Not Enough Fish in the Sea

By George Monbiot, AlterNet. Posted June 30, 2006.

We need omega-3 oils for our brains to function properly. Yet we are rapidly destroying the only source of these oils -- the world's fisheries.

The more it is tested, the more compelling the hypothesis becomes. Dyslexia, ADHD, dyspraxia and other neurological problems seem to be associated with a deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids, especially in the womb. The evidence of a link with depression, chronic fatigue syndrome and dementia is less clear, but still suggestive. None of these conditions are caused exclusively by a lack of these chemicals, or can be entirely remedied by their application, but it's becoming pretty obvious that some of our most persistent modern diseases are, at least in part, diseases of deficiency.