The three primary omega-3 fats are alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). ALA is discovered primarily in plant oils such as flaxseed, canola, and soybean oils. DHA and EPA are found in fish and other seafood.
” If people could enhance their cognitive resilience and potentially fend off dementia with some basic modifications to their diet, that might have a big effect on public health.”– Claudia L. Satizabal, PhD
Individuals who eat more foods with omega-3 fatty acids in midlife might have superior thinking abilities and even better brain structure than individuals who eat couple of foods consisting of the fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish such as salmon, sardines, lake trout, and albacore tuna. The 3 primary omega-3 fatty acids are alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The individuals in the low group had an average of 3.4% of their total fatty acids as omega-3 fatty acids compared to an average of 5.2% for individuals in the high group. They observed that individuals who consumed greater levels of omega-3 fatty acids not only had higher average scores on a test of abstract reasoning, however they likewise had bigger typical volumes in the hippocampus area of their brains, which plays a crucial function in memory.
The cross-sectional study included 2,183 individuals with a typical age of 46 who did not have dementia or stroke. Their levels of omega-3 fatty acids were measured.
Fish oil, krill oil, or cod liver oil supplements are one method to enhance your intake of Omega-3 fatty acids. One of the wealthiest dietary sources of Omega-3 is from consuming cold-water fatty fish such as salmon.
Individuals who consume more foods with omega-3 fatty acids in midlife may have remarkable thinking abilities and even much better brain structure than individuals who eat few foods containing the fatty acids. This is according to an exploratory study that was just recently released in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Omega-3 fats are found in fish such as salmon, sardines, lake trout, and albacore tuna. They are also found in dietary supplements along with foods that are strengthened with the fats.
” Improving our diet plan is one method to promote our brain health,” said research study author Claudia L. Satizabal, PhD, of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. “If individuals could improve their cognitive durability and potentially ward off dementia with some simple changes to their diet, that could have a large impact on public health. Even better, our study suggests that even modest consumption of omega-3 may suffice to preserve brain function. This is in line with the present American Heart Association dietary guidelines to take in at least 2 servings of fish each week to improve cardiovascular health.”
Individuals in the low group had approximately 3.4% of their total fats as omega-3 fats compared to approximately 5.2% for people in the high group. An optimum level is 8% or greater. Levels between 4% and 8% are considered intermediate. Levels listed below 4% are considered low.
Researchers changed for factors that could impact outcomes. They likewise used a mathematical process to normalize the data. They observed that individuals who ate higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids not just had greater average scores on a test of abstract reasoning, but they likewise had bigger typical volumes in the hippocampus location of their brains, which plays an important function in memory.
” These results need to be verified with additional research, however its interesting that omega-3 levels could contribute in improving cognitive durability, even in middle-aged people,” Satizabal said.
She noted that the research study was a picture in time, and participants were not followed gradually, so the results do not show that consuming omega-3 fats will preserve brain function. It just reveals an association.
While the research study consisted of a small percentage of individuals of numerous races/ethnicities, Satizabal said that most of the sample were non-Hispanic white adults, which may restrict the ability to use the results to other groups.
For more on this research study, see Omega-3 Linked to Improved Brain Structure and Cognition.
Referral: “Association of Red Blood Cell Omega-3 Fatty Acids With MRI Markers and Cognitive Function in Midlife: The Framingham Heart Study” by Claudia L. Satizabal, Jayandra Jung Himali, Alexa S. Beiser, Vasan Ramachandran, Debora Melo van Lent, Dibya Himali, Hugo J. Aparicio, Pauline Maillard, Charles S. DeCarli, William Harris and Sudha Seshadri, 5 October 2022, Neurology.DOI: 10.1212/ WNL.0000000000201296.
The study was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute on Aging and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.