Dyspraxia & Apraxia Support Group

Having answered a question that arrived in my inbox about my daily supplementation of Omega 3 6 & 9 fatty acids to counteract certain symptoms of my ADD, Dyspraxia, Apraxia & Dyslexia I thought I'd repost my answer here for the benefit of everyone:

Approx 2 1/2 years ago while reading the groundbreaking book "The LCP Solution" I immediately began experimenting with daily Omega Fatty Acid supplementation which are technically called long-chain phospholipids (LCP).

What I learned from the book was that due to our more highly processed diet (a general lack of daily mixture of vegetables and the animal proteins of our ancestors which were rich in wild game - we mostly eat chicken, beef and fish and an even smaller variety of vegetables > mainly hybridized lettuce and potatoes in the form of french fries). Due to our generally poor dietary habits and highly processed food selection has resulted in a daily dietary intake of fats that has switched from a healthy balance of Omega 3 6 and 9 to one in which the majority of fats we consume are of the type Omega 6.

"The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 should be about 2:1. Since most diets are very rich in omega-6 and low in omega-3, the ratio is often somewhere between 10:1 and 20:1. This is especially a problem with diets that are high in processed foods and oils. Oils like corn, safflower, sunflower and cottonseed are usually low in omega-3s."
Full text: http://tinyurl.com/4m6ynp

You might be wondering how this applies to those of us with Dyspraxia & Apraxia?

Our brain cell membranes (& our eyes too) are comprised primarily of fat. In fact our brain cell membranes (& eyes) prefer a certain type of fatty acid of which there are two types that can be utilized - Omega 3 (high in DHA) or Omega 6 (high in DPA). Unfortunately when our dietary imbalances result in a higher amount of Omega 6 (DPA) the brain uses that fatty acid to construct the cell membranes rather than than Omega 3 (DHA) - i.e. supply and demand. Big whoopee you say, your brain is functioning just fine ~ or is it? We have strong Dyspraxic and Apraxic symptoms right?

Ok - so here's where the importance is > Omega 3 (DHA) is the "STRONGER" omega fatty acid of the two. The Omega 6 fatty acid (DPA) is the weak fatty acid. So rather than have strong cell membranes we suffer from weak ones. Weak cell membranes LEAK. Weak cell membranes result in lost connections between cells. And considering our brain cells and the connections between them are the source of our thoughts, actions and memories it's pretty easy to see that weak cells result in weak thoughts, actions and loss of memory. In fact, weak cell membranes result in misdirected thoughts, actions and memories.

Thus weak brain cell membranes from too much Omega 6 and not enough Omega 3 result in lost and misdirected thoughts and actions. Fortunately these thoughts are still stored up in the brain, they simply become misplaced and inaccessible. This may be a little hard to fathom - though I can attest to this personally as I have since been able to retrieve many of these lost and misdirected thoughts, memories & surprisingly the actions as well (i.e. muscle memories) since re-balancing my brain chemistry toward consumption of the stronger Omega 3 (DHA) fat.

This is fantastic news for anyone also suffering from the symptoms of Dyspraxia (motor coordination), Apraxia (word coordination) or Dyslexia (word and number coordination) - which I did suffer from, each to some degree. My supplementation of Omega 3 6 9 and the resultant strengthening of my brain resulted in major reduction of my symptoms + massive improvement in overall memory and temper control.

When most people hear Omega Fatty Acids they first think of Fish Oil, however there are other sources of these fats and different types as well - hence Omega 3's, 6's and 9's which are used differently in the body and brain.

