99 mg DHA

40 mg GLA

Here is what many of us have found to be the best plan

anecdotally:

....start with the basic formula, one ProEFA a day, we

saw surges in a few days to three weeks which continued for months -

we then reached a plateau after around 6 months.

At this point we raised the dosage to two capsules of ProEFA a day

and once again had those surges which lasted again for months.

When we reached the next plateau after around a year, instead of

going to three a day - we squeezed 1/2 to one capsule of ProEPA into

the 2 capsules of ProEFA and for almost all of us that try -that

created another surge.

Over time -you may raise the dosage up higher -and you may slightly

change the formula to raise the Omega 3 over the Omega 6 ratio.

Most found raising the EPA vs. the DHA or GLA to be best -but

you need to know your own child, keep track of his progress through

both your own observations and that of the professionals -with the

advice of your child's doctor -to know what is best for him/her.

There is much more in the archives both here -as well as more

information at

http://www.cherab.org/information/indexinformation.html#diet

http://www.speechville.com

Since I receive lots of calls about this -I wanted to list the most

common changes in an apraxic or other speech disordered child on

EFAs from what I've read and heard and seen.

1. Increase in babbling or attempts at sounds.

2. Increase in imitation.

Changes also can be looked for in (what you see as positive or

negative)

sleep

attention

appetite

focus

behavior

stools

Next will come a breakthrough of something you were probably working

on for a bit -so you will be excited but will think " Well -I don't

want to get my hopes up we were working on that for awhile now -

maybe it's just a coincidence " However after the second or third

surge in a short period of time -and then another - you are pretty

sure things are different and it's at this point the professionals

and the rest of the family and your friends are noticing it too -

maybe about two to three weeks now.

OK -the next stage is pure elation and hope -you see the light and

no longer feel as desperate and want to share this new information

with everyone and anyone. As the months go by and your child

continues to progress at a much more rapid rate -you may even start

to doubt the original diagnosis -especially if you started EFA

supplementation at two -and perhaps the SLP that diagnosed the

apraxia who also was at first excited is starting to second guess if

the original diagnosis was correct as well.

Unless you have to stop the ProEFA (or other Essential Fatty Acids)

and literally have the chance to see the regression of acquired

speech and language skills, attempts, and changes in behavior like

we did with Tanner (and/or have a chance to again witness the second

surge when your child is put back on the EFAs) -that doubt will

probably remain somewhere in your mind and in others around your

child. So the " I told you that he would start talking when he was

ready " comments should be expected of course.

Up to this point is understandable to me -it's the point after this

that is confusing to me, and perhaps not the best stage for our

children and for raising awareness or having research done to find

out what is happening to our children and why. Perhaps because we

have truly hit a paradigm shift...

As Dr. Agin states the EFAs actually appear to be in some

ways " curing " the apraxic child -even those diagnosed with severe

oral and verbal apraxia, hypotonia, sensory and behavioral issues.

Especially those started at younger ages.

The child on ProEFA or some other EFA formula's like it no longer

fits the criteria of the classic definition of apraxia -and yet

doesn't fit the classic perception of what a late talker is

either...

Some of the parents become more focused on other everyday activities

with their child and start to drift away from the support sources.

Problem with this attitude is that unless your child is really up to

speed on all aspects of speech and language, the support sources

that helped in the beginning will still benefit your child today.

ProEFA alone is not the only answer and until we know how and why it

works (or why in a handful of children it doesn't) we can't improve

on it "

Know there is lots of information here -but if you have to learn

just one thing from all of this it's right up on top -there is

always hope!

http://www.cherab.org/information/dietaryeffects/efatips.html

http://www.cherab.org/information/dietaryeffects/efabasics.html

=====

Here's just one of many articles about the most recent study on EFAs

that Dr. AJ who spoke at the First Apraxia Conference

http://www.cherab.org/news/scientific.html

was behind

Can fish oil supplements really boost your brain power? Get the

lowdown:

http://www.gm.tv/index.cfm?articleid=14487

Below is another parent archive of a surge on EFAs:

This story again was based on a time when we all knew each other in

person as a large group from mainly 1999 to 2003. When people post

here you don't know what's the reality for the group -you do when

you all know each other in person as a group.

Unless we understand what is going on in our children and can make

sure there is proper diagnosis/therapies for each -which we don't -

and we understand what all the many various supplements are doing to

help or not help, I'm not a huge believer of blood analysis for

neurological conditions. This is why I choose to stick to those

therapies/treatments/supplements I know are benign. I will add to

that -unless there are medical reasons.

From scientist/mathematician/mom -former CHERAB VP Suzanne

Smolyar

" From: Suzanne Smolyar

Date: Wed Mar 21, 2001 2:36 pm

Subject: RE: [ ] progress

Hi Gloria,

I wanted to say that I know exactly how you feel. Last night at the

table, 's brother (Ari 6.8) began to speak while was

trying to say something, so she looked at Ari and said in a loud and

affirmative tone " Shut up Ari, Shut up " . We were so excited and

overjoyed at her using that phrase - we forgot to explain to her

that it was inappropriate to use at the table and to her family

members. We just thought it was golden -just like you did.

