The Ultimate Chanukah Gift Giving Guide Giving Our Kids What They Truly Want
DECEMBER 2024 // KISLEV 5785 // ISSUE 106
MEDICAL MIRACLES
WHEN THE LAWS OF NATURE DON'T APPLY
When Less is So Much More Hakol Beseder
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Chanukah Dishes For Potluck Parties
Ahallela: Thank and Sing Cup of Tea with Esther Schwartz
Forgiving When Forgetting is Impossible Vichna Belsky Replies
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WELLSPRING MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2024 | KISLEV 5785
| ISSUE #106
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SCIENCE PLAYING CATCH-UP By Rabbi YY Rubinstein Science is not stagnant; researchers are still finding new discoveries every day. Which is why, when Torah, and lehavdil, science are at odds, we aren’t fazed. They’ll get there, eventually. Or not. Either way, we’re patient. We’ve got the truth on our side.
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MEDICAL MIRACLES By Tziri Hershkovitz In the medical world, we sometimes hold out hope for a medicinal solution or surgical intervention, forgetting that all healing is miraculous. But when Hashem subverts expectations and gives us the yeshuah we prayed for, we sit up and take notice.
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KEEP MOVING By Chaya Tziry Retter, RDN, BS, CPT Step into our new virtual exercise studio with our resident fitness instructor for a fun and functional workout. Just grab your mat and a bottle of water, stretch a bit, and you’re ready to start!
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WELLSPRING MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2024 | KISLEV 5785
| ISSUE #106
WELL INFORMED 14 Springboard 18 Spiritual Eating 20 Torah Wellspring 24 Health News
LIVING WELL
WELLBEING
32 Cover Feature
72
Hakol Beseder
38 Giving them Our Hearts
74
Seasonal Stumpers
46 Second Opinion
76
Well Answered
48 Community
78
Marital Health
50 Fitness
80 Wallet Wellness
52 Cup of Tea
82 Mind and You
58 Medical Saga
EAT WELL
64 Gut Reaction
Editor In Chief Tziri Hershkovitz Deputy Editor Libby Silberman Feature Editors Vichna Belsky, Devorah Levitz Copy Editors Gitti Feldinger, Meira Lawrence
68 Intuitive Eating
106 Holistic
Nutrition Contributors Tanya Rosen, MS CAI CPT, Shani Taub, CDC
Fitness Advisory Board Syma Kranz, PFC, Esther Fried, PFC
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EDITORIAL
Health Advisory Board Dr. Chayala Englard, Chaya Tilla Brachfeld, RN
67 More or Less
Editorial Contributors Rabbi Yehoshua Belsky LMSW, Rabbi Eli Glaser, CNWC, CWMS, Rabbi Y.Y. Rubinstein, Baruch Niebloom, Rabbanit Orit Esther Riter
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EDITOR'S NOTE
man nature. Understanding that, or at least accepting that, makes for happier relationships. Perhaps something to keep in mind as we get together with family over the next few days.
On each night of Chanukah, walking the streets at dusk will offer you that heartwarming scene of families gathered around the menorahs as the candles are being lit. There’s something so cozy about the way the family stands together, and the experience is somehow amplified by its purposeful occurrence at a window, within view of those passing by. The irony, of course, is that the one huddled outdoors on that cold December evening isn’t feeling as toasty and warm as those on the other side of the glass. It’s the same menorah, the same candles, the same moment—but entirely different experiences. There are many popular analogies that bring this point home. Even when ostensibly viewed from the same angle, the same experience will still feel entirely different to each individual. Colored by personality, perception, and past experiences, whether one’s story is a happy one or sad one is entirely in the eyes of the beholder. We all have a life story that we call our own. Reflecting upon it can make us feel blessed, disappointed, grateful, sorry, or a myriad of other emotions. And as life would have it, others in our story might have entirely different interpretations of the exact same events; that’s hu-
But this is not so much a message about understanding the perspectives of others as it is about understanding the power of our own. Much like our story can be perceived differently by different people, we too have the ability to view our circumstances as positively or negatively as we choose. We’re the author of our own life story. The way we tell our story will determine whether it’s a happy one. The Chanukah story could have focused on the wondrous Maccabean victory. After all, the few and weak defeating the massive Greek army was a miracle of monumental proportions. And yet, it isn’t the focal point of Chanukah. There is a reason for that. For all our familiarity with the Chanukah story, a key element has been glossed over in the way it was related to us. To be fair to our educators, our school-aged children don’t need to associate this wonderful, enchanting Yom Tov with the bloodshed and horror that transpired. But as adults, it would behoove us to understand the era and appreciate the saga and the lessons it teaches us. There was a flipside to the massively victorious Chanukah miracle, and that is the fact that the battle wasn’t solely fought against the Greeks—it was a civil war with brother fighting brother. As modern culture infiltrated