Because of this common perception that Omega Fats = Fish Oil I started with pure fish oil supplements (which are mostly Omega 3 - high in the components DHA & EPA). After some research I added Primrose Oil capsules (for Alpha Linolenic Acid - LA ) and later determined I should be getting some Omega 9 as well (Oleic acid - GLA) to achieve balance. Thus with my experimentation I eventually found a more balanced Omega Fatty Acid formulation that contained all three:

NOW Foods brand "Super Omega 3 6 9" capsules. The Omega 3 comes from Mackerel fish, the 6 from Borage Oil and the 9 from Flax Oil. More info: http://tinyurl.com/7jlclx

Once I found this supplement I experimented with dosage based on how I felt and results I noticed (& my wife noticed). FYI: I am a white male, in my late 30's who weighs 190 lbs with a body fat currently of approx. 24%.

Over the course of a year I determined my most effective dosage to be 4 capsules each night before bed and 3 in the morning (each capsule is 600 mg). Note: this is a bit of fish oil which can make one's breath a bit stinky, so I accompany each dosage with 2 capsules of Mint Assure breath gels (suck the mint off then swallow, wherein the stomach the capsule opens and dispenses parsley and spearmint oil into the stomach neutralizing the true source of bad breath, i.e. vapors from the stomach. Works great with garlic as well!)

More information on Omegas 3, 6 & 9: http://tinyurl.com/9vslj4

With further research I also added the supplement "Choline" to my morning supplementation as it is the precursor (converts to) the brain neurotransmitter Acetylcholine, one of the chemicals that neurons use to communicate with each other. Thus by taking Choline I receive the benefit of amplified signals between my now stronger brain cells. More info: http://tinyurl.com/8q2f7m

Ok, enough said about the Omega 3 6 9 supplementation. All this is interesting (or boring) information if not for the amazing results I have experienced (& my wife and others have noticed) as the result of my doing all this:

> My symptoms of Dyslexia have disappeared

(I suffer from a mild form of Dyslexia related to switching numbers when typing or looking at them, resulting in frequent miscalculation and over use of Excel to get what would otherwise be straightforward calculations. Dyslexia has been linked to a misfire of neurons (which could easily be interpreted as a communication between the eyes and the brain and back again). My personal experience has been that when the cells of my eyes and brain were made of the same weak fat (DPA) I suffered. Now that my eyes and brain cells are both stronger, I no longer suffer from this misdirection).

> My symptoms of Dyspraxia have nearly completely disappeared

(In terms of Dyspraxia, I came to understand it as a tendency to take the wrong motor action due to a misdirection of thoughts in the brain. Thus I experienced a strong tendency to "over gesture" when I spoke, often hitting my wife with my gestures in close conversation. I had a strong tendency to bump into things with my hands, arms, legs and feet resulting in frequent bruising and throughout my upbringing I experienced great difficulty with sports (I actually struck out in T-ball). I played tennis for all 4 years of high school and never got better - I did manage to destroy a couple rackets out of frustration.

An astounding example of my improvement came this past summer when for the first time in 20 years I found myself back on the tennis court. Although I played all 4 years in high school on the tennis team, and was exposed to all the drills, practice etc. - at the time I never improved. Thus I gave up the game in frustration. HOWEVER, over the course of just 3 times out playing not only did I enjoy tennis, my game skill was through the roof! Oddly all the limited skill I had from 20 years ago came back my first time out, then the drills I had "absorbed" though had been unable to put into play during high school, came back to me 'en force' and this time I was able to IMMEDIATELY perform and improve each time I did them. At first I didn't even realize this was happening until my tennis partner asked me to help them out and without thinking I began coaching her using the exact drills and techniques my tennis coach taught me 20 years ago! Just prior to my 3rd time to the courts I decided to test my newfound skill by watching a few YouTube "tennis lesson" videos. Amazingly to me, I was not only able to implement what I learned immediately, but I proceeded to perform what I'd learned perfectly!