Here is some background from one of my previous posts that will tell

you why this is so exciting .

" I am a mother of a beautiful 5-year-old girl, . Since the

time she was about 11 mo old - I had a feeling that something was

wrong with fine motor, gross motor and of course speech. Through

the past 4 years, I have gone to numerous neurologists, best in the

field, I must add. We have gone non-stop to therapy with ,

but the progress was painfully slow. did not speak- making

it nearly impossible for us to communicate with her. Everyday at

night I would kiss , and standing over her head I would

say, " please start talking tomorrow " - subliminal messages - hoping

they'd work.

To no avail, my child was just not talking. Therapy helped, but

progress was limited. I don't want to continue with this sob-story,

as you probably all understand the fear and frustration in parents

and the child as well.

After becoming involved with

August 17, 2008

Hi,

This is tremendously helpful, thank you so much. I will readjust his

fish oil supps accordingly. I have to admit, I was a little confused

about the differences between the EPA and the EFA. I've been doing so

much reading about other biomedical stuff that's really complicated

and it turns out I could've been doing a very simple 'something' all

along. Not that my son hasn't benefitted from some of the other

suggestions our DAN doctor has given us, it's just that she's not

familiar with this protocol. I gave her Dr. ' abstract but

don't know if she's read it. I hope so as both are in the SF Bay Area.

I have been supplementing with Vitamin E and (per our docs

suggestion) we are using Vitamin E succinate (d-alpha tocopheryl

succinate). She said not to go over 400iu. I'm not sure whether the

succinate is different to the other Vitamin E types that others on

this list are giving.

It's good to be a part of this group. I read 'The Late Talker' book

around the time my son was two and, strangely, our speech therapist

ruled out Apraxia in him....so, I didn't go down this route. He got

an ASD dianosis at 2 1/2 and then the Apraxia diagnosis at 3 1/2 (by

a much better SLP).

Thanks for your help and for giving us all so much hope

>

> about 1/2 a tsp is about 2 capsules of the ProEFA or the

> Omega 369. The professional line (the pro line) and the commercial

> line is the same product but distributed differently -the pro line

> being more economical since there's 90 capsules per bottle vs the 60

> in the commercial line even though both bottles are around the same

> cost. You can purchase from the same place you are currently

> purchasing the Omega 369 a product called EPA (which in the pro line

> is called ProEPA) The ratio we use is typically 1 capsule of the

> ProEPA to 2 capsules of the ProEPA -so for you that would be to

> squeeze in one capsule of the EPA to every 1/2 tsp of the Omega 369.

> Right now you really aren't doing the protocol for this group as you

> are doing a much higher dosage of the ProEFA without increasing the

> EPA. Many of us over the years found just the ProEFA to work

alone -

> but the EPA seems to accelerate it more. The only other things

we've

> found success with as a group is adding the natural vitamin E -and

in

> the past many of us tried the carnosine/carn-aware with reported

> success in quite a few children.

>

> I have tried with Tanner some of the recommendations of supplements

> by some of the name nutritionists people talk about on this group

> today and have to say that noticed zero difference on anything else.

> In the archives you'll find a message from Suzanne Smolyar who like

> you found that the more expensive and complex method of biomedical

> did not bring the wow results that those of us that just took our

> child to speech and occupational therapy and gave them fish oils

(the

> right formula) did.

>

> Here's some archives that may help

>

> The following is an old EFA archive from this group which has worked

> in this group for years so it's up on the Speechville message

> board.

>

> Recently there are a few members who are staying with the same

> formula -but raising the dosage to multi dosing two to three times a

> day and anecdotally they are observing even more dramatic and

> accelerated surges. Due to recent messages I want to clarify that

> the following was for the average new member who in the majority

> will have a child that is 2 to 4 years old. If your child is around

> 5 or older you will probably want to start at one a day just for a

> week or so and then increase right away to two. Not that you won't

> see any changes on the lower dosage but for older children the one a

> day (which is comparable to the dosage in infant formula) may not be

> enough. Also most see the first plateau somewhere between 3-6

> months and the second somewhere between 6 months to a year following

> the lower dosage way. We don't know yet as a group if and when

> plateaus are reached with higher dosage supplementation. If however

> you hit a plateau at any point -you probably want to look to

> increase dosage -especially if you are at one a day with a 4 year

> old say.

>

> You can run by your child's MD -start with the basic and observe and

> go from there. With fish oils typically the changes are within one

> day to three weeks almost across the board -so you'll know pretty

> soon whether it's " working " ! Let us know the good news!

>

> From

> http://www.speech-express.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=620

>

> What fish oil should I give to my baby?

> What fish oil should I give to my child?

>

> The confusion is more the brand names than the formulas. In

> actuality there really is no such thing as a " children's EFA "

> perfect for all children yet. However fish oils can be marketed to

> children by making fun flavorings and smaller capsules. Most of

> the parents I know squeeze the oil out of the capsule anyway -so

> that's besides the point for most of our group.

