Omega-3 fatty acids have beneficial effects on health and neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties, which is why some epidemiological studies have associated their consumption –especially that of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)– with a lower risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ( ALS), however, few data are available on how they influence the progression of this serious disease.
New research led by the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health has now revealed that the intake of these types of fats, and in particular the alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) contained in foods such as flax seeds, walnuts and chia, canola, and soybean oils may help slow the progression of the disease in ALS patients. The results have been published in Neurology.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is an incurable neurodegenerative disease that affects the neurons responsible for the control of voluntary muscles and is currently suffered by between 4,000 and 4,500 people in Spain, according to the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN). Available treatments help alleviate its symptoms and slightly delay its progression, but the life expectancy of most of those affected is between three and five years after diagnosis.
Participants with the highest ALA levels had a 50% lower risk of death during the study period than participants with the lowest ALA levels.
“Previous findings from our research group have shown that a diet high in ALA and elevated levels of this fatty acid in the blood may decrease the risk of developing ALS. In this study, we found that among people living with ALS, higher ALA blood levels were also associated with slower disease progression and a lower risk of death within the study period.” Lead author Kjetil Bjornevik, assistant professor of epidemiology and nutrition. “These findings, together with our previous research, suggest that this fatty acid may have neuroprotective effects that could benefit people with ALS.”
Slower deterioration and lower risk of death in ALS patients
The researchers studied 449 ALS patients who participated in a clinical trial. In that study, the severity of their symptoms and the progression of their disease were assessed and given a score of 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating less severe disease symptoms. The researchers measured the levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood of these people and placed them into four groups, from highest to lowest levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Subsequently, they followed up for 18 months to track the physical functionality and survival of the groups according to the clinical trial.
They found that ALA provided the most benefits of all the omega-3 fatty acids, as it was most strongly associated with slower deterioration and a lower risk of death. Of the 126 participants who died within 18 months of the start of the study, 33% belonged to the group with the lowest ALA levels, while 19% belonged to the group with the highest ALA levels.
After adjusting for factors that could influence the results, such as age, gender, ethnicity, BMI (body mass index), duration of symptoms, and family history of ALS, the researchers calculated that participants with the The highest ALA levels had a 50% lower risk of death during the study period than participants with the lowest ALA levels.
Two other fatty acids were also associated with reductions in the risk of death during the study period: eicosapentaenoic acid, another omega-3 fatty acid found in fatty fish and fish oil, and linoleic acid, a omega-6 fatty acid found in vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds.
“The link our study found between diet and ALS is intriguing,” said lead author Alberto Ascherio, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition. “We are now contacting clinical investigators to promote a randomized trial to determine if ALA is beneficial in people with ALS. Obtaining financing will be a challenge, because ALA is not a patentable medicine, but we hope to achieve it ”, he concludes.
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