When people reach middle age, does eating omega fatty acids help the brain?

An exploratory study suggests that people who eat more omega-3 fatty acid-containing foods in middle age may have better thinking abilities and even better brain structure
than people who rarely eat foods containing omega-3 fatty acids.
The study was published October 5, 2022 in the online journal Neurology, a medical journal of the
American Neurological Society.
Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish such as salmon, sardines, trout and albacore tuna
.
They are also found in foods rich in fatty acids or supplements
.

"Improving our diets is one way to promote our brain health," said
study author Dr.
Claudia L.
Satizabal of the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in San Antonio.
"If people can improve their cognitive resilience by simply changing their diet, and potentially avoid dementia, this will have a significant impact on
public health.
" Even better, our study shows that even a moderate intake of omega-3s is enough to maintain brain function
.
This is in line with current American Heart Association dietary guidelines for eating at least two servings of fish per week to improve cardiovascular health
.
”

The cross-sectional study involved 2183 people with an average age of 46 who did not suffer from dementia or stroke
.
Their omega-3 fatty acid levels
were measured.
They took the test
of thinking ability.
They measured brain volume
through scans.

The average 3.
4% of fatty acids in the low-intake group were omega-3 fatty acids, while the average 5.
2% of those in the high-intake group were omega-3 fatty acids
.
The optimal level is 8% or higher
.
Levels between 4% and 8% are considered moderate
.
Below 4% is considered low
.

The researchers adjusted for factors
that might affect the results.
They also applied a mathematical process to normalize the data
.
They observed that people who consumed high levels of omega-3 fatty acids not only scored higher average scores on abstract reasoning tests, but also had larger average volumes in the hippocampus region of their brain, which plays an important role
in memory.

"These results need further research to confirm, but it's exciting that omega-3 levels can play a role in improving cognitive resilience, even in middle-aged people
," Satizabal said.

She noted that the study was just a snapshot of time and that participants were not tracked for a long time, so the results did not prove that eating omega-3 fatty acids maintained brain function
.
It shows only one association
.

Satizabal said that while the study included only a small subset of people from different races, most of the sample were non-Hispanic adult whites, which may limit the ability of
the findings to be applied to other groups.

The study was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the National Institute on Aging, and the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke