NEW ORLEANS — If you're one of the many with brain fog after recovering from COVID, there may be some help in a simple supplement that has protective benefits for many health problems.
And it's one that people of all ages should take every day.
“The fish oil story is important. I take fish oil every day of course,” said Dr. Nicolas Bazan, Director of the LSUHSC Neuroscience Center of Excellence. It's one small dietary supplement that has big benefits for the brain, discoveries made by Dr. Bazan.
He says the bottom line is. if you have a good blood level of DHA from fish oil, then it is protective to your brain, if you have a stroke, if you get Alzheimer's Disease, and if you have traumatic brain injury.
He's found that Alzheimer's symptoms gets worse as DHA goes down, and in one genetic type of blindness, DHA levels were found to be low. And now Dr. Bazan has new discoveries of the benefits of taking fish oil supplements in a world where COVID exists.
“I got the COVID, the first COVID virus that came to America, and I put it on human lung cells In the laboratory,” he explained about his research.
And what he discovered is that the DHA in fish oil can protect the lungs from COVID. Dr. Bazan also believes that fish oil can also protect the brain from COVID health problems.
When asked if he thinks it's wise when someone has COVID, to double up on the fish oil dose, or if they have long COVID afterwards with brain fog, to double up on the dose they take, he replied, “The answer is yes, because DHA, the right DHA, is not toxic. The right DHA is beneficial.”
But Dr. Bazan says not all fish oil supplements are equal. First, he says the ratio of DHA to EPA in the capsules should be one to one. Next he says it is an unregulated market, so many brands don't contain what the label claims. And if the DHA is oxidized, it can be harmful. So find a reputable brand. And eat cold water fish for the DHA along with a Mediterranean diet filled with vegetables.
“The best is the salmon that comes from the north Atlantic the wild salmon.”
And while fish oil is not a substitute for getting a COVID vaccine, everyone needs the DHA in fish oil daily from in the womb to in the tomb. Omega 3 fatty acids are essential. Your body can't make it, and your brain needs it.
Other studies also show that fish oil helps to reduce neurological damage in football players.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Dr. Bazan was interviewed virtually because he was recovering from knee surgery.