No insurance 4/4

[FreeFlee]

As I suspected, I just found out today I’m a 4/4. Mom has AD. Dad’s mom AD (deceased) I learned of Brededon P in May and started serious changes and got a few labs. I’ve had 6 years of focus issues and didn’t know these were probable early signs. Of 16 labs recommended, 10 were out of range especially omega ratio. Even though I’d been using hi amounts of ground flax daily and almost no added oil my omega 6s were high and 3s very low. Supplementing now. I suppose this is part of the 4/4 issue - any insights? I am improving already. 62yo F.

[TheresaB]

Of 16 labs recommended, 10 were out of range especially omega ratio. Even though I’d been using hi amounts of ground flax daily and almost no added oil my omega 6s were high and 3s very low. Supplementing now. I suppose this is part of the 4/4 issue - any insights?

To my knowledge ApoE4 doesn't push up Omega-6 and/or suppress Omega-3. A disproportionate 6:3 ratio seems to be a common issue with western populations due to dietary practices. We need some Omega-6s, but with modern diet, we tend to overconsume Omega-6s and and too much Omega-6 consumption will crowd out beneficial Omega-3 intake, so supplementing with Omega-3s can be a futile endeavor unless the 6 intake is reduced.

Overconsumption of Omega-6s tend to be correlated with consumption of vegetable oils: corn oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil. Because they are cheap and tasteless, they are everpresent in processed/packaged food and and restaurant food. Even fine Italian restaurants tend to cut their olive oil with vegetable oil, no evil intent, restaurants just run on tight margins and need to cut costs where they can.

I don't eat out, I eat "real" food that isn't processed, avoid vegetable oils, and I supplement with fish oil. I keep an Omega-6 to -3 ratio of 2:1 or less, that's down from my very first test before I changed my diet when my ratio was 7.5:1. Yikes! I believe our Primer which if you haven't read, you should, suggests a 3:1 ratio is fine. I've read that early man's ratio was most likely 1:1.

Our wiki addresses OmegasFats, Omega-3 &-6, DHA and more

Also, here is an article that might provide information of interest to you.
How much omega-3 is enough? That depends on omega-6.

[Chameleon]

Hi FreeFlee,

Welcome to the APOE4 community! Its really positive that you have stared to make some changes for yourself based off of some of the labs you have completed. And I am happy to hear you are already experiencing some improvement.

I want to echo TheresaB's suggestion on the Primer and also recommend the Wiki as well.

And if you are interested there is the Our Stories forum where other members have shared their stories. Feel free to add your in as well.

[FreeFlee]

Thankyou for the input. I had not been using oils for 3+ months and very little processed foods. Mostly whole food plant based.

[Kenny4/4]

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=2124&p=24146&hilit=inuit#p24146 here is a link to a discussion about the genetics of plant based omega 3's and animal based omega 3's and how some of us process them differently. I discovered via Promethese I have the "Inuit" type that requires me to get my Omega 3's via animal based fats DHA and EPA vs ALA. I discovered this intuitivly 18 years ago as taking fish oil then made me feel happy and healthy. I have taken it religously since.

This may be your problem with the omega 3 's not going up in your blood count despite eating flax which is high in ALA Omega 3. Give fish oil or cod-liver oil a try as it has little to no risk and good potential on the upside. Good luck and I hope this helps!

[NF52]

I had not been using oils for 3+ months and very little processed foods. Mostly whole food plant based.

Welcome from a 66 year old ApoE 4/4 genetic "cousin"!

Your diet sounds admirable--and you knew a lot more about flax seed that I did when I found out my results! I vaguely knew that Omega 3 was good and that some people took flax seed and some took fish oil supplements, but not how those two were connected. What I didn't realize is that flax seed doesn't really help your need for DHA and EPA. Here's a quick explanation of the differences.
Best Omega-3 Supplement: Flaxseed Oil vs. Fish Oil.

And here's a news article from 2017 that suggests that DHA especially may help ApoE 4 carriers. High-Dose Omega-3 May Lower AD Risk in APOE4 Carriers

One summary of 21 studies in a meta-analysis of of 181,580 participants, with 4,438 dementia cases identified over follow-up of 2 to 21 years, concluded that a single weekly serving of fish was associated with significantly lower risk for AD dementia.

A 2015 meta-analysis concluded that ω-3 supplementation significantly improved episodic memory in cognitively healthy older individuals.

"These studies indicate that APOE4 is a modifiable AD risk factor, and that the effect of APOE4 on AD pathologic changes can be attenuated with DHA supplementation," Yassine's group said.

I don't usually comment on my supplements, but found this one from recommendations made by others and started taking it: Carlson Labs Super DHA Mineral Supplement Softgels, 500 mg. It's available from Amazon and others.

One final thought: Have you checked into options for subsidized insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Health Care.govor Medicaid Medicaid and CHIP? Also, many cities have free clinics for people without insurance, especially for basic care and things like flu vaccines. ( I have a son who uses those, since his self-employed status doesn't allow for health care insurance right now.)