Jewish homes, many families had inadvertently become Hellenized. Despite the sages’ demand for an adjustment in direction, they were finding it impossible to stem the flow of assimilation. Mattisyahu Kohen Gadol called to those who still sided with Hashem, in his famous battle cry of “Mi laHashem eilai!” It was a wakeup call, and a shakeup for all. At the end of the tragic conflagration, countless Jews were dead, too. True, the vast majority of deaths occurred in the modernized camp, but irrespective of which side of the aisle they were on, it was Yiddishe lives that were snuffed out in the war. A tragedy, by all accounts. Which only strengthens the previous question. Why do we primarily focus on the neis of a small cruse of oil? Why don’t we focus on the lives lost, or perhaps, since it is a crucial part of our survival, why aren’t we celebrating the war won? That isn’t the story we tell, because that isn’t who we are. We aren’t victims, nor are we warriors. We focus on the candles because we are purely a nation of light—and a light unto the nations. A positive, glowing force of goodness and kindness that can’t be quenched. Candles have the unique power to light up the darkness. With chessed, with learning, and with the laughter of little children, we light a glow in the bleakest of nights and it is dark no longer. But more than exemplifying brightness, Chanukah is also the reminder to focus on the positive, because when looking at the light, it’s never dark. Wishing you all a freilichen, lichtigen Chanukah,
tz i v o k h s r e H i r i Tz
tziri@wellspringmagazine.com
WELLSPRING / KISLEV 5785
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SPRINGBOARD
that it is a popular lifestyle in Scandinavia. I thought only our family knew about it!
Rising Above Issue #105: Winter Wellness Thanks for a delightful magazine— absolutely a masterpiece! The recent article on “Winter Wellness with Hygge Warmth” relayed interesting and helpful winter warming tips. It was written so well that just reading about hygge conveyed the coziness of being home and warm. However, the punch line emphasizes Wellspring quality at its best: “I looked at the Shabbos candles…who needs the Danes to explain it?…We are blessed to be familiar with a weekly experience of hygge that is so much more.” With Shabbos, indeed we are. Mrs. K. Brieger
As We’ve Been Saying… Issue #105: Winter Wellness I just want to thank you so much for the article on the concept of hygge, which I really appreciated.
My family has a special word that sounds very similar to the word “hygge,” which we have always used to mean a delicious combination of “cozy,” “comfortable,” “snuggly,” “warm,” “family time,” “hot-drinkon-the-couch,” “thick fuzzy blanket,” and all the things you described in the article. Our word originated from my parents’ old neighbors back in England more than forty years ago, and is used by my parents and siblings, our spouses and children, and is already being passed on to the next generation. It’s a made-up word that other people simply don’t have—and my family members strongly feel that if you don’t have the word, you’ve never had the experience. Because if something is just “cozy,” it’s only that, and likewise if it’s “comfortable” or “snuggly” or “warm.” But our special word combines all those yummy ideas and experiences into one delightful concept that we all understand and appreciate, so when I read your article on hygge, I knew exactly what it was talking about. I was amazed to learn that there is a Danish word for this concept and
I’ve asked my mother if she can track down our old neighbor to ask her if the word we picked up from them all those years ago was made up as we thought—or if it was rooted in the word “hygge” all along! Wishing Wellspring readers a hygge winter! M.L., Ramat Beit Shemesh
Healthy Hugs Issue #103: Holistic, Emotional Health Welcome, Tziri Hershkovitz, to your new position as editor of this most amazing magazine. Each article is eye-opening and inspiring. Rabbi Glaser’s column is always on target and so “tzum zach”! The recipe before Sukkos for the brisket done in the crockpot was terrific and so tasty. My favorite column in issue 103 was the Holistic Emotional Health topic by Tziri Hershkovitz. Your insights and explanation on physical touch producing endorphins were great. I’ve started giving the children a back rub, quick massage, or tight hug as they leave the
GET IN TOUCH Wellspring invites readers to submit letters and comments via email to info@wellspringmagazine.com. We reserve the right to edit all submissions and will withhold your name upon request. We will honor requests for anonymity, but we cannot consider letters that arrive without contact information.
