This can help reverse memory loss...

We, as Humans, evolved with a staple source of the essential omega-3 fat docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in their diets, which was namely seafood.

Animal based omega-3 fats are considered essential because they cannot be synthesized in appropriate quantities by your body and must be supplied through your diet.

The introduction of high-quality, easily digested nutrients from seafood into the human diet coincided with the rapid expansion of grey matter in the cerebral cortex.  

There's no doubt you need omega-3 fat for proper brain function. In fact, mounting evidence suggests that deficiency in this essential fat may lead to brain degeneration. 

Plant-Based versus Animal-Based Omega-3 Fats

Before we go any further, it's important to recognize that animal-based omega-3 fat is not interchangeable with plant-based sources of omega-3. And while you do need both in your diet, animal-based omega-3 fats are particularly important for your brain health.

Dietary fish and marine oil supplements such as krill oil are a direct source of EPA and DHA. Plants, on the other hand, contain the parent omega-3, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which can be converted into eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA). However, this conversion sorry to say is ineffective in general, and appears to get progressively more ineffective with age:

 DHA: One of the Most Important Nutrients for Brain Function

60% of your brain is fat. DHA alone makes up about 15 percent to 20 percent of your brain's cerebral cortex, as well as 30 to 60% of your retina, making it an essential nutrient for both brain and eye health.

It's found in high levels in your neurons; the cells of your central nervous system, where it provides structural support. When your omega-3 intake is inadequate, your nerve cells become stiff as the missing omega-3 fats are substituted with cholesterol and omega-6 instead. Once your nerve cells become rigid, proper neurotransmission from cell to cell and within cells become compromised.

Low DHA levels have been linked to:

• Memory loss
• Alzheimer's disease
• Depression
• Schizophrenia
• Bipolar (manic-depressive) disorder

EPA: Of Particular Importance for Depression...

The EPA found in animal-based omega-3 also plays a very significant role in the signaling within nerve cells, and it has been suggested that normalizing communications within nerve cells may be an important factor for alleviating depressive symptoms. Additionally, EPA can lower the levels of three important immune chemicals; all of which are elevated in depression.

        DHA Found to Significantly Improve Cognition in the Elderly

In more recent years, researchers discovered that DHA is a precursor for a newly identified signaling molecule called protectin. (When found in your central nervous system it's referred to as neuroprotectin, or NPD1.) This molecule is synthesized in response to oxidative stress.

The discovery of NPD1 offers new therapeutic opportunities for a range of neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease. It also provides an exciting potential for DHA in helping to delay or minimize the "normal" cognitive decline during ageing."

This is great news, as it's becoming quite clear that degenerative conditions can be not only prevented but also reversed. For example, in one study, 485 elderly volunteers suffering from memory deficits saw significant improvement after taking 900 mg of DHA per day for 24 weeks.   Another study found significant improvement in verbal fluency scores after taking 800 mg of DHA per day for 4 months. Also, memory and rate of learnng were significantly improved when DHA was combined with 12mg of Lutein per day. 

How Much DHA Do YOU Need?

For clarity, let me point out that, as with most studies, very high dosages were used in the trials above, and the participants were elderly patients with memory loss and other degenerative conditions. This likely does not describe you, and hopefully, by taking proper precautions now, you won’t develop that kind of degeneration to begin with.

I prefer krill oil as it is absorbed up to 10-15 times as well as fish oil, due to its molecular composition.  (Fish oil is in a triglyceride molecule that has to be broken down in your gut to its base fatty acids of DHA and EPA. About 80-85 percent is never absorbed and is eliminated in your intestine)!!!   (this is why fish oil can cause you to experience burp back and why about half of all people cannot tolerate fish oil). 

As a result, most people only need two to three 500 mg capsules of krill oil per day (each capsule typically contain about 50 mg of DHA and 90 mg of EPA).

It is typically a wise practice to obtain most of your nutrients from the food you eat. However, animal-based omega-3's are one exception where I believe taking a supplement is very important.  Especially when it comes to fish and other seafood, which is just not a safe option anymore!