New Study Links Omega-3s and Midlife Brain Function

Supplements with omega-3 fatty acids are already incredibly popular. For example, according to Omega XL reviews, this supplement not only helps joint health, but also memory and cognition for many users. There may be some scientific evidence to support the use of these supplements for brain health.

According to a new study that was published in Neurology, people with higher omega-3 levels in their middle age years may have an advantage over people with a lower intake of these healthy fats. Neurology, where the study was published, is the American Academy of Neurology medical journal.

The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Texas Health at San Antonio. The researchers reported concern about the lack of research on the impacts of omega-3 in people’s midlife years as they’re reason for conducting the study.

The National Institutes of Health describes omega-3 fatty acids as a family of unsaturated fatty acids that play a crucial role in many of the body’s functions, including cognitive function and heart health. Omega-3 fatty acids are also part of cell membranes, affecting cellular function.

Omega-3s are essential fats, meaning our bodies can’t make them, so we have to get them from our diet or supplements.

In the new study, researchers looked at 2,138 men and women. The average age of study participants was 46. Excluded from the study were people with a history of stroke or those with dementia. The researchers used blood samples to assess the fatty acid composition of participants, and the participants also underwent an MRI of their brains.

Researchers looked at the volumes of the gray and white matter in the brain, especially the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain playing a role in memory and learning.

Participants also underwent a neurological assessment, which studied processing speed, executive function, delayed episodic memory, and abstract thinking.

Around 25% of participants were put into a low group with blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids under 4%. The average in this group was 3.4%. The rest of the participants in the study had an average omega-3 level of 5.2%, so they were put into the high group.

Researchers compared everything they’d gathered and observed that people with higher levels of omega-3 in their blood samples had more significant gray matter volumes, better reading scores, and they scored slightly better on logical reasoning scores.

The people in the low group were less likely to have a college degree, more likely to have diabetes, and more likely to be smokers.

The study authors said the results of the exploratory study suggested that higher levels of omega-3 in the blood could be associated with more hippocampal volume and better performance in abstract reasoning. The authors theorize that it could mean omega-3 fatty acids have a role in improving cognitive resilience.

Researchers pointed out that similar studies have been done in older populations. Still, they think it’s necessary to look at the impacts of omega-3 supplements on people in their midlife years because they begin to experience declines in cognition.

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