Siim Land Podcast #496 95-Year-Old Scientist Reveals the Nutrient Behind Human Brain Evolution - Dr Michael Crawford
Mar 14, 2026
Dr Michael Crawford, a 95-year-old pioneer in brain chemistry from Imperial College, shares decades of DHA research. He describes how coastal seafood fueled human brain expansion. Short, lively segments cover DHA’s role in vision and behavior, pregnancy nutrition, mercury vs selenium in fish, limits of land and plant omega-3s, and urgent fixes like restoring fisheries and better maternal nutrition.
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Declining DHA Intake Tied To Falling IQ And Rising Costs
- Crawford links reduced seafood consumption to declining IQ and rising mental health costs, calling it 'evolution in reverse'.
- He cites audits showing brain disorders top public health costs and IQ declines since 1950 as alarming signals.
DHA Is Critical For Vision And Behavior
- DHA deficiency impairs visual and neural electrical function and causes behavioral abnormalities in animal studies.
- Crawford cites Gene Anderson (retina) and capuchin monkey experiments showing DHA deficiency produced severe behavioral and visual deficits.
Eat Seafood Several Times Weekly For DHA
- Eat seafood regularly and restore access to diverse fish to obtain DHA; Crawford recommends multiple seafood meals per week.
- He and his wife now eat 4–5 seafood meals weekly and highlight cheap options like mackerel and haddock.