>

> EFAs are now in baby formula and food, and EFAs come and are used in

> a variety of formulas for children for various reasons. Mainly we

> hear about the use of them for healthy brain development in regards

> to children -but they are even proven to help prevent asthma

> http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/02/20/1077072840758.html

>

> And they may be coming to a school lunch near you -if you live in an

> area of savvy parents

> http://www.valleystar.com/localnews_more.php?id=51945_0_19_0_C

>

> more here

> http://www.cherab.org/information/historyEFA.html

> http://www.cherab.org/information/indexinformation.html#diet

>

> Regarding your specific question: (and to answer your question

> Chris)

>

> ProEFA is an Omega 3 (DHA and higher EPA) formula with a small

> amount of Omega 6 (GLA) The Omega 3 in the ProEFA is from fish oil -

> not from the liver of the fish -so no vitamin A. Only fish oil made

> from the

> liver of the fish contain vitamin A.

>

> Children's DHA is cod liver oil which since it's from the liver of

> the cod fish, it naturally contains Vitamin A. Cod liver oil only

> contains Omega 3 (DHA and EPA) about that point:

>

> " Most of our experience is with one, 1.0 gram capsule of ProEFA

> (Complete Omega) that contains 144 mg EPA, 99 mg DHA and 40 mg of

> GLA. We know that this combination appeared to work well. There

> were some other supplements used but we could not conclude anything

> about them. I can only say that both EPA and DHA are important and

> GLA appears to have an additional positive effect on speech.

>

> ALA, linoleic and oleic acids in " The Total Omega " contribute very

> little to the EPA, DHA, and GLA effect.

>

> I see at least 2 possibilities that you could use if you decide to

> make the transition from short-chain omega-3s in plants (flax seed

> oil containing alpha-linolenic acid or ALA, C18:2n-3) to the long-

> chain mixture of EPA (C20:5n-3) and DHA (C22:6n-3). These are DHA

> Jr. (30 mg DHA and 20 mg EPA in a serving unit) and Coromega (350 mg

> EPA and 230 mg DHA). Both of these have been anecdotally successful

> in the past.

>

> Coromega can be divided in two and taken one half in the morning the

> other in the evening. If you choose this mode you will provide your

> son with the equivalent EPA+DHA of 2 ProEFA capsules per day without

> the GLA.

>

> Flax seed oil or freshly ground flax seeds are an excellent source

> of the essential omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA or LNA) which is

> the quintessential parent member of the omega-3 family of essential

> fatty acids (EFAs). The body transforms it into EPA and the EPA

> into DHA. This transformation is very inefficient (the yield is

> about 10%) and is further inhibited by over consumption of omega-6

> fatty acids from most vegetable oils or certain disease states.

> Therefore, it is advisable to independently consume also ready made

> EPA and DHA from good quality fish of from high quality fish oil

> supplements. Some recommended intakes are listed on the

> Introductory lecture on EFAs that I gave at the First Conference on

> Therapy of Verbal Apraxia, July 23-24, 2001, town, NJ. (

> http://www.cherab.org/news/scientific.html )

>

> The CHERAB Foundation's positive research results on potential

> improvement in speech following EFA supplementation are based

> on the use of ProEFA (Complete Omega) and that contains also

> another essential fatty acid, GLA which is an omega-6 fatty acid.

> The latter appears to be beneficial to children with apraxia. It is

> not present in flax seed/flaxseed oil.

>

> None of these materials present with any known side effects or

> known toxicity in an otherwise healthy person. Nevertheless, we

> advise every user of supplements to use them under medical

> supervision. We don't know your child and we cannot provide you

> with medical advice.

>

> Sincerely,

> Katz, Ph.D. "

>

> About mercury and fish oil (vs. eating fish)

>

> " Fish oils have been tested for various heavy metals like mercury

> and there has been enough preliminary proof through studies, as well

> as theory from reputable sources, that as I've posted many times

> I've heard that the oils from fish may be the safest way to get the

> benefits of the EFAs without the toxins due to the fact that mercury

> etc. binds to the proteins/muscles of the fish.

> " Measurement of mercury levels in concentrated over-the-counter fish

> oil preparations: is fish oil healthier than fish? "

>

> " CONCLUSIONS: Fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and their

> consumption is recommended to decrease the risk of coronary artery

> disease. However, fish such as swordfish and shark are also a source

> of exposure to the heavy metal toxin, mercury. The fish oil brands

> examined in this manuscript have negligible amounts of mercury and

> may provide a safer alternative to fish consumption. "

> Division of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Pathology,

> Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston,

> Mass 02114, USA.

> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?

> cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=1\

> 4632570 & dopt=Abstract

>

> And one other thing to keep in mind for those like me who do eat

> both fish and take fish oil, there are toxins in the fish you eat

> that won't be in the oil For example while mercury etc. binds to

> the protein (muscle of the fish) so it's not in the oil of the

> fish. From what I've read -the largest problem with fish oil itself

> is rancidity. Oxygen and fish oil doesn't mix well.

> Consumer Reports had this to say (most likely because toxins in

> many cases bind to the protein and most oils are not tested for

> rancidity)

>

> " Consumer Reports tested 16 top-selling fish-oil pills which, like

> other supplements, aren't closely regulated by the FDA.

