Higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids — a marker of consuming more of these healthy fats in foods — were linked to signs of better brain health in middle-aged adults, according to a new study published in the journal Neurology.
Omega-3 fatty acids are found in foods including fatty fish such as salmon and herring, flaxseed, chia seeds, and walnuts, as well as in nutritional supplements. These fats have been shown to have a variety of health benefits — including protecting the heart in people with diabetes, reducing the risk of falling in older adults, and a lower overall risk of dying earlier. Now, the latest study shows that omega-3s may be a food component that helps fight cognitive decline and dementia, along with beneficial compounds like antioxidants and fiber.
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To examine the relationship between omega-3 fatty acids and brain health, researchers looked at blood levels of omega-3s in 2,183 adults with an average age of 46. None of the participants had a history of dementia or stroke. They then compared omega-3 levels with measures of participants’ brains as seen in MRI scans — including total brain volume, gray and white matter volume, and hippocampal volume — as well as different measures of cognitive function. Participants underwent cognitive testing to evaluate their episodic memory, processing speed, executive function, and abstract reasoning.
Higher levels of omega-3s linked to better brain measurements
The researchers found that higher blood levels of omega-3s were linked to larger hippocampal volume in the brain — an important finding, since the hippocampus plays a large role in learning and memory. Higher omega-3 levels were also linked to better scores for abstract reasoning in cognitive testing. When the researchers looked at levels of two different types of omega-3s individually — DHA and EPA — they found similar links to hippocampal volume and abstract reasoning. Higher omega-3 levels were also tied to a measure of white brain matter health, but only in participants who carried a genetic variant known as APOE-e4. This genetic variant has been linked in previous research to a higher risk for dementia.
The researchers categorized their results as “exploratory” rather than definitive, but noted that they suggest omega-3 fatty acids could play a beneficial role in brain structure and cognitive function in middle-aged adults. Further studies are needed, though, to investigate “potentially different metabolic patterns by APOE status” — that is, different health effects from omega-3s depending on your genetic status — and to confirm the overall relationship between omega-3s and cognitive health, the researchers wrote.
Want to learn more about maintaining cognitive health with diabetes? Read “Nine Tips to Keep Your Memory With Diabetes,” “Staying Sharp: Seven Ways to Keep Your Brain Healthy With Diabetes,” “Keeping Your Brain Strong With Diabetes” and “Memory Fitness: How to Get It, How to Keep It.”