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WELLSPRING / DECEMBER 2024
Any health information, advice, or suggestions published here are the opinion of the letter writer and are not independently investigated, endorsed, or validated by Wellspring. Always seek the advice of a qualified health professional or medical practitioner regarding any medical advice, condition, or treatment.
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Quick Question Question: I am a working mother and cannot afford to miss too many days of work. Sometimes I feel torn when I have to make a decision about whether or not to send my child to school so I can get to my job. What are the rules about sending a sick child to school or a babysitter? What about if a child had fever the night before, but in the morning they feel perfect? What should I do if my child tests positive for strep throat? What if my child has diarrhea and some nausea?
Answer: If your child has a body temperature of 100.4°F, it is considered a fever and the child should not be sent to school. The rule of thumb and rule of ethics is that a child should be without fever for 24 hours prior to returning to school. You are not only protecting others but also protecting your own child from not getting sicker while fighting an infection or virus. If your child tested positive for strep, they can go to school and resume normal activities in and out of the home, after 24 hours of medication. When it comes to vomiting or diarrhea, it is unfair to the daycare center, school, or other children to send your child to school, until they are symptom-free for 24 hours. You may want to consult with your child’s doctor for advice. In general, it is a good idea to give your children some vitamin C and immune support during winter months to reduce colds, flu, and viruses. Have a healthy winter, Miriam Schweid, Health Consultant
home or while we wait for the bus in the morning. In general, your insights are terrific; keep them coming. Wishing you lots of hatzlachah as you continue providing health and nutritional advice to all of us. Each issue is a diamond!
E. Wertheimer, Boro Park, New York
charmed throughout. I’d like to add my own hygge sentiment that I feel was skipped. For me, hygge is sitting on the porch in the winter, when there is a strong sun shining. It’s winter and cold, but I feel warmed by Hashem’s sun’s rays. I daven on the back porch, and what further emphasizes hygge—or rather, takes it to the next level—is connecting to the words of my tefillos and to Hashem. Those moments of connection, where I feel warmed by the awareness that all will be alright, and that everything already is alright, are ultimate hygge for me. Keep the wonderful articles coming!
An Additional Anecdote Issue #105: Winter Wellness I greatly enjoyed your article on hygge. It was a delightful concept and in the telling of it, with the little anecdotes interspersed, you gave us the cozy hygge feel. I was thoroughly
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C.B. Steinberg, Williamsburg, New York
Where’s the Controversy? Issue #105: Health News Roundup
I am always fascinated by how health news, which should ostensibly just be about our wellbeing, is somehow being politicized. What I can’t understand is why the food coloring in our children’s morning cereal, something that is by and large recognized as unhealthy and unnecessary, is still being included. There was recent talk about Robert F. Kennedy Jr. being given a role in the Trump administration and the liberal side of the media were complaining about his outlandish ideas, using his criticism of food coloring as a prime example. But what is outlandish or even controversial about removing toxic dyes from our children’s food? Thank you, Wellspring, for making us aware of the controversy surrounding Kellogg’s. Even if we don’t eat their cereal, it has had me looking at the ingredients of my children’s kosher cereal and I was disappointed to find that even the non-colorful ones include
Yellow-5, which is made from a cancer-causing chemical called benzidine that is also linked to depression, irritability, and other neurobehavioral reactions in children. Malka Sara Silber, Monsey, New York
Updating Nutrition Education Issue #105: Health News Roundup I found the news about the lack of nutrition education in medical school to be spot on. I recently graduated with my BA in premed and was flummoxed at what the purported “nutrition course” covered. The “science” on the topic was at least fifty years old. The new textbooks still focused on the food groups and pyramids, something that all current studies have long denounced as unhealthy and unhelpful. While we were taught basic information regarding nutrition, they didn’t particularly stress on the importance of these nutrients and how they could be effective in staving off illnesses and aiding in our healing. I do hope the goal is achieved and our doctors once again focus on not only treating our illnesses, but also on promoting good health. Rochel F., Suffern, New York
