OLDER WOMEN with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood had slightly less brain shrinkage than women with low fatty acid levels in a new study.
The results may suggest that omega-3s protect the brain from the loss of volume that happens with normal aging and is seen more severely in people with dementia, the researchers say.
"The brain gets smaller during the normal aging process - about 0.5 percent per year after age 70, but dementia is associated with an accelerated and localized process of brain shrinkage," said James Pottala, who led the study.
Pottala is an assistant professor at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine in Sioux Falls and chief statistician for the Health Diagnostic Laboratory in Richmond, Virginia.
He and his colleagues analyzed data from the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study to see whether omega-3s were associated with brain shrinkage in general, and in specific brain regions involved in memory and other cognitive processes.
The data covered 1,111 women who were, on average, 70 years old and had no signs of dementia at the beginning of the study. At that time, the amounts of the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in their red blood cells were measured.
DHA accounts for 30 percent to 40 percent of the fatty acids found in brain cell membranes, and it's especially concentrated near the synapses where the cells communicate with one another, Pottala and his colleagues note in their report, published in the journal Neurology.
Red blood cell levels of the omega-3s are good indicators of how much a person has consumed, the researchers add.
The researchers used an omega-3 index to describe the fatty acid levels seen among women in the study and to divide them into four groups: women with the highest levels had an average index reading of around 7.5 percent, while women with the lowest levels had an average of 3.4 percent.
Eight years after the women's blood was tested, they underwent MRIs to measure the volume of gray matter and white matter in their brains.
The researchers found that women with the highest EPA and DHA blood levels at the study's outset had brains that were about two cubic centimeters larger overall than women with the lowest levels.
In addition, the hippocampus, a brain region critical to forming and storing memories, was 2.7 percent larger in women who had fatty acid levels twice as high as the average.
Of 13 specific brain regions the researchers looked at, the hippocampus was the only one where they saw a significant difference.
The analysis adjusted for other factors that could influence the women's brain size, including education, age, other health conditions, smoking and exercise.
The researchers didn't measure cognitive function, only brain volume, so they cannot say whether the size differences they saw had any link with differences in memory or dementia risk.
The authors acknowledged other limitations in their report, including that they did not look at whether the women's omega-3 consumption had changed over time.
It's possible that some of the participants had changed their diets or started taking fish oil or other forms of omega-3 fatty acids, Pottala told Reuters Health in an email.
But in previous study, he and his colleagues showed red blood cell EPA and DHA levels and peoples' dietary fish intakes generally don't change over time.
"If some subjects in our MRI study began taking fish oil supplements, then the reported benefits would be underestimated," Pottala said.
Pottala says higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids can be achieved by dietary changes, such as eating oily fish twice a week or taking fish oil supplements.
Heart Health Omega III
nutraMetrix Heart Health
Essential Omega III with Vitamin E is a superior product due to a number
of factors. The best fish are used to produce a clean and safe product
that is rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid
(DHA). It also contains 3000mg of fish oil where most other commercial
products contain a third of the total fish oil contained in nutraMetrix
Heart Health Essential Omega III. nutraMetrix Heart Health Essential
Omega III comes from small fish where other competitive products use
large fish which are more likely to accumulate toxins. nutraMetrix Heart
Health Essential Omega III provides a high quality, high purity product
with significant percentages of the health promoting EPA and DHA.The fish oil in nutraMetrix Heart Health Essential Omega III with Vitamin E comes from sardines and anchovies harvested off the coast of Peru. Not only do anchovies and sardines have a high omega III content, they also have high percentages of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Anchovies and sardines have a short lifecycle making them an ideal source of fish oil because they are less prone to accumulating environmental toxins that can be found in larger, longer-lived fish. Contaminants are generally extremely low in sardines and anchovies even before they go through an intense purification process. Every batch of fish oil is hand selected and tested prior to processing by our manufacturer and must pass more than 200 quality checks during the production process.
Recent research has shown that that fish oil may be beneficial in supporting cognitive function by helping the body manage stress and enhance mood. It may also promote a healthy complexion. In an article published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the effects of Omega-3 Fish oil supplementation was shown to be beneficial for healthy cognitive and cardiac functioning. The study shows that supplementing with fish oil daily can rapidly raise the levels of EPA and DHA in cardiac tissue. This is important because both EPA and DHA have been proven to help maintain normal plasma triglycerides. In addition, DHA has been shown to help maintain blood pressure and blood viscosity. This study also showed an inverse relationship between EPA/DHA and arachidonic acid (AA), an omega-6 fatty acid. As EPA and DHA increased in atrial (heart tissue) phospholipids, AA decreased.1
nutraMetrix Heart Health Essential Omega III Fish Oil with Vitamin E provides the three grams of EPA† (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA† (docosahexaenoic acid) that studies reveal is the most effective amount to promote overall cardiovascular health. Fish oils have been clinically demonstrated to provide a host of benefits that successfully promote cardiovascular health. nutraMetrix Heart Health Essential Omega III Fish Oil helps maintain normal cholesterol, triglyceride and blood pressure levels, helps maintain healthy levels of C-reactive protein, helps maintain normal blood flow and helps enhance mood. The fish oil used in nutraMetrix Heart Health Essential Omega III is tested twice, once from the manufacturer and then by an independent testing company for mercury, lead, PCB and other heavy metals. Both tests confirmed that nutraMetrix Heart Health Essential Omega III Fish Oil is free of mercury, lead, PCBs and other heavy metals. We only use fish oil that meets or exceeds standards set by Canada (CFIA), the European Union (EU) and the United States (CRN).*
An unhealthy diet of processed, high-calorie, high-fat foods, pollution, smoking and sedentary lifestyles all contribute to poor heart health. Not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, exercising regularly and taking the right supplements can all contribute to promoting good cardiovascular health. Clinical trials have shown that supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish oil) may help to maintain normal levels of triglycerides and cholesterol, support healthy blood pressure and promote normal platelet activity.
To order or for more information:
orlampahealth.com
727.492.8212
*Free Shipping on all orders over $100*
Ask about our Heart Health Month Special
-Reuters Health