> Consumer Reports' Metcalf says the test results are

> reassuring, " We found that all 16 brands that we tested had the

> amount of Omega-3s that they said they did, which is good news. And,

> we don't always find that with supplements. "

>

> Since fish can contain toxins, Metcalf says Consumer Reports also

> checked the supplements for purity, " We tested for three kinds of

> toxins that often appear in fish - mercury, dioxin, and PCBs. "

>

> Testers didn't find significant levels of toxins in any of the pills

> tested, so you don't have to worry about contaminants. "

>

http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/features/consumerwatch/consumer_070303_ome

ga3.html

>

> " The omega-3 fatty acids offer some unique benefits, should they

> prove to be truly effective mood stabilizers. The advantages of the

> omega-3 fatty acids as mood stabilizers include the apparent acute

> efficacy in both the manic and depressive phases of bipolar

> disorder, their lack of toxicity, as well as high patient

> acceptance. In addition, omega-3 fatty acids confer some health

> benefits during chronic use, such as possible reduction in the risk

> of a fatal myocardial infarction. In addition, the omega-3 fatty

> acids have no documented adverse drug interactions, and appear to be

> safe (and possibly beneficial) in pregnancy and in children. "

> http://ods.od.nih.gov/news/conferences/w6w3_abstracts.html

>

> " I had the wonderful opportunity to hear ph Hibbeln, M.D.,

> Chief,

> Outpatient Clinic National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol

> Abuse, NIH, Bethesda, land at the First Apraxia Conference

> http://www.cherab.org/news/scientific.htm lecture about the

> importance of PUFA -especially during pregnancy when you are growing

> a brain inside you. If you don't consume enough PUFAs while

> pregnant -the babies body will pull it from the mother's body. It's

> his theory and research as to why so many mom's experience post

> partum depression. http://www.beachpsych.com/pages/cc46.html In

> additionit is proven that the PUFAs are important for cognitive

> ability.

> http://neuroscience.nih.gov/Lab.asp?Org_ID=352

>

> Here is a quote from the US Department of Agriculture,

> Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service,

> 20705, Beltsville, MD, USA

>

> Brain-specific lipids from marine, lacustrine, or terrestrial food

> resources: potential impact on early African Homo sapiens. The

> polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) composition of the mammalian

> central nervous system is almost wholly composed of two long-chain

> polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)

> and arachidonic acid (AA). PUFA are dietarily essential, thus normal

> infant/neonatal brain, intellectual growth and development cannot be

> accomplished if they are deficient during pregnancy and lactation.

> Uniquely in the human species, the fetal brain consumes 70% of the

> energy delivered to it by mother. DHA and AA are needed to construct

> placental and fetal tissues for cell membrane growth, structure and

> function. Contemporary evidence shows that the maternal circulation

> is depleted of AA and DHA during fetal growth. Sustaining normal

> adult human brain function also requires LC-PUFA.Homo sapiens is

> unlikely to have evolved a large, complex, metabolically expensive

> brain in an environment which did not provide abundant dietary LC-

> PUFA.

> http://www.unl.ac.uk/ibchn/e_Link/cbpbbmb2002.htm

>

> " The omega-3 fatty acids offer some unique benefits, should they

> prove to be truly effective mood stabilizers. The advantages of the

> omega-3 fatty acids as mood stabilizers include the apparent acute

> efficacy in both the manic and depressive phases of bipolar

> disorder, their lack of toxicity, as well as high patient

> acceptance. In addition, omega-3 fatty acids confer some health

> benefits during chronic use, such as possible reduction in the risk

> of a fatal myocardial infarction. In addition, the omega-3 fatty

> acids have no documented adverse drug interactions, and appear to be

> safe (and possibly beneficial) in pregnancy and in children. "

> http://ods.od.nih.gov/news/conferences/w6w3_abstracts.html

>

> Here is an archive answer to answer more on EFAs:

>

> " I will use the following examples with the brand name ProEFA since

> that's the formula/dosage that seems to work the best for most of us

> (Efalex and EyeQ are similar Omega 3/6 formulas that also have good

> reports) For any brand name of Omega 3/6 formula -you could make

> the same formula by mixing together fish oil and either primrose or

> borage seed oil if you prefer -or as found -another brand

> name with a similar formula (and I hope also a good quality)

>

> If you mix two fish oils together which is fine if you know why you

> are doing that: Look at the amount of DHA, EPA (Omega 3) and the

> amount of GLA (Omega 6) and then add them all together to see what

> formula and dosage you now have is. So for those of you that ask -

> you can mix any brand names together you would like -however what

> you could change is the three things above (dosage, formula and

> *quality (*if one of the companies you start using has rancid oils

> which is not uncommon when it comes to fish oils -so make sure all

> brands you use are pure) Keep in mind in anecdotal feedback done by

> parents from all over through CHERAB -that pure Omega 3 or pure

> Omega 6 either showed no results -or very little results in almost

> all cases. Pure Omega 3 would include pure cod liver oil, fish oil,

> flax seed oil without any Omega 6. So even though there is only a

> small amount of GLA (Omega 6) in the formulas we found to be

> successful -GLA appears to be important to be there for some

> reason. GLA has anti-inflammatory properties which perhaps enable

> to DHA and EPA to get to where it's needed in the brain?