Happy and Homey Issue #105: Hakol Beseder Your November issue was, to use a word I recently learned, hygge. It was hygge to read it and I felt hygge when I thought about and tried the ideas too. And in the end, I was charmed, absolutely charmed, by Tziri Hershkovitz’s Home Sweet Home. I tried her ideas on making the cleanup tasks fun, and boy did the kids love it! Now, every evening we put on music as we dance through our kitchen cleanup. The goal is to get it done before the song finishes. And we do it! Who knew that housework could make for the sweetest and happiest memories? I appreciate Wellspring for recognizing another aspect of our health—a happy home. Thank you! Leba Goldman, Teaneck, New Jersey
WELLSPRING / KISLEV 5785
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SPIRITUAL EATING
By Rabbi Eli Glaser, CNWC, CWMS
Free Will to Change
As the brothers were conspiring to slay Yosef, Reuven intervened to save his life—albeit in a rather peculiar way. “And Reuven said, ‘Shed no blood! Throw him into this pit in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him!’—intending to rescue him from their hands, to return him to his father” (Bereishis 37:22). Rashi tells us that the pit into which Yosef was thrown was filled with snakes and scorpions. How could throwing Yosef into a pit filled with dangerous creatures be viewed as an effective method of rescuing him, and why does the verse say that Reuven intended to save him “from their hands”? Isn’t that superfluous and self-understood? What is the Torah teaching us? The Ohr Hachaim explains that the brothers’ ire was exacerbated by Yosef’s dreams of leadership. They wanted to prove that the dreams were nothing more than the folly of an immature child, and killing him, they reasoned, would certainly accomplish this. Reuven interceded, claiming that if the brothers themselves struck the fatal blows, it would not disprove the significance of Yo-
sef’s dreams. Why? Because even if the prophetic visions were indeed true, the free will of human beings is capable of altering an otherwise accurate prophecy. Reuven argued, “Let him be subject to ‘the hands’ of snakes and scorpions, which possess no free will. If he fabricated his dreams, he would be subject to the normal rules of nature and thereby be vulnerable to their attack. But if the dreams were true, the prophetic foresight would be proven precise as Hashem would certainly safeguard his survival in order for him to fulfill his future leadership role.” Seemingly, Reuven believed the innocence of his brother Yosef and intended to return him to their father Yaakov. This was why he suggested that Yosef be cast into the pit. “Reuven returned to the pit— and behold—Yosef was not in the pit [because the other brothers sold him to the Arabs]. So he tore his garments” (Bereishis 37:29).
We can’t claim victim to life’s circumstances while neglecting our health and wellbeing.
world, and so it can certainly change ourselves. “My day is already too busy; I don’t have time to start exercising or preparing healthy food for myself and my family.” “If I didn’t have such pressures in life—parnassah, my kids, my spouse—I wouldn’t be so tempted to chill out with a little chocolate.” These are common and convenient excuses made by many of us. The problem is, we really have no excuse. The responsibility to safeguard our health and take appropriate actions to eat well and care for our bodies is in no one’s hands but our own. We can’t claim victim to life’s circumstances while neglecting our health and wellbeing. We have the ability to change ourselves, our behavior, and even our habits. Hashem Yisbarach gave each and every one of us the free will to do so. So let’s just do it!
Through this episode, the Ohr Hachaim reveals a fundamental lesson in essential Jewish philosophy. The free will of a human being can change the
Rabbi Eli Glaser, CNWC, CWMS, is the founder and director of Soveya and the author of the best-selling book Enough Is Enough—How the Soveya Solution Is Revolutionizing the Diet and Weight-Loss World, available on Amazon and at Barnes & Nobles and Judaica Plaza in Lakewood. He has worked with thousands of clients around the world and has maintained a 130-pound weight loss for the last 19 years. For more information about Soveya’s programs call 732-578-8800, email info@soveya.com, or visit www.soveya.com.
