Eating oily fish (salmon, cod, tuna, herring, sardines or mackerel) and other sources of omega-3 fatty acids can preserve brain health and improve cognitive ability in middle age, according to a new study published in the journal ‘ Neurology’, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Thus, having omega-3 in red blood cells was associated with better brain structure and cognitive function among healthy volunteers between the ages of 40 and 50, who participated in a study conducted by the faculty of the Center for Health Sciences of the University of Texas at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) and other researchers from the Framingham Heart Study.
“Studies have looked at this association in older populations. The new contribution here is that even at younger agesif you have a diet that includes some omega-3 fatty acids, you are already protecting your brain for most indicators of brain aging we see in midlife,” said Dr. 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.
The average age of the volunteers was 46 years. The team looked at the relationship of red blood cell omega-3 fatty acid concentrations to MRI and cognitive markers of brain aging. The researchers also studied the effect of omega-3 concentrations in red blood cells of volunteers carrying APOE4a genetic variation linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
The study, of 2,183 participants without dementia or stroke, found that a higher omega-3 index was linked to larger volumes of the hippocampusa brain structure that plays an important role in learning and memory.
In addition, consuming more omega-3s was associated with a better abstract reasoning or the ability to understand complex concepts using logical thinking.
And with a higher omega-3 index, carriers of the APOE4 gene, which is associated with cardiovascular disease and vascular dementia, had less small vessel disease.
The researchers used a technique called gas chromatography to measure the concentrations of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in red blood cells. The omega-3 index was calculated as DHA plus EPA.
“Omega-3 fatty acids such as EPA and DHA are key micronutrients that enhance and protect the brain,” says Dr. Debora Melo van Lent, a postdoctoral researcher at the Biggs Institute and co-author of the research. “Our study is one of the first to observe this effect in a younger population. More studies are needed in this age group », she concludes.
The team divided the participants into those with very little omega-3 red blood cell concentration and those with at least a little and more. “We saw the worst results in people who had the lowest omega-3 intake. Though the more omega-3, the better for the brainyou only need to eat a little to see the benefits“Satizabal assures.
Researchers don’t know how DHA and EPA manage to protect the brain. One theory is that because those fatty acids are needed in the membrane of neurons, when they are replaced with other types of fatty acids, that’s when neurons (nerve cells) become unstable. Another explanation may have to do with the anti-inflammatory properties of DHA and EPA. “It’s complex. We still don’t understand everything, but we show that, somehow, if you increase your omega-3 intake even a little bit, you are protecting your brain,” says Satizabal.
The researchers are encouraged that DHA and EPA also protected brain health in APOE4 carriers. “It’s genetics, so you can’t change it. So if there is a modifiable risk factor that can overcome genetic predisposition, that’s a big win,” concludes Dr. Melo van Lent.