>

> Dosage of one capsule a day ProEFA that at the lowest dosage appears

> to be the best -

> 148 mg EPA

> 99 mg DHA

> 40 mg GLA

>

> Here is what many of us have found to be the best plan

> anecdotally:

>

> ...start with the basic formula, one ProEFA a day, we

> saw surges in a few days to three weeks which continued for months -

> we then reached a plateau after around 6 months.

>

> At this point we raised the dosage to two capsules of ProEFA a day

> and once again had those surges which lasted again for months.

>

> When we reached the next plateau after around a year, instead of

> going to three a day - we squeezed 1/2 to one capsule of ProEPA into

> the 2 capsules of ProEFA and for almost all of us that try -that

> created another surge.

>

> Over time -you may raise the dosage up higher -and you may slightly

> change the formula to raise the Omega 3 over the Omega 6 ratio.

> Most found raising the EPA vs. the DHA or GLA to be best -but

> you need to know your own child, keep track of his progress through

> both your own observations and that of the professionals -with the

> advice of your child's doctor -to know what is best for him/her.

>

> There is much more in the archives both here -as well as more

> information at

> http://www.cherab.org/information/indexinformation.html#diet

> http://www.speechville.com

>

> Since I receive lots of calls about this -I wanted to list the most

> common changes in an apraxic or other speech disordered child on

> EFAs from what I've read and heard and seen.

>

> 1. Increase in babbling or attempts at sounds.

> 2. Increase in imitation.

> Changes also can be looked for in (what you see as positive or

> negative)

> sleep

> attention

> appetite

> focus

> behavior

> stools

>

> Next will come a breakthrough of something you were probably working

> on for a bit -so you will be excited but will think " Well -I don't

> want to get my hopes up we were working on that for awhile now -

> maybe it's just a coincidence " However after the second or third

> surge in a short period of time -and then another - you are pretty

> sure things are different and it's at this point the professionals

> and the rest of the family and your friends are noticing it too -

> maybe about two to three weeks now.

>

> OK -the next stage is pure elation and hope -you see the light and

> no longer feel as desperate and want to share this new information

> with everyone and anyone. As the months go by and your child

> continues to progress at a much more rapid rate -you may even start

> to doubt the original diagnosis -especially if you started EFA

> supplementation at two -and perhaps the SLP that diagnosed the

> apraxia who also was at first excited is starting to second guess if

> the original diagnosis was correct as well.

>

> Unless you have to stop the ProEFA (or other Essential Fatty Acids)

> and literally have the chance to see the regression of acquired

> speech and language skills, attempts, and changes in behavior like

> we did with Tanner (and/or have a chance to again witness the second

> surge when your child is put back on the EFAs) -that doubt will

> probably remain somewhere in your mind and in others around your

> child. So the " I told you that he would start talking when he was

> ready " comments should be expected of course.

>

> Up to this point is understandable to me -it's the point after this

> that is confusing to me, and perhaps not the best stage for our

> children and for raising awareness or having research done to find

> out what is happening to our children and why. Perhaps because we

> have truly hit a paradigm shift...

>

> As Dr. Agin states the EFAs actually appear to be in some

> ways " curing " the apraxic child -even those diagnosed with severe

> oral and verbal apraxia, hypotonia, sensory and behavioral issues.

> Especially those started at younger ages.

>

> The child on ProEFA or some other EFA formula's like it no longer

> fits the criteria of the classic definition of apraxia -and yet

> doesn't fit the classic perception of what a late talker is

> either...

>

> Some of the parents become more focused on other everyday activities

> with their child and start to drift away from the support sources.

> Problem with this attitude is that unless your child is really up to

> speed on all aspects of speech and language, the support sources

> that helped in the beginning will still benefit your child today.

> ProEFA alone is not the only answer and until we know how and why it

> works (or why in a handful of children it doesn't) we can't improve

> on it "

>

> Know there is lots of information here -but if you have to learn

> just one thing from all of this it's right up on top -there is

> always hope!

>

> http://www.cherab.org/information/dietaryeffects/efatips.html

>

> http://www.cherab.org/information/dietaryeffects/efabasics.html

>

> =====

>

> Here's just one of many articles about the most recent study on EFAs

> that Dr. AJ who spoke at the First Apraxia Conference

> http://www.cherab.org/news/scientific.html

> was behind

>

> Can fish oil supplements really boost your brain power? Get the

> lowdown:

> http://www.gm.tv/index.cfm?articleid=14487

>

> Below is another parent archive of a surge on EFAs:

> This story again was based on a time when we all knew each other in

> person as a large group from mainly 1999 to 2003. When people post

> here you don't know what's the reality for the group -you do when

> you all know each other in person as a group.

