According to researchers reporting in the December 2009 issue of "Acta Neurol Taiwan," the human brain is nearly 60 percent fat, and essential fatty acids are an important part of the brain's compositional material. Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid important for brain development and acts as a messenger involved in the function and manufacture of brain neurotransmitters. The critical role of omega-3 in brain function helps account for its association as a factor in the development of Alzheimer's disease.
Omega-3 Levels in Alzheimer's Patients
Researchers reporting in the December 2000 issue of the journal "Lipids" investigated the levels of omega-3 fatty acids in Alzheimer's patients. The most important omega-3 in terms of cognitive health is DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid. According to the study's authors, plasma levels of DHA may be a significant risk factor for Alzheimer's. In this study, the researchers compared the DHA level in Alzheimer's patients with that of elderly subjects with normal cognitive functioning. Not only did the researchers report low DHA plasma levels in Alzheimer's patients, but also that decreased DHA is common in any cognitive impairment associated with aging.
Protection During Middle Age
Dutch researchers reporting in the January 2004 issue of "Neurology" investigated whether or not both fish consumption and omega-3 supplement intake reduced the risk of cognitive impairment in middle-aged men and women. The data were collected from men and women aged 45 to 70 years who participated in the Doetinchem Cohort Study. A total of over 12,000 men and women were examined. The authors concluded that fatty fish consumption and omega-3 supplement ingestion were associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Senior Protection
Researchers reporting in the 1997 issue of the "American Journal of Epidemiology" investigated the dietary habits of men aged 69 to 89 years who were participants in the Zutphen Elderly Study. The study featured a 30-point mental state examination to assess cognitive impairment and cognitive decline. The authors sought to determine if dietary factors are associated with Alzheimer's disease. The results demonstrated an inverse relationship between high dietary fish intake and Alzheimer's risk -- that is, the more fish the elderly men consumed, the less cognitive decline and impairment they suffered.
Omega-3 Supplementation Improves Scores
Researchers reporting in the December 2004 issue of "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" performed a study of subjects born in 1936 whose mental ability was tested in 1947 and in 2001. During the 2001 testing, diet and food supplement use was assessed. The researchers reported that the daily use of fish oil supplements improved cognitive function at age 64 years even after correcting for high IQ and childhood cognitive ability. The study also showed that DHA consumption was significantly associated with cognitive ability in older age.
References
- "Acta Neurol Taiwan"; Essential Fatty Acids and Human Brain; Chia-Yu Chang, et al.; December 2009
- "Lipids"; Fatty Acid Analysis of Blood Plasma of Patients With Alzheimer's; Julie Conquer, et al.; December 2000
- "Neurology"; Dietary Intake of Fatty Acids and Fish in Relation to Cognitive Performance at Middle Age; Subramanian Kalmijn, et al.; January 2004
- "American Journal of Epidemiology"; Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, Antioxidants and Cognitive Function in Very Old Men; S. Kalmijn, et al.; February 1997
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Cognitive Aging, Childhood Intelligence and the Use of Food Supplements; Lawrence Whalley, et al.; December 2004
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