I ran across something interesting while trying to research fish oil. It kind of got me speculating. This is just a hypothesis of mine based on the following information.
Apparently fish oil oxidizes easily. They know this from measuring an organic compound called malondialdehyde in the urine of people taking fish oil. The fix is an antioxidant, vitamin E.
Quote:
Fish oil and vitamin E go together
BELTSVILLE, MARYLAND. Fish oils are beneficial in the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease. They do, however, oxidize very easily and therefore add to the oxidant stress on the body. An experiment was recently carried out by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to see if an increased intake of vitamin E could counteract this detrimental effect of fish oils. Forty men aged 32 to 44 were involved. The men consumed a controlled diet for a total of 28 weeks. For the first 10 weeks they received placebo oil capsules (15 g/day), for the next 10 weeks they received fish oil capsules (15 g/day), and for the last 8 weeks they received the fish oil plus 200 mg of vitamin E (all-rac-alpha-tocopherol). The urinary excretion of peroxidation products (malondialdehyde) more than doubled when the fish oil capsules were introduced but then dropped by a factor of four when vitamin E was added. The vitamin E concentration in the red blood cells dropped very significantly when fish oil was ingested but more than recovered with the vitamin E supplement. It is concluded that the negative effects of fish oil consumption can be overcome by taking them together with vitamin E.
Nair, Padmanabhan P., et al. Dietary fish oil-induced changes in the distribution of alpha-tocopherol, retinol, and beta-carotene in plasma, red blood cells, and platelets: modulation by vitamin E. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 58, July 1993, pp. 98-102
http://www.oilofpisces.com/vitamine.html
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At least one study correlates insomnia with malondialdehyde (and other signs of oxidative stress). These researchers seem to conclude that the lack of sleep is leading to oxidative stress. But what if it's the reverse: increased oxidative stress is leading to sleep problems? That would explain why fish oil capsules were causing me insomnia.
Maybe when people get their fish oil from diet (i.e., they eat fish) rather than taking capsules, they're less likely to have this sleep issue because they're getting other necessary nutrients (antioxidants) from the rest of the fish and from other foods they're eating with the fish. Another reason taking supplements isn't an adequate substitute for a healthy diet?
I may get some vitamin E and test my theory.
Quote:
Oxidative stress in patients with primary insomnia.
Gulec M, Ozkol H, Selvi Y, Tuluce Y, Aydin A, Besiroglu L, Ozdemir PG.
Source
Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Ataturk University, Erzurum, Turkey.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
Many physiological and pathological processes, such as infections, environmental toxins, and ionizing radiation increase bodily concentrations of oxidizing substances, known as free radicals, which lead to neurodegenerative disorders. Sleep is one of the most important factors contributing to health; however, insomnia is among the most prevalent health complaints.
METHODS:
In this study, for the first time in the literature, we investigated the effects of primary insomnia on certain oxidative stress biomarkers. For this purpose, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activities and levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured in 30 patients with primary insomnia and 30 healthy volunteers
RESULTS:
Our results show that the patients with primary insomnia had significantly lower GSH-Px activity and higher MDA levels compared with the controls.
CONCLUSION:
These results may indicate the important role of sleep in attenuating oxidative stress.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22401887
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BTW, malondialdehyde also seems to be associated with other neuropsychiatric nasties - like the negative symptoms of sz. Maybe this is why my son seems to have gotten worse rather than better since starting fish oil? (You'll have to follow the link to the study and check out the Mesh headings to see the mention of malondialdehyde. It's not mentioned in the abstract.)
Quote:
Elevated plasma lipid peroxides at the onset of nonaffective psychosis.
Mahadik SP, Mukherjee S, Scheffer R, Correnti EE, Mahadik JS.
Source
Department of Psychiatry, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Impaired antioxidant defense and increased lipid peroxidation has been reported in chronic schizophrenic patients. Recently, we have reported an impaired antioxidant defense in never medicated first-episode schizophrenic and schizophreniform patients. We report now a concomitant increase in plasma lipid peroxides.
METHODS:
The plasma lipid peroxides [thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS)] were analyzed by chemical and high performance liquid chromatography procedures in 26 patients admitted for a first episode of schizophrenic (N = 17) or schizophreniform psychosis (N = 9) and 16 normal control subjects. The patients had a duration of 4.5 days (SD 2.8) of psychosis at the time of the study.
RESULTS:
Plasma TBARS levels were significantly higher in the patients than in normal controls (P < .002). TBARS levels were above the normal range in 16 of the 26 patients. Higher TBARS levels were associated with a greater severity of negative symptoms and lower red blood cell activity of the glutathione peroxidase.
CONCLUSIONS:
The findings indicate ongoing oxidative injury at the very onset of psychosis. If valid, this would indicate the need for adjunctive antioxidant treatment from the beginning of the course of nonaffective psychoses. This might prevent a deteriorating course and development of the deficit syndrome.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9583001
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