>

> Unless we understand what is going on in our children and can make

> sure there is proper diagnosis/therapies for each -which we don't -

> and we understand what all the many various supplements are doing to

> help or not help, I'm not a huge believer of blood analysis for

> neurological conditions. This is why I choose to stick to those

> therapies/treatments/supplements I know are benign. I will add to

> that -unless there are medical reasons.

>

> From scientist/mathematician/mom -former CHERAB VP Suzanne

> Smolyar

>

> " From: Suzanne Smolyar

> Date: Wed Mar 21, 2001 2:36 pm

> Subject: RE: [ ] progress

>

> Hi Gloria,

>

> I wanted to say that I know exactly how you feel. Last night at the

> table, 's brother (Ari 6.8) began to speak while was

> trying to say something, so she looked at Ari and said in a loud and

> affirmative tone " Shut up Ari, Shut up " . We were so excited and

> overjoyed at her using that phrase - we forgot to explain to her

> that it was inappropriate to use at the table and to her family

> members. We just thought it was golden -just like you did.

>

> Here is some background from one of my previous posts that will tell

> you why this is so exciting .

>

> " I am a mother of a beautiful 5-year-old girl, . Since the

> time she was about 11 mo old - I had a feeling that something was

> wrong with fine motor, gross motor and of course speech. Through

> the past 4 years, I have gone to numerous neurologists, best in the

> field, I must add. We have gone non-stop to therapy with ,

> but the progress was painfully slow. did not speak- making

> it nearly impossible for us to communicate with her. Everyday at

> night I would kiss , and standing over her head I would

> say, " please start talking tomorrow " - subliminal messages - hoping

> they'd work.

>

> To no avail, my child was just not talking. Therapy helped, but

> progress was limited. I don't want to continue with this sob-story,

> as you probably all understand the fear and frustration in parents

> and the child as well.

>

> After becoming involved with

August 18, 2008

I ordered the ProEPa for my eight year old with autism. I will let

everyone know how it goes. He has limited speech but he tries so

hard. I have never tried the Pro Epa. I am glad that it has helped

some of your children! Kristy

On Aug 17, 2008, at 8:27 PM, wrote:

> Hi,

>

> This is tremendously helpful, thank you so much. I will readjust his

> fish oil supps accordingly. I have to admit, I was a little confused

> about the differences between the EPA and the EFA. I've been doing so

> much reading about other biomedical stuff that's really complicated

> and it turns out I could've been doing a very simple 'something' all

> along. Not that my son hasn't benefitted from some of the other

> suggestions our DAN doctor has given us, it's just that she's not

> familiar with this protocol. I gave her Dr. ' abstract but

> don't know if she's read it. I hope so as both are in the SF Bay Area.

>

> I have been supplementing with Vitamin E and (per our docs

> suggestion) we are using Vitamin E succinate (d-alpha tocopheryl

> succinate). She said not to go over 400iu. I'm not sure whether the

> succinate is different to the other Vitamin E types that others on

> this list are giving.

>

> It's good to be a part of this group. I read 'The Late Talker' book

> around the time my son was two and, strangely, our speech therapist

> ruled out Apraxia in him....so, I didn't go down this route. He got

> an ASD dianosis at 2 1/2 and then the Apraxia diagnosis at 3 1/2 (by

> a much better SLP).

>

> Thanks for your help and for giving us all so much hope

>

> >

> > about 1/2 a tsp is about 2 capsules of the ProEFA or the

> > Omega 369. The professional line (the pro line) and the commercial

> > line is the same product but distributed differently -the pro line

> > being more economical since there's 90 capsules per bottle vs the 60

> > in the commercial line even though both bottles are around the same

> > cost. You can purchase from the same place you are currently

> > purchasing the Omega 369 a product called EPA (which in the pro line

> > is called ProEPA) The ratio we use is typically 1 capsule of the

> > ProEPA to 2 capsules of the ProEPA -so for you that would be to

> > squeeze in one capsule of the EPA to every 1/2 tsp of the Omega 369.

> > Right now you really aren't doing the protocol for this group as you

> > are doing a much higher dosage of the ProEFA without increasing the

> > EPA. Many of us over the years found just the ProEFA to work

> alone -

> > but the EPA seems to accelerate it more. The only other things

> we've

> > found success with as a group is adding the natural vitamin E -and

> in

> > the past many of us tried the carnosine/carn-aware with reported

> > success in quite a few children.

> >

> > I have tried with Tanner some of the recommendations of supplements

> > by some of the name nutritionists people talk about on this group

> > today and have to say that noticed zero difference on anything else.

> > In the archives you'll find a message from Suzanne Smolyar who like

> > you found that the more expensive and complex method of biomedical

> > did not bring the wow results that those of us that just took our

> > child to speech and occupational therapy and gave them fish oils

> (the

> > right formula) did.

> >

> > Here's some archives that may help

> >

> > The following is an old EFA archive from this group which has worked

> > in this group for years so it's up on the Speechville message

> > board.

