Omega-3 phospholipids are a superior form of omega-3 with the power to vitalize the nervous system. Unlock the potential of these exceptional compounds to support your brain and nervous system health for a vibrant and thriving life.
If our bodies were ships, the nervous system would be the undisputed captain. The nervous system is in the brain, and it controls just about everything: your movements, your thoughts, your feelings, and your knee-jerk responses to everyday occurrences—think breathing, blinking, blushing, and the like. It also oversees essential bodily processes, including digestion and puberty, and helps the brain interpret what you see, hear, taste, touch, and feel. All told, the nervous system is a vital part of being alive; without it, we simply wouldn’t be fully functioning humans.
You May Also Like:
How Does Diet Affect Brain Function?
Unlocking Mental Clarity: The Power of Omega 3 for Brain Fog
Protect Your Brain and Nerves with Omega-3 Phospholipids: 7 Powerful Benefits is an original (LimitlessMindNews) article.
What damages the nervous system?
That said, there are thousands of ways in which the nervous system can be damaged, ranging from minor to major. On an internal level, nerve damage can be caused by diseases such as lupus and diabetes, strokes, and aging. These may lead to slower neuron signals, resulting in slower reflexes and potentially a loss of sensation in fingers, toes, or other parts of the body.
Outside stressors inflicted by the world around us can also be incredibly harmful to the nervous system. Sensory overload happens when one of the body’s five senses—all of which, remember, are controlled by the nervous system—become overstimulated, resulting in symptoms such as anxiety, stress, fear, and irritability.
Similarly, when we’re stressed— be it by work, relationships, or something as trivial as a traffic jam, our body’s fight or flight response is activated. Chronic activation of this response can have deeply negative effects over time, taking a toll on both physical and psychological health. Generally, the first sign people pick up on after enduring chronic activation of their nervous system is a feeling of being completely “fried”; the overstimulation leaves one feeling stressed, tired, and more than a little out of it.
How can you protect the nervous system?
So what can be done to help maintain the health of the nervous system amidst all the chaos of everyday life? Keeping its cellular components at top-tier health is one such way; research has shown that this can be done by incorporating omega-3 phospholipids into a daily diet.
Phospholipids are a type of fat that’s found in plant and animal cells, as well as in certain omega-3 dietary supplements, and they are essential to many health functions and biological processes. In many phospholipid-rich omega-3 supplements, two fats are particularly of note: decosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), both of which can be efficiently absorbed by the body and are critical for brain function. Of the two, DHA is especially important, as it’s the most abundant fatty acid in the brain and supports nerve cell structure and function. However, DHA and EPA decrease as we age, and the body cannot create them; we instead must replenish them by consuming them.
Enhance and maintain cognition
Why would you want to keep high volumes of DHA and EPA in the brain? For starters, omega-3 fatty acids help brain function by improving cognition. Normal-to-high levels of DHA have been shown to play a key role in cognition—even newborn formula includes the fatty acid because of its ability to prompt cognitive growth. It does this by improving blood circulation to the brain, which in turn helps the brain perform tasks with less difficulty. Better blood flow also means better memory and a decreased risk of developing dementia.
Prevent extreme age-related decline
As we age, the brain naturally faces cognitive declines and impedes the ability to remember facts and process new information. A diet that’s rich in omega-3 fatty acid supplements helps keep the brain sharp—one study showed that older adults who ate one or more servings of seafood per week and didn’t have dementia experienced less cognitive decline than those who ate less than one serving of seafood per week.
Improve nerve signaling
Another benefit of taking omega-3 phospholipids is enhanced nerve signaling. When DHA levels are low, neurotransmitters in the brain have trouble signaling; that means dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, and other essential neurotransmitters cease firing. This can result in conditions like depression and dementia. Optimal DHA intake ensures that neurites and synapses can form, and hormone release can take place.
Treat depression and anxiety
As mentioned before, an imbalance in neurotransmitters, specifically serotonin and dopamine, can lead to anxiety and depression. By increasing omega-3 fatty acid intake, these conditions can be warded off; if they already exist, this is one way to naturally treat them. They do so by regulating serotonin and dopamine transmission, making sure the brain is receiving enough of both.
Preserve cell membrane health
A recent study showed that DHA and EPA can positively influence cell membrane fluidity and deformability. The more DHA and EPA you consume and have within your body, the better both fluidity and deformability will be. For those not yet in the know, cell membrane fluidity is the freedom of movement of proteins and lipids within cell membranes—more fluidity helps fight the effects of aging, as it prevents cell death—while cell deformability allows blood cells to travel through the tiniest capillaries in the human body at will.
Better memory
More omega-3 consumption has been directly connected to larger hippocampal volumes. The hippocampus is a complex structure located deep in the temporal lobe. It is critical to learning and memory; it can be damaged by a large variety of stimuli, which can lead to neurological and psychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy. While omega-3 fatty acids may not be able to directly heal the hippocampus, they can keep it in better shape.
Reduce inflammation and oxidative damage
While research is somewhat limited, DHA and EPA both have anti-inflammatory properties. EPA, in particular, is crucial in the regulation of cellular inflammation, keeping it at bay. This helps heal oxidative stress in the brain, which in turn helps it function better.
Where to get the most DHA and EPA
Krill oil is one of the most widely available phospholipid-rich omega-3 supplements, and it’s packed with DHA and EPA; the same can’t be said for fish oils, which do not have phospholipids in their makeup. Therefore, consuming krill oil is a surefire way to get higher levels of DHA and EPA.
One company offering sustainably sourced krill oil is Kori Krill Oil, which makes Krill Oil Softgels. “Our cells are naturally more receptive to krill because they’re both made of the same material; krill is delivering the nutrients in a phospholipid form, our cell membranes are made of phospholipids, and so it’s naturally more of a good match,” explains Kori Krill Oil CEO Nancy Chen. “What that means for the consumer is better absorption and better bioavailability, so you get the benefits.” These supplements are rich with both fatty acids—250 milligrams in total—lack a fishy aftertaste, and contain choline, which is an essential nutrient that supports brain and nervous system health.
Try omega-3 fatty acids for brain and nervous system health
If you’ve been wanting to incorporate more fish and fatty acids into your diet, this is your sign to do so. Omega-3s are an incredibly powerful tool in keeping the brain healthy and supporting the nervous system amidst the chaos of everyday life. There’s no need to wait, either; the benefits can be reaped at all ages.
For further research:
Science Daily: New study links DHA type of omega-3 to better nervous-system function
Healthline: The Phospholipids and Omega-3 Connection
Medical News Today: Krill oil: Can it protect the brain from age-related degeneration?
Important Note: The information contained in this article is for general informational purposes only, and should not be construed as health or medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or health condition. Before embarking on any diet, fitness regimen, or program of nutritional supplementation, it is advisable to consult your healthcare professional in order to determine its safety and probable efficacy in terms of your individual state of health.
Regarding Nutritional Supplements Or Other Non-Prescription Health Products: If any nutritional supplements or other non-prescription health products are mentioned in the foregoing article, any claims or statements made about them have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and such nutritional supplements or other health products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
