Brief Answer: DHA ARA has side effects Detailed Answer: Hi Thanks for posting your query on HealthcareMagic. I will try to answer your questions to the best of my knowledge. I hear a bit about krill oil being more effective for cholesterol, but what about joints? A. It has been boasted to have effects on cholesterol and joints. It does relieve the pain for some time. Mostly companies that manufacture these products use these claims for advertising their products and these claims are mostly not backed by research. And brain health? A. I personally do not think that it increases intelligence. It does make the person irritable, which may seem like enhanced brain activity to an observer. In fact the person has most brain health when he does not take any medicines. Kids brain is most active because they have not been exposed to much of medicines. I have been diagnosed with osteoporosis, and wondering whether fish oil or krill is good for bone health. Does it contain vitamin D? A. No it does not contain vitamin D. You will need calcium and vitamin D supplements for osteoporosis under medical supervision. I've been told that fish oil is rich in DHA while the vegetable oils provide AHA. Does that mean we need both? A. Fish oils contain both DHA and ARA. There is no doubt that we need both DHA and ARA. But the DHA and ARA that is needed for humans has different pharmacological composition then that present in fish and other sources. So it does not do the same job as human DHA and ARA. And does one need fish oil as well as krill? Is salmon oil the best form of fish oil? A. All forms available are similar with only little differences in side effects. If you really want to, you can take just any. I would recommend taking fish and nuts rather than their oils. Take it in moderation. While we're on it, I'm told that some saturates are important, but could you tell me why? Is coconut the best form? A. Yes some saturates are important. They are typically animal in origin, like milk, milk products, etc. They are important because they are needed to provide energy, serve carriers for vitamins, for the formation of cell membranes, etc. FDA recommends clearly that only 30% of calorie consumption should come from fats. From among fats, only 30% should be saturated fats. This much fat is usually present in the routine diet that we take. Moreover saturated fats are not essential fats (Essentials fats means that we need to take them to replenish them in our body). But the issue is that saturated fatty acids predispose to cardiovascular disease by increasing the LDL-C levels. So I would not recommend you to take them outside the routine diet. Take a well balanced diet. What else? DHA and ARA have side effects and predispose to gastrointestinal symptoms like diarhea, bleeding from gut. There are other side effects like irritability, rashes, etc. Hope it helps. Let me know if I can assist you further. Dr Vaishalee

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Brief Answer: Soy has low saturates and calcium Detailed Answer: Hi again Soy can provide calcium if it is fortified with it. It is not a good source of saturates. Isoflavones in soy can help strengthen the bones. You must be knowing already that you need calcium and vitamin D supplements. To heal the fracture better, you can try SERMs (a group of medicines like raloxifene) under the supervision of a gynecologist. It helps strengthen bones by directly estrogen (a female hormone) towards bone healing. It is particularly useful in post-menopausal osteoporosis. Alternative therapies for the prevention and the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women include HRT or ERT (hormone or estrogen replacement therapy under gynecologist supervision), bisphosphonates, calcitonin and parathyroid hormone. Hope it helps. Dr Vaishalee

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Brief Answer: My pleasure Detailed Answer: Hi again I am glad I was able to help you. You need to take it seriously. Thanks for consulting me Take care Dr Vaishalee

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