> >

> > Recently there are a few members who are staying with the same

> > formula -but raising the dosage to multi dosing two to three times a

> > day and anecdotally they are observing even more dramatic and

> > accelerated surges. Due to recent messages I want to clarify that

> > the following was for the average new member who in the majority

> > will have a child that is 2 to 4 years old. If your child is around

> > 5 or older you will probably want to start at one a day just for a

> > week or so and then increase right away to two. Not that you won't

> > see any changes on the lower dosage but for older children the one a

> > day (which is comparable to the dosage in infant formula) may not be

> > enough. Also most see the first plateau somewhere between 3-6

> > months and the second somewhere between 6 months to a year following

> > the lower dosage way. We don't know yet as a group if and when

> > plateaus are reached with higher dosage supplementation. If however

> > you hit a plateau at any point -you probably want to look to

> > increase dosage -especially if you are at one a day with a 4 year

> > old say.

> >

> > You can run by your child's MD -start with the basic and observe and

> > go from there. With fish oils typically the changes are within one

> > day to three weeks almost across the board -so you'll know pretty

> > soon whether it's " working " ! Let us know the good news!

> >

> > From

> > http://www.speech-express.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=620

> >

> > What fish oil should I give to my baby?

> > What fish oil should I give to my child?

> >

> > The confusion is more the brand names than the formulas. In

> > actuality there really is no such thing as a " children's EFA "

> > perfect for all children yet. However fish oils can be marketed to

> > children by making fun flavorings and smaller capsules. Most of

> > the parents I know squeeze the oil out of the capsule anyway -so

> > that's besides the point for most of our group.

> >

> > EFAs are now in baby formula and food, and EFAs come and are used in

> > a variety of formulas for children for various reasons. Mainly we

> > hear about the use of them for healthy brain development in regards

> > to children -but they are even proven to help prevent asthma

> > http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/02/20/1077072840758.html

> >

> > And they may be coming to a school lunch near you -if you live in an

> > area of savvy parents

> > http://www.valleystar.com/localnews_more.php?id=51945_0_19_0_C

> >

> > more here

> > http://www.cherab.org/information/historyEFA.html

> > http://www.cherab.org/information/indexinformation.html#diet

> >

> > Regarding your specific question: (and to answer your question

> > Chris)

> >

> > ProEFA is an Omega 3 (DHA and higher EPA) formula with a small

> > amount of Omega 6 (GLA) The Omega 3 in the ProEFA is from fish oil -

> > not from the liver of the fish -so no vitamin A. Only fish oil made

> > from the

> > liver of the fish contain vitamin A.

> >

> > Children's DHA is cod liver oil which since it's from the liver of

> > the cod fish, it naturally contains Vitamin A. Cod liver oil only

> > contains Omega 3 (DHA and EPA) about that point:

> >

> > " Most of our experience is with one, 1.0 gram capsule of ProEFA

> > (Complete Omega) that contains 144 mg EPA, 99 mg DHA and 40 mg of

> > GLA. We know that this combination appeared to work well. There

> > were some other supplements used but we could not conclude anything

> > about them. I can only say that both EPA and DHA are important and

> > GLA appears to have an additional positive effect on speech.

> >

> > ALA, linoleic and oleic acids in " The Total Omega " contribute very

> > little to the EPA, DHA, and GLA effect.

> >

> > I see at least 2 possibilities that you could use if you decide to

> > make the transition from short-chain omega-3s in plants (flax seed

> > oil containing alpha-linolenic acid or ALA, C18:2n-3) to the long-

> > chain mixture of EPA (C20:5n-3) and DHA (C22:6n-3). These are DHA

> > Jr. (30 mg DHA and 20 mg EPA in a serving unit) and Coromega (350 mg

> > EPA and 230 mg DHA). Both of these have been anecdotally successful

> > in the past.

> >

> > Coromega can be divided in two and taken one half in the morning the

> > other in the evening. If you choose this mode you will provide your

> > son with the equivalent EPA+DHA of 2 ProEFA capsules per day without

> > the GLA.

> >

> > Flax seed oil or freshly ground flax seeds are an excellent source

> > of the essential omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA or LNA) which is

> > the quintessential parent member of the omega-3 family of essential

> > fatty acids (EFAs). The body transforms it into EPA and the EPA

> > into DHA. This transformation is very inefficient (the yield is

> > about 10%) and is further inhibited by over consumption of omega-6

> > fatty acids from most vegetable oils or certain disease states.

> > Therefore, it is advisable to independently consume also ready made

> > EPA and DHA from good quality fish of from high quality fish oil

> > supplements. Some recommended intakes are listed on the

> > Introductory lecture on EFAs that I gave at the First Conference on

> > Therapy of Verbal Apraxia, July 23-24, 2001, town, NJ. (

> > http://www.cherab.org/news/scientific.html )

> >

> > The CHERAB Foundation's positive research results on potential

> > improvement in speech following EFA supplementation are based

> > on the use of ProEFA (Complete Omega) and that contains also

> > another essential fatty acid, GLA which is an omega-6 fatty acid.

> > The latter appears to be beneficial to children with apraxia. It is

> > not present in flax seed/flaxseed oil.

> >

> > None of these materials present with any known side effects or

> > known toxicity in an otherwise healthy person. Nevertheless, we

> > advise every user of supplements to use them under medical

> > supervision. We don't know your child and we cannot provide you

> > with medical advice.

