Omega 3 fatty acids: DHA linked to higher attention levels in adolescents, study finds

29 Sep 2022 --- Dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is related to attention performance in developing adolescents, specifically with selective and sustained attention and detecting and resolving conflict. This is according to a study conducted at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) in Spain, demonstrating the importance of consuming sufficient amounts of these polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) to support healthy brain development.

The study results also showed that increased levels of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) in red blood cells have a positive impact on impulsivity and dietary ALA cannot be linked to improved attention performance.

“The role of ALA in attention control is still unclear, but this finding may be clinically relevant, as impulsivity is a feature of several psychiatric conditions, such as ADHD,” says Ariadna Pinar-Martí, study author at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health.

“Our study indicates that dietary DHA most likely plays a role in attention-requiring tasks, but further studies are needed to confirm a cause-effect and understand the role of ALA,” adds Jordi Júlvez, study coordinator and ISGlobal research associate.

Investigating the impact of supplementation
The cross-sectional study used baseline data from the Walnuts Smart Snack Dietary Intervention Trial, a randomized controlled trial that aimed to see if dietary supplementation with four walnuts per day (30 kernel grams) for six months improved brain neuropsychological and socio-emotional development in healthy teenagers compared to a control group (no walnuts).

Over 12 months (2015 to 2016), the researchers recruited 771 participants from 11 Barcelona high schools that were geographically distributed evenly.

The study improves general dietary guidelines for adolescents to provide an adequate intake of omega 3 PUFAs for healthy brain development.Computerized assessments were administered to the participants to gauge their levels of impulsivity, capacity for inhibition in the face of distracting stimuli and sustained attention.

The adolescents also responded to a series of questionnaires regarding their dietary habits and provided blood samples to evaluate the levels of DHA and ALA in red blood cells, which are an accurate and reliable indicator of the prolonged dietary consumption of these fats.

Participants – aged between 11 years and 16 years – in the current study had data taken on their blood omega 3 status and neuropsychological tests (amounting to 332 participants).

“Despite the established importance of DHA in brain development, few studies have evaluated whether it plays a role in the attention performance of healthy adolescence. In addition, the possible role of ALA, another omega 3 but of plant origin, has not been as extensively studied,” Júlvez explains.

Intervention studies and PUFAs
The researchers add that intervention studies are required to establish these associations’ causes and explain the effects of omega 3 PUFAs beyond adolescent cognitive development.

According to the researchers, significant structural and functional changes occur in the brain during adolescence, particularly in the prefrontal area, which controls attention. On the other hand, omega 3 unsaturated fatty acids are essential for proper brain development and function. DHA is the most abundant fatty acid in the brain, particularly in the prefrontal area, and it is primarily obtained from eating fatty fish.

The research expands on the body of knowledge regarding the advantages of eating fatty fish, which is the primary source of DHA, during adolescence – when the brain is still developing.

Omega 3 fatty acids have been previously touted for their multifaceted health benefits such as slowing down aging, protecting against depressive episodes, alleviating chronic pain and reducing blood pressure levels.

By Nicole Kerr

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