Another example of my improvement was in golf a year ago and since. Prior to my supplementation, and since starting golf at 10 (and also being frustrated to the point of throwing clubs) - I have suffered from a strong tendency to slice and hook the ball both on the tee and fairway. I swear I've gotten to know the treeline of every course I've played all too well. Back to my example, I had been taking the Omega Fatty Acids daily for about 9 months before my first time on the links in over 4 years. I was out with my Dad and proceeded to hit nearly every Tee-shot straight down the fairway. Not only that but I even out drove a couple tee shots further than my father (& he is a semi-pro par golfer!) Beyond that he commented that our day out together had been one of our best ever in 30 odd years because I never once lost my temper. Plus he still brags to this very day about one of my amazingly straight down the fairway tee-shots.

> My symptoms of Apraxia have disappeared

(In simple terms Apraxia I came to understand it as a tendency to use the wrong word(s) in conversation due to a misdirection of thoughts in the brain. I would think I was using the right words, however through misdirection of thoughts in the brain my mouth would verbalize a different word than I had intended).

My wife can attest to this because she is hyper sensitive to word usage, and she is so much calmer now that I speak more clearly and concisely.

I have also found this to be helpful in my career as public speaking and networking are de facto requirements. Thus I am getting along better with people (because they can better understand me) - and I am less frustrated with their lack of understanding (if only I'd known about this prior to all my schooling!)

> My tendency towards angry outbursts has subsided

(I bring this up because I recently determined that a good deal of my ADD symptoms came from what is called "Ring of Fire ADD' as noted in the AWESOME book "Healing ADD - The Breakthrough Program That Allows You to See and Heal the 6 Types of ADD" by Daniel G. Amen, M.D. In this book Dr. Amen actually recommends supplementation of Omega fatty acids as a means of treating this type of ADD (along with the anxiety inhibiting amino acid GABA, which I also happen to have been taking). Thus the fact that my temper has pretty much ceased to be an issue in my life and marriage since I started supplementing with the Omega fatty acids I have concluded that without knowing it I was treating my Ring of Fire symptoms!

> In terms of my ADD, my frustration level has decreased significantly in that I can think more clearly, my memory has improved dramatically, however I found my "Classic Inattentive ADD" symptoms are still present ("classification" also from Dr. Amen's book). Thus I still experience a certain level of distraction, which has led me to recently meet with a Psychiatrist and start medical therapy.

PLUS:

Remember I mentioned that the cell membranes in the eyes have the same structure as the brain?

> My eye prescription lessened by .25 in both eyes (in just 12 months)

Perhaps more astounding:

> My astigmatism has disappeared!

(For those who don't know what an astigmatism is, this is when the cornea or lens loses it's shape resulting in improper refraction of light and/or blurred vision under certain circumstances. Thus what has happened is that my cornea/lens has returned to its optimal shape which obviously to me goes to show how using a stronger fat (DPA) has made a real difference)

IMPORTANT: As long as I continue to take my daily dosage of the Super Omega 3-6-9 I live virtually symptom free. If I miss a dose I know right away because the symptoms return, with Dyspraxia symptoms coming back most readily. This is why I believe it is important to personally experiment with dosage until you find the amount and type that works best for you, in that helps alleviate the symptoms you experience.

NOTE: Alcohol consumption definitely interferes with symptom alleviation, both during consumption and the day following (possibly due to brain cell dehydration or something to due to fat absorption). I imagine that the consumption of Caffeine (also a diuretic) and other drugs may have inhibitory factors as well.

Warning: Consumption of Hydrogenated fats prohibits our brains from benefiting from Omega Fatty Acid supplementation because the hydrogenated fats compete for brain receptors and win every time thus preventing their absorption and use.

That's all that I am going to post for now. If you have further questions about my experiences with using supplementation to reduce or eliminate symptoms of my ADD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia or Apraxia please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thanks for all your help here on the forum, I've learned a lot and will continue to share the wealth as I proceed toward life improvement. Note: I am not a doctor and therefore nothing I have said here should be construed as advising or prescribing anything. The results I have reported are solely based upon my own research and supplementation experience.

~ NS
Posted on 01/08/09, 02:01 pm