> >

> > Sincerely,

> > Katz, Ph.D. "

> >

> > About mercury and fish oil (vs. eating fish)

> >

> > " Fish oils have been tested for various heavy metals like mercury

> > and there has been enough preliminary proof through studies, as well

> > as theory from reputable sources, that as I've posted many times

> > I've heard that the oils from fish may be the safest way to get the

> > benefits of the EFAs without the toxins due to the fact that mercury

> > etc. binds to the proteins/muscles of the fish.

> > " Measurement of mercury levels in concentrated over-the-counter fish

> > oil preparations: is fish oil healthier than fish? "

> >

> > " CONCLUSIONS: Fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and their

> > consumption is recommended to decrease the risk of coronary artery

> > disease. However, fish such as swordfish and shark are also a source

> > of exposure to the heavy metal toxin, mercury. The fish oil brands

> > examined in this manuscript have negligible amounts of mercury and

> > may provide a safer alternative to fish consumption. "

> > Division of Laboratory Medicine, Department of Pathology,

> > Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston,

> > Mass 02114, USA.

> > http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?

> > cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=1\

> > 4632570 & dopt=Abstract

> >

> > And one other thing to keep in mind for those like me who do eat

> > both fish and take fish oil, there are toxins in the fish you eat

> > that won't be in the oil For example while mercury etc. binds to

> > the protein (muscle of the fish) so it's not in the oil of the

> > fish. From what I've read -the largest problem with fish oil itself

> > is rancidity. Oxygen and fish oil doesn't mix well.

> > Consumer Reports had this to say (most likely because toxins in

> > many cases bind to the protein and most oils are not tested for

> > rancidity)

> >

> > " Consumer Reports tested 16 top-selling fish-oil pills which, like

> > other supplements, aren't closely regulated by the FDA.

> > Consumer Reports' Metcalf says the test results are

> > reassuring, " We found that all 16 brands that we tested had the

> > amount of Omega-3s that they said they did, which is good news. And,

> > we don't always find that with supplements. "

> >

> > Since fish can contain toxins, Metcalf says Consumer Reports also

> > checked the supplements for purity, " We tested for three kinds of

> > toxins that often appear in fish - mercury, dioxin, and PCBs. "

> >

> > Testers didn't find significant levels of toxins in any of the pills

> > tested, so you don't have to worry about contaminants. "

> >

> http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/features/consumerwatch/consumer_070303_ome

> ga3.html

> >

> > " The omega-3 fatty acids offer some unique benefits, should they

> > prove to be truly effective mood stabilizers. The advantages of the

> > omega-3 fatty acids as mood stabilizers include the apparent acute

> > efficacy in both the manic and depressive phases of bipolar

> > disorder, their lack of toxicity, as well as high patient

> > acceptance. In addition, omega-3 fatty acids confer some health

> > benefits during chronic use, such as possible reduction in the risk

> > of a fatal myocardial infarction. In addition, the omega-3 fatty

> > acids have no documented adverse drug interactions, and appear to be

> > safe (and possibly beneficial) in pregnancy and in children. "

> > http://ods.od.nih.gov/news/conferences/w6w3_abstracts.html

> >

> > " I had the wonderful opportunity to hear ph Hibbeln, M.D.,

> > Chief,

> > Outpatient Clinic National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol

> > Abuse, NIH, Bethesda, land at the First Apraxia Conference

> > http://www.cherab.org/news/scientific.htm lecture about the

> > importance of PUFA -especially during pregnancy when you are growing

> > a brain inside you. If you don't consume enough PUFAs while

> > pregnant -the babies body will pull it from the mother's body. It's

> > his theory and research as to why so many mom's experience post

> > partum depression. http://www.beachpsych.com/pages/cc46.html In

> > additionit is proven that the PUFAs are important for cognitive

> > ability.

> > http://neuroscience.nih.gov/Lab.asp?Org_ID=352

> >

> > Here is a quote from the US Department of Agriculture,

> > Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service,

> > 20705, Beltsville, MD, USA

> >

> > Brain-specific lipids from marine, lacustrine, or terrestrial food

> > resources: potential impact on early African Homo sapiens. The

> > polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) composition of the mammalian

> > central nervous system is almost wholly composed of two long-chain

> > polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)

> > and arachidonic acid (AA). PUFA are dietarily essential, thus normal

> > infant/neonatal brain, intellectual growth and development cannot be

> > accomplished if they are deficient during pregnancy and lactation.

> > Uniquely in the human species, the fetal brain consumes 70% of the

> > energy delivered to it by mother. DHA and AA are needed to construct

> > placental and fetal tissues for cell membrane growth, structure and

> > function. Contemporary evidence shows that the maternal circulation

> > is depleted of AA and DHA during fetal growth. Sustaining normal

> > adult human brain function also requires LC-PUFA.Homo sapiens is

> > unlikely to have evolved a large, complex, metabolically expensive

> > brain in an environment which did not provide abundant dietary LC-

> > PUFA.

> > http://www.unl.ac.uk/ibchn/e_Link/cbpbbmb2002.htm