The Importance of Fish for the Brain
Let’s get the bad news out of the way: Mercury amalgams come in #2 for the insane amounts of toxic mercury that we all have in our systems. Fish is #1. So make sure that you’re getting your fish from really pure sources.
This is what mercury toxicity can look like:
- mood swings
- nervousness
- irritability
- insomnia
- headaches
- weakness
- muscular atrophy
- muscle twitching
- weight loss
- digestive issues
- diarrhea
- dizziness
- hair loss
- metallic taste
- tremors
- tons and tons more, which are beyond the scope of this post
Surely everyone has bouts of insomnia or has a headache or a mood swing once in a while, but if you think about it and realize that these symptoms are chronic in you or your child, consider getting tested for mercury toxicity.
Mercury poisoning is also related to a number of diseases, including
- Alzheimer’s
- Asthma
- Autism
- Candida
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Crohn’s disease
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Eczema
- Hormonal dysfunction
- Kidney disease
- Learning disorders
- Liver disorders
- Lupus
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Parkinson’s disease
- Senile dementia
Scary list, stuff you wanna stay away from for sure. The Food and Drug Administration advises all pregnant women to avoid shark, tilefish, king mackerel, and swordfish completely, since they contain the highest levels of mercury. So, all that being said, be sure that the fish you eat – which is so great and healthy for you! – comes from a squeaky clean place. This includes fish that is wild caught (and in some instances, farmed) fresh fish from clean water with no preservatives.
Why Fish?
Ok. I don’t know why, but I like to get the bad news out of the way. Now on to the happy stuff.
Fish and other seafood are the major sources of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids as well as vitamin D, selenium and brain- and muscle-building protein. Fish is also known to be great for the heart and blood vessels.
When it comes to the brain, fish has been shown to be great for short-term memory, reducing the risk and symptoms of Alzheimer’s, dementia, ADHD, dyslexia, and dyspraxia.
A large part of the brain is made up of omega-3 fatty acids and 60% of the fats in the brain are omega-3 fatty acids with DHA, which is found in fish.
Dyslexia and ADHD
Eating fish during pregnancy may have benefits that go beyond early brain development. Studies have found that the children of mothers who eat fish while pregnant have better social and verbal skills at age eight compared to the children of mothers who never ate fish.
Dyslexia affects an estimated 4-10% of children, causing learning difficulties that can last a lifetime. A ton of research has gone into the causes of dyslexia and other conditions affecting children such as ADHD and dyspraxia (quality of movement). Studies have shown that omega-3 fats may help improve the reading skills and attention span of children with dyslexia, ADHD and motor skill issues.
I’m happy to let you know that Radiant Life is offering 15% off ALL Seafood Products! This special promotion is in effect now through Sunday, November 29th*. Simply enter the code FISH in the promo code box at checkout. The importance of fish for the brain can’t be overstated. Get your clean fish from Radiant Life at great prices today!