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TORAH WELLSPRING
By Rabbi YY Rubinstein
Science Playing Catch-up
Everyone knows Ben Bag Bag’s famous statement in the fifth perek of Avos, “Turn the Torah over and turn it over again because everything is in it.” I imagine Ben Bag Bag was basing his statement on the fact that Hashem wrote the Torah first and then from it created the universe with its countless galaxies, stars, and planets. The Torah was the blueprint from which everything in creation was designed. There are even more worlds to discover when, instead of looking up and gazing at the wonders of Hashem through a telescope, we look down through a microscope. It always surprises me when science finds itself playing catch-up to what the Torah says. I am also amazed that any Jew is surprised to find this happening. An example of this happened to me just a few days ago. I was speaking on a panel to an audience of end-of-life and hospice professionals. My fellow panelists were Michelle Stravitz, who is the executive director of the American Medical Jewish Association, and Dr. Mayer Bellehsen, director of the Center for Traumatic Stress, Resilience, and Recovery, Northwell Health, New York. Dr Bellehsen said something that astonished and excited me.
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Recent research, shared in a journal called Psychological Biology, showed that the ordeals of Holocaust survivors in the ghettos and death camps left them with much more than the number on their arms. Researchers focused on a stress gene called FKBP5, which is linked to PTSD, depression, and mood and anxiety disorders. They found that those who had endured the torment of the Holocaust suffered an effect on and alteration to their FKBP5 gene. That same abnormality was passed on to their children as well as their offspring, many of whom showed signs of depression and anxiety. Children of Holocaust survivors often report that their parents’ experiences aren’t just events they can and do picture in their minds. Those children see those images as though they actually happened to them. Some second-generation survivors believe and feel that they can recall the smell of death that permeated the camps or hear the screams of victims. This research, which shows the parent’s altered gene presenting in their child, indeed suggests the possibility that they can. Listening to this discovery, a worrying and upsetting thought entered my mind: Does every Jew have an altered FKBP5 gene? Are we all prone
to depression and anxiety because of it? How long does this altered gene last? To how many generations does it carry over its vulnerabilities?
Have we all been tattooed both inside and out that these letters define who and what we are?
If we are not the children of Holocaust survivors, we may be the descendants of Jews who fled the pogroms of der Heim in the late nineteenth century. We are very likely to be the children of Jews who suffered expulsion from some European city or other. Our ancestors will have been expelled from numerous countries or had to flee the Inquisition or the Crusades. Have we all been tattooed and scarred both inside and out so many times that the letters FKBP5 define who and what we are? The answer to that haunting question is a resounding no. Let me explain why. You see, this is not the first time I have come across this kind of research. One of my daughters-in-law is
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TORAH WELLSPRING
the deputy head of the fertility clinic at Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem. A few years ago, she showed me research that found that people’s bechirah, their choices, also impacts and changes their DNA. And if I could possibly imagine and paraphrase Ben Bag Bag’s reaction to hearing this truly astonishing research, it would probably be a shrug of his shoulder and a “Nu! So what’s new?” He had already pointed out that everything is in the Torah anyway. Let me show you one place where that new discovery was already expressed very beautifully, Rav Yisrael Salanter’s commentary on Avos, Ruach Chaim. In the beginning of the fifth perek, the second Mishnah states: “There were ten generations from Noach to Avraham.” The third Mishnah then states: “Through ten tests Avraham Avinu was tested.” Rav Salanter focuses on why he is called “Avraham” in the first Mishnah, but “Avraham Avinu,” our father, in the next: “The pasuk in Mishlei says: ‘Anyone who follows the path of a tzaddik, happy are his sons after him.’ The many middos (character refinements) that a tzaddik struggles to acquire are passed on to his children as their basic nature. With only a little work and effort from them, those middos are awakened and activated. We see this repeated throughout history, where so many ‘simple’ Jews were willing to give up their lives to die for kiddush Hashem. That ability was embedded in them from Avraham, who
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was willing to die in Ur Kasdim l’kadesh Shem Shamayim. The same is true of all the tests that Avraham conquered. His victories became part of who and what we are.” That is why when referencing Avraham’s tests, the Mishnah uses the word “Avinu.” He literally became our father through those tests that he passed, transferring that triumph onto and into us. When I first used to teach these words to my talmidim and talmidos, I felt I had to add the caveat that this is a phenomenon that science would reject. But it doesn’t reject it anymore! I really can picture Ben Bag Bag shrugging and saying, “Told you so!” He would not be in the least surprised at science finding itself playing catch-up to what the Torah said long ago. And Avraham’s alteration to our genes did not create sadness and depression; it created happiness and simchah: “Anyone who follows the path of a tzaddik, happy are his sons after him.”
Darkness became light…a sad gene was replaced with a happy one.
