Omega 3 fatty acids have health benefits, as numerous studies have already shown, which have associated regular consumption of this nutrient with a reduction in blood pressure, or an improvement in heart health or symptoms of depression. , among other advantages. Now, new research has found that including fish and other foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids in the diet can protect brain health and improve cognitive function in middle-aged people (40-50 years).
A team of researchers from the faculty of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) and the Framingham Heart Study conducted a study involving 2,183 healthy people (no dementia nor had they had a stroke) aged between 40 and 50 years (mean age was 46 years).
These scientists analyzed the relationship of omega-3 fatty acid concentrations in red blood cells with MRI and cognitive markers of brain aging. In addition, they studied the effect of omega-3 red blood cell concentrations in those participants who carried the APOE4 gene, a genetic variant that has been linked to an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s, as well as cardiovascular disease and vascular dementia.
Diets rich in omega 3 protect brain health
After dividing the participants according to the concentration of omega 3 in their red blood cells, they found that having at least some omega 3 in the red blood cells was associated with better brain structure and cognitive function. “We saw the worst results in people who had the lowest omega-3 intake,” said Claudia Satizabal, assistant professor of population health sciences at the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases at UT Health San Antonio. and lead author of the study, who adds: “That is something interesting. Although the more omega 3, the more benefits for the brain, you only need to eat a little to see the benefits.”
A higher omega-3 index was associated with larger volumes of the hippocampus, a brain structure that plays a key role in learning and memory
“Studies have looked at this association in older populations. The new take here is that, even at younger ages, if you have a diet that includes some omega-3 fatty acids, you’re already protecting your brain for most of the indicators of brain aging that we see in middle age,” says Satizabal.
The main conclusions of the study, which has been published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, are:
“Omega-3 fatty acids such as EPA and DHA are key micronutrients that improve and protect the brain,” explained Debora Melo van Lent, postdoctoral researcher at the Biggs Institute and co-author of the work. “Our study is one of the first to observe this effect in a younger population. More studies are needed in this age group.”
Researchers do not know how DHA and EPA protect the brain, although one hypothesis is that because these fatty acids are needed in the membrane of neurons, when they are replaced with other types of fatty acids, neurons become unstable. The anti-inflammatory properties of DHA and EPA could also explain their effects. “It is complex. We still don’t understand everything, but we show that, somehow, if you increase your consumption of omega 3 even a little bit, you are protecting your brain”, said Satizabal.
The fact that DHA and EPA also protected the brain health of APOE4 carriers is also very good news, since, as Melo van Lent has said in reference to the vulnerability of this risk group: “It’s genetics, so that you can’t change,” and “if there’s a modifiable risk factor that can overcome genetic predisposition, that’s a big win.”
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