HAVE YOUR EVER BEEN UNABLE TO REMEMBER a name or phone number for a brief time? It's a fairly common occurrence and hardly indicative of a problem. But frequently forgetting important appointments and repeatedly asking the same questions of the same people could be a sign of a serious problem.

Dementia is a devastating condition. Unlike other diseases, it gradually saps you of your memory, ability to think, and even your personality. Patients become incontinent in the final stages of dementia, no longer bothering with routine hygiene and forgetting even the simplest of their daily routines. As the condition progresses, someone suffering from dementia may no longer even recognize family members.

The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer's disease. Some sources report that there are as many as four million people in the United States with the disease, but that may be an underestimate. Statistics indicate that at age 85, there is 50 percent likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease. The likelihood is even greater for those with a family history of Alzheimer's.

Standard medical treatment for dementia remains generally poor. Medications treat only one neurotransmitter in the brain and at best only slow progression of the disease. The best way to treat chronic illness is to prevent it, especially when it comes to Alzheimer's disease.

The July 2003 issue of Archives of Neurology reported that from 1993 to 2000, Chicago researchers performed a prospective study on 815 residents between the ages of 65 and 94 that were initially unaffected by Alzheimer's disease. Over the next few years, 131 subjects developed Alzheimer's disease. Researchers discovered that those subjects who consumed fish once or more per week were 60 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease compared to those who rarely or never ate fish. The study associated the intake of omega-3 essential fatty acid (DHA) with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Researchers were not surprised by the results. Many snimal studies in medical literature indicate that animals treated with supplemental omega-3 fatty acids performed better in mazes and demonstrated overall improvements in brain function.

Studies also suggest that the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids are transferred to offspring. In a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study, reported in the January 2003 issue of the journal Pediatrics, children born to women who were given supplemental omega-3 essential fatty acid demonstrated greater intelligence when compared with children born to mothers who did not receive supplemental omega-3.

ALTRUM Nutritional Oils is a vital supplement that can provide you with the Omega-3's and other essential oils that your body needs daily to remain healthy.

The evidence is clear of the many benefits of consuming essential oils. These include protecting heart and arteries, regulating nerve and brain function, supporting the immune system, increasing metabolism, lowering bad cholesterol, and much more.