J
John Sankey
Guest
Sorry, montygram, but I too have spent some time checking out brain
chemistry, including a professional period attempting to relate brain
structures to possible computational models of human thought.
Yes, 5,8,11-eicosatrienoic acid (20:3 n-9; it's really known as
Mead's acid only in the brewing industry) is found in the brain, but
the overwhelming scientific view is that it is synthesized in the
brain only under conditions of deprivation of essential lipids (ones
we can't synthesize de-novo ourselves), especially of 20:4 n-6.
There are plenty of studies relating IQ of infants to adequate/
inadequate maternal dietary intake of long-chain n-3 and n-6 lipids
during pregnancy and lactation.
The variations among ethnic groups of the ability to lengthen short-
chain polyunsaturates is well accepted as an indication that our
nervous system developed under an adequate supply of long-chain
lipids, and that the enzymes necessary to elongate short-chain into
long-chain were selected for only when humans moved away from areas
where dietary fish supplies were ample.
20:3 n-9 may work in our brains, and dietary supplements of it may be
useful, but n-3 and n-6 are, I am certain, the natural choice for our
brain lipids. (I'll stay out of cancer-related arguments, though,
because I know almost nothing about them.)
chemistry, including a professional period attempting to relate brain
structures to possible computational models of human thought.
Yes, 5,8,11-eicosatrienoic acid (20:3 n-9; it's really known as
Mead's acid only in the brewing industry) is found in the brain, but
the overwhelming scientific view is that it is synthesized in the
brain only under conditions of deprivation of essential lipids (ones
we can't synthesize de-novo ourselves), especially of 20:4 n-6.
There are plenty of studies relating IQ of infants to adequate/
inadequate maternal dietary intake of long-chain n-3 and n-6 lipids
during pregnancy and lactation.
The variations among ethnic groups of the ability to lengthen short-
chain polyunsaturates is well accepted as an indication that our
nervous system developed under an adequate supply of long-chain
lipids, and that the enzymes necessary to elongate short-chain into
long-chain were selected for only when humans moved away from areas
where dietary fish supplies were ample.
20:3 n-9 may work in our brains, and dietary supplements of it may be
useful, but n-3 and n-6 are, I am certain, the natural choice for our
brain lipids. (I'll stay out of cancer-related arguments, though,
because I know almost nothing about them.)