Omega 3 fatty acids could increase cognitive function in midlife, tout experts

07 Oct 2022 --- Consuming fish, supplements and other omega 3-rich or fortified foods is associated with improved cognition, reasoning, logical thinking abilities and better brain structure for people in their 40s and 50s, a new study has revealed. 

The exploratory study states that having some amount of omega 3 fatty acids attached to red blood cells in the bloodstream is positively correlated with better abstract thinking and a greater capacity for learning and understanding complex concepts.

“Studies have looked at this association in older populations,” says Dr. Claudia Satizabal, lead author of the study and professor of population health science at the University of Texas Health in San Antonio, Texas, US. “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.” 

“These results need to be confirmed with additional research, but it’s exciting that omega 3 levels could play a role in improving cognitive resilience, even in middle-aged people.”

Small change, big results
The researchers concede that the study does not prove that omega 3 consumption and supplementation preserves brain functions or cognition. Still, it does reveal a strong association between having even small amounts of omega 3s in the bloodstream. 

Perhaps more importantly, it carries a strong positive correlation for preserved cognition for volunteers with APOE4, the genetic marker linked to an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and cardiovascular disease. 

Even consuming small amounts of omega 3s could help preserve brain function and cognition.“We saw the worst outcomes in the people who had the lowest consumption of omega 3s,” underscores Satizabal. “Although the more omega 3, the more benefits for the brain, you just need to eat some to see benefits.”

“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.” 

The human body cannot produce omega 3 fatty acids on its own. However, they are found naturally in cold water fish like tuna, lake trout, sardines and salmon and are a product of the plankton consumed on the lower end of the food chain. Plant-derived options are also increasingly available.

Proving the point
The cross-sectional study, published in Neurology, included 2,183 volunteers with a mean age of 46. The volunteer cohort was made up of people who had never had a stroke or a diagnosis of dementia.

Magnetic resonance imaging was used to compare brain structures, and gas chromatography was used to measure the amounts of the omega 3s docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) present on red blood cells.

Furthermore, 53% of the volunteers were women, and 22% carried the APOE4 genetic variation. In every multivariable model, higher DHA and EPA levels were associated with greater hippocampal volumes, a brain structure associated with memory and learning, and they scored better on cognitive and reasoning tests. Moreover, the scores increased in relation to the amounts of EPA and DHA.

“If people could improve their cognitive resilience and potentially ward off dementia with some simple changes to their diet, that could have a large impact on public health,” Satizabal stresses. “Even better, our study suggests that even modest consumption of omega 3 may be enough to preserve brain function.” 

“This is in line with the current American Heart Association dietary guidelines to consume at least two servings of fish per week to improve cardiovascular health.”

Edited by William Bradford Nichols

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