One of the most common strategies psychologists and therapists use for combating depression and anxiety is also found in the Torah. It is called “positive reframing.” It is quite a complicated approach, but in laymen’s terms, it is about looking for positive thoughts, speech, and images to replace and cancel out negative ones. It is the equivalent of the “white noise” that today’s headphones use to cancel out disturbing background noise. The therapy often emphasizes the need to find someone—a professional or a friend—to practice with and help the client get used to seeing things positively and making that process second nature. In fact, this is exactly what happened in the Chanukah story. The trauma Klal Yisrael experienced as the Greeks’ control of their lives metastasized from tolerance to vicious and lethal oppression was intense. Women in particular suffered, and years and decades went by with no relief. It’s easy for us, who know all the horrible details of that part of our history,
This is one of the reasons the oil burned for eight days. Darkness became light…a sad gene was replaced with a happy one. I recently became aware of a Jew who lived in the 19th century in Ukraine and became one of history’s most famous doctors. He was a proud Jew who fought against Ukrainian anti-Semites trying to kill Jews in a pogrom. He discovered a vaccine for bubonic plague and cholera and saved many millions of lives. His name was Sir Waldemar Wolff Haffkine.
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Of course, Ben Bag Bag might simply shrug and say, “Nu! So what’s new?”
UK born, Rabbi YY Rubinstein learned in the famous Gateshead Yeshiva for ten years where he received semicha. He is an international speaker and the author of fourteen books. His latest, "Never Alone,” for teens and young adults who've lost a parent, arrived in bookstores this year.
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“Alone of all religions and philosophies, the faith which binds together the Jews has not been harmed by the advance of research, but on the contrary has been vindicated in its profoundest tenets…Slowly and by degrees, science is being brought to recognize the existence of one power which has no beginning and no end…The sum total of the scientific discoveries of our lands confirm the world’s recognition of the words of our prayer, Adon Olam.”
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Toward the end of his life, he wrote a pamphlet called “A Plea for Orthodoxy,” which was about science playing “catch-up”:
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The path they had been on that had only led to depression and sadness changed to a path that already lay preprogrammed and dormant within them. It was the path of a tzaddik, about which we are promised, “Happy are his sons who follow after him.”
Before
But, as the Bach famously explains, when things seemed darkest, Mattisyahu and his sons started to show the Yidden how to see things in a different way—an old tried-and-tested way. They were asked to consider what would happen if they chose to follow in the path of Avraham Avinu instead. His choices had already made the alterations he’d passed on to them within their Jewish genes. They decided to try positive reframing.
After
to imagine generations scarred and their FKBP5 genes altered.
HEALTH NEWS
HEALTH NEWS ROUNDUP By Pnina Schoss
No Standing Ovation New research suggests that switching to a standing desk might not be the best way to prevent issues caused by prolonged sitting. Standing desks were born out of an attempt to decrease the amount of time people spend sitting due to the connection between extensive sitting and health issues like obesity and cardiovascular diseases. Millions of Americans spend most of their waking hours working at a computer, and as such, the sitting position isn’t ideal. However, new research implies that standing desks aren’t as great a solution as initially believed. The study found that standing for prolonged periods could lead to its own circulatory issues due to blood pooling in the legs, which can lead to varicose veins. The solution? Movement. Instead of swapping your seated desk for a standing one, it could be more beneficial to take short walks, or at least move around and stretch your legs intermittently throughout the day. But if you’re committed to staying in one spot for a long time, switching between standing and sitting could still be a good solution to stave off any impending physical issues.
Bring on the Fish Oil New research published in The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine has found a link between higher omega-3 fatty acid intake and improved cognitive abilities in older adults. Researchers discovered that participants who consumed more omega-3 fats scored higher on cognitive tests. The global rise in the number of older adults suffering from cognitive decline has been in the spotlight, as it affects memory, learning, and the ability to carry out daily tasks. Researchers have long been interested in dietary factors that might influence cognitive health. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts, are known to benefit cardiovascular and brain health, and some studies have suggested a protective role against dementia. Interestingly, the analysis also suggested that this relationship is nonlinear. For example, cognitive scores improved most rapidly with omega-3 intake levels up to a certain point, beyond which the improvement leveled off. This pattern suggests that while moderate omega-3 consumption is beneficial, consuming very high amounts may not lead to further cognitive gains.
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