Study shows Aker BioMarine’s Lysoveta boosts cognition by delivering omega-3s to the brain
Key takeaways
- Lysoveta uses the MFSD2A pathway to actively transport EPA and DHA across the blood-brain barrier in a molecular form that the brain naturally recognizes.
- Clinical research shows the ingredient effectively enriches brain tissues even in subjects carrying the APOE4 gene, a primary genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.
- This targeted nutritional strategy aims to address the global rise in dementia by providing a more efficient way to deliver neuroprotective compounds.
New clinical evidence demonstrates that Aker BioMarine’s Lysoveta brain health ingredient supplies eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) through the brain’s protective barriers.
The omega-3 ingredient delivers these compounds in lysophosphatidylcholine, a molecular form of choline that the brain naturally recognizes and actively transports across its barriers via the MFSD2A pathway, which is crucial for importing omega-3s into the brain. Using lysophosphatidylcholine enables more effective targeted delivery.
“With a growing burden of brain-related diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, research into how nutrition can support brain health has never been more important,” says Matts Johansen, CEO of Aker BioMarine.
Alzheimer’s disease implications
Researchers found that Lysoveta delivered “significant enrichment” of the beneficial compounds, including in mice carrying the APOE4 gene, which is a known genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
In APOE4 mice, supplementing with the ingredient shifted DHA-related metabolites, indicating that Lysoveta activated relevant pathways in the brain without significantly increasing bulk DHA levels, which was consistent with the distinct lipid metabolism observed in APOE4 carriers.
“Our results show that Lysoveta can enrich brain-related tissues with EPA and DHA, supporting its potential as a targeted nutritional strategy for brain health. The distinct response observed in APOE4 further underscores the importance of genotype-specific approaches,” explains study author Dr. Mélanie Plourde from Université de Sherbrooke, Canada.
Global challenge
Aker BioMarine introduced Lysoveta in November 2020 as the world’s first commercially available EPA and DHA ingredient in lysophosphatidylcholine form, resulting from decades of research into krill-derived phospholipids.
The new paper is the third study Lysoveta study that demonstrates its neuroprotective effects and significant enrichment of EPA and DHA in brain tissues.
This new paper, soon to be published, is the third study with Lysoveta demonstrating neuroprotective effects and significant enrichment of EPA and DHA in brain tissues.
As populations age and risk factors such as obesity and diabetes continue to rise, Aker BioMarine underscores the urgent need for more research into how nutrition can support brain health. WHO statistics forecast that the number of people living with dementia will triple to 152 million by 2050.
“Each study brings us closer to understanding what Lysoveta can mean for brain health. The results so far are encouraging. As people live longer and the global population ages, the number of those affected by brain-related diseases will continue to rise, and we need more research to address it,” says Johansen.
Previously, at SupplySide Global 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada, US, Nutrition Insight met with Simon Seward, CEO of human health ingredients at Aker BioMarine, to discuss the latest science behind Lysoveta.
In other Aker BioMarine developments, the company’s Superba Boost Krill oil was recently greenlit as the first omega-3 ingredient approved for “skin health” claims in Japan. The ingredient containing EPA and DHA is backed by clinically proven evidence of supporting skin moisture and barrier function in beauty-from-within supplements.
