Fatty acids for Alzheimer's disease and dementia

Last night there was an interesting story on the 6pm news that inspired the writing of this article. It is about a strawberry flavoured milk-based drink, called a medical nutritional drink, that scientists say "could slow brain shrinkage, delay cognitive decline and even pause progression of the disease among patients 'before it is too late'" (source). The study authors said that taking the supplement every day for two year let to a

'significant stabilisation' of everyday thinking performance and reduced brain shrinkage. Project leader Professor Tobias Hartman of Saarland University in Germany claimed that the blend of fats and vitamins helps the brain repair itself. "This is not a cure for Alzheimer's disease, but for the first time we have a disease modifying treatment", he said.

According to this article Dr. David Reynolds, chief scientific officer of Alzheimer's Research UK was one of those who criticised it. He said there are signs of something meaningful, but the effect size is small. He also said: "The same effect could probably be achieved by eating a healthy diet." We can agree with this.

     

    Pasture-raised animal products contain healthy ratios of fatty acids

    Small-scale, sustainable and ethical farming in Australia is being significantly disadvantaged. It is becoming increasingly challenging for some farmers to farm and produce nutrient-dense, pasture-raised foods for consumers who are willing to pay the high price tag for them. See the following article:

    Farmer suicides and examples of Hope and Recovery.

    A crowdfunding campaign is currently running to make people like Victorian Minister Jaala Pulford aware that small-scale pig and poultry farmers should not be in the same category as large-scale intensive farming operations because it disadvantages and hinders ethical meat production in Victoria. Some consumers prefer the products of regenerative farming practises because they contain healthier ratios of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, among other things. Research show that an imbalance between these two can set the stage for a number of health problems like cardiovascular disease, cancer, depression, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease. 

    Consumers can reverse this trend by eating more Omega-3 rich foods and cutting down the Omega-6 rich foods. Researchers note that over the last century intakes of omega-6 fatty acids in Western diets have dramatically increased, while omega-3 intake have fallen.

    Why do our government seem to support only large-scale animal operations? These are often rooted in the feeding of lots of grains that end up creating the Omega-6 dominance in the food.

    Why do regulations disadvantage artisan food producers who produce or want to produce the foods high in healthy ratios of fatty acids in pasture-based systems?

    Is it not a recipe for disease and disaster?

    For more information on how these foods are produced see: 

    The Grass-fed Raw Milk Revolution.

     

    Australians among the sickest in the world?

    In the last few weeks the media has made some disturbing revelations about the number of obese/overweight people and the numbers of elderly Australians suffering from osteoporosis and low bone density (osteopenia). 

    The new voice of Alzheimer's Australia, Dementia Australia, say they represent 413,106 Australians living with dementia and the estimated 291,163 Australians involved in their care. According to this article even a 5 per cent reduction in the number of people with Alzheimer's in Australia will result in a saving of over $120 billion in the next 50 years.

    Australians are among the sickest in the world according to an article published last week saying that the nation's health system would be "rebooted" to put patients at the centre of healthcare and deliver Australia a $200 billion economic boost under a new plan. The  

     

    Productivity Commission argues that Australia's health system has not kept up with technological change.

    $200 billion of taxpayer money will be spent. 

    Will this government invest in dairy farmers producing unprocessed milk for consumers who are begging for it? Will this government recognise the world best practise standards and the latest technology for producing raw milk for human consumption that many of our raw milk case studies are already utilising? 

    Can this government recognise that Australians have limited access to foods high in these healthy ratio fatty acids? Can this government recognise that some of us want to treat our ailing health with certain kinds of nutrient-dense foods, instead of pharmacotherapy? Not everyone believes in the use of a magic pill.

    According to another American article:

    • Between 1999 and 2014, the death rate from Alzheimer’s increased by 55 percent, killing more than 93,500 Americans in 2014, according to a review of death certificates.
    • Research published in 2014 found Alzheimer’s deaths were severely underreported on death certificates. Researchers estimate the annual death toll from Alzheimer’s actually exceeds half a million.
    • Projections suggest the disease will affect 1 in 4 Americans within the next two decades, and by 2050, Alzheimer’s diagnoses are projected to triple.
    • Shocking statistics published in the journal Neurology in 2014 revealed Alzheimer’s killed more than 503,000 American seniors in 2010, making it the third leading cause of death, right behind heart disease and cancer.

    Raw dairy as source of Omega-3 fatty acids

    AdobeStock_29311631 omega 3 2.jpg

    The Australian Raw Milk Movement recognises that processing milk harms some of the components of the milk. This has been discussed on various pages on our website. Fatty acids in milk are harmed by both the pasteurisation and homogenisation process. Pasteurisation also destroys beneficial enzymes that helps us digest the milk fat and milk caseins quickly (source). The visible effects of processing milk can be seen here thanks to microphotography.

    Raw milk has all the fatty acids, enzymes and minerals in their natural, unadulterated form. We have over 30 raw milk case studies that show that it is possible to do raw milk well. Some of our case studies have been producing raw milk for human consumption for more than a decade.

     

    The UK recognises the benefits of 100% pasture-fed

    It is not hard to see that foods with a healthy ratio of fatty acids required for good health is challenging to find in Australia because of industrialisation in agriculture and because of supermarkets marketing the cheapest food to the nation. It is also not hard to see that our government has a hand in keeping these foods hard to obtain, and have the power to change it.

    The British Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food George Eustice supports 'Pasture for Life' systems because of the advantages of animal welfare, the environment and human health. The Pasture-Fed Livestock Association is a 100% pasture-based livestock system for meat and raw milk. Two of our case studies participate in the Pasture for Life Milk project:  Smiling Tree Farm and Calf at Foot Dairy.

    George Eustice said: "there is a real opportunity when it comes to pasture-fed livestock and when it comes to human health. There is now a growing body of research that shows that livestock fed on pasture, outdoors on grassland can have for instance, higher levels of Omega-3 oils and can be richer in terms of minerals and trace elements."

    Australia can follow in this direction. 

    "We have a political problem, we do not have a food safety problem."

    If you want to enjoy access to traditional, nutrient-dense foods from regenerative farming practises as a natural source for better health, then support the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance:

     

    Posted on November 1, 2017 by ARMM Admin and filed under Health and Research, Australian and tagged fatty acids alzheimers' and dementia omega 3 pasture-raised raw milk souvenaid raw milk articles.