Holy mackerel! Could eating salmon, cod, tuna, herring or sardines keep our brains healthy and our thinking agile in middle age?
From: University of Texas Health Science Center at
San Antonio
October 5, 2022 -- Healthy
study volunteers whose red blood cells contained higher concentrations of
omega-3 fatty acids were found to have better brain structure and cognitive
function in middle age.
Eating cold-water fish
and other sources of omega-3 fatty acids may preserve brain health and enhance
cognition in middle age, new evidence indicates.
Having at least some
omega-3s in red blood cells was associated with better brain structure and
cognitive function among healthy study volunteers in their 40s and 50s,
according to research published online Oct. 5 in Neurology®, the
medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Faculty of The University
of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) and other
investigators of the Framingham Heart Study conducted the analysis.
"Studies have
looked at this association in older populations. The new contribution here is
that, even at younger ages, if you have a diet that includes some omega-3 fatty
acids, you are already protecting your brain for most of the indicators of
brain aging that we see at middle age," said Claudia Satizabal, PhD,
assistant professor of population health sciences with the Glenn Biggs
Institute for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases at UT Health San
Antonio. Satizabal is the lead author of the study.
Volunteers' average age
was 46. The team looked at the relation of red blood cell omega-3 fatty acid
concentrations with MRI and cognitive markers of brain aging. Researchers also
studied the effect of omega-3 red blood cell concentrations in volunteers who
carried APOE4, a genetic variation linked to higher risk of Alzheimer's
disease.
The study of 2,183
dementia- and stroke-free participants found that:
- Higher omega-3 index was associated
with larger hippocampal volumes. The hippocampus, a structure in the
brain, plays a major role in learning and memory.
- Consuming more omega-3s was
associated with better abstract reasoning, or the ability to understand
complex concepts using logical thinking.
- APOE4 carriers with a higher
omega-3 index had less small-vessel disease. The APOE4 gene is associated
with cardiovascular disease and vascular dementia.
Researchers used a
technique called gas chromatography to measure docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and
eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) concentrations from 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," said study coauthor Debora Melo van Lent, PhD, postdoctoral
research fellow at the Biggs Institute. "Our study is one of the first to
observe this effect in a younger population. More studies in this age group are
needed."
The team divided
participants into those who had very little omega-3 red blood cell
concentration and those who had at least a little and more. "We saw the
worst outcomes in the people who had the lowest consumption of omega-3s,"
Satizabal said. "So, that is something interesting. Although the more
omega-3 the more benefits for the brain, you just need to eat some to see
benefits."
Researchers don't know
how DHA and EPA 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 deal with the anti-inflammatory properties of
DHA and EPA. "It's complex. We don't understand everything yet, but we
show that, somehow, if you increase your consumption of omega-3s even by a
little bit, you are protecting your brain," Satizabal said.
It's encouraging that
DHA and EPA also protected APOE4 carriers' brain health. "It's genetics,
so you can't change it," Melo van Lent said, referring to the
vulnerability of this risk group. "So, if there is a modifiable risk
factor that can outweigh genetic predisposition, that's a big gain."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/10/221005162432.htm
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