Lyle Hurd: Welcome. I am Lyle Hurd, editor and publisher of Total Health magazine. We’re visiting today with Dr. Parris Kidd. You’ve just recently completed a major study on DHA, EPAs and their importance to our entire organ system and our quality of life. Would you please tell us what you found in your study? Dr. Parris Kidd: Well Lyle, I’ve been following the omega-3 story for more than 2 decades. I’m also an expert on the phospholipids which work in synergy with the omega-3s. I’ve been working for some time now to develop my ideal phospholipid product, which is a phospholipid that carries omega-3s. We finally know how the omega-3 phosphatidyl Serine—which I am very happy about. In the course of doing that, I learned a lot about omega-3s and the brain and I undertook this major review that’s about to appear in late 2007. What I found is very, very interesting—that we actually need the omega-3s from the moment of conception all the way through to old age. These are substances that are actually molecules. They are molecules orthodox to the body. . . These are substances that have been with us since the beginning of life and they have a wide range of benefits—of fundamental basis of action in the very early brain, in the developing brain, at the time of birth and all the way through youth and into old age. These are substances that are indispensable for the development of optimal brain function and for the prevention of premature cognitive decline and for everything in between. They [are] also very, very important for mood and for mood control and for behavior because the omega-3’s DHA and EPA have very important functions in the cell membranes that make up our living cells. These membranes are the structures in our cells that carry out pretty much all the important functions of life. To work optimally, the membranes need to be fluid and what are the most fluidizing components of the membrane? DHA and EPA. This ripples out—this function ripples into just about every important function in every organ in the body, not just in the brain. The importance of the omega-3s for total health management can not be underestimated. They’re important for brain health, for circulatory health, for joint health, for the health of the reproductive organs, for the muscles, for the eyes—just about every organ system that we can think about requires ample amounts of the omega-3s. Now in the circulation, it’s already known from extensive research that the omega-3s are life-saving. That the DHA and EPA intake on a daily basis prevents first heart attacks, prevent second heart attacks, can stabilize arrhythmias and can prevent stroke. The omega-3s are very clearly protective for a longer life. They help us to improve our quality of life and they’re important from conception all the way through old age. Lyle Hurd: Actually, they are important, I would suppose, basically even from preconception, from the time that you decide you are going to have a child. Isn’t that right? Dr. Parris Kidd: Interesting that you bring that up because my PhD thesis was on fertilization. I have had an interest in cell membranes and membrane fluidity for 30 years now. For the sperm to fertilize the egg, the membrane has to be really, really fluid. The sperm has to be able to swim as fast and as long as it can, so it needs very high membrane fluidity then for the egg to receive the sperm also requires high membrane fluidity and the omega- 3s are in the middle of all of these stories. Lyle Hurd: Thank you and what I’d like for you to do is have us come back and revisit the omega-3 story. It’s so important and I appreciate you being with us today. Dr. Parris Kidd: Thank you very much, Lyle.