DOES MY BRAIN LOOK FAT?

Adding omega-3 fatty acids derived from fish to your diethas been recommended for some time now, but a recent study by a team ofresearchers at The University of South Dakota has given us some neurologicalevidence to their effectiveness. Aging can lead to some cognitive decline andAlzheimer’s disease is always a fear, so this is good news that something canreduce the odds against any brain drain.

The researchers looked at over a thousand postmenopausalwomen who’d taken part in the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study, and thelevels of the fatty acids DHA and EPA, found in fatty fish, were measured intheir red blood cells. The volume in different areas of their brains, as wellas total brain volume, was measured via MRI.

The women who had the highest levels of the fatty acids intheir red blood cells had greater overall brain volume than women with thelowest, as well as greater volume in the hippocampus (the brain area that’sthought to be the seat of learning and memory, and the one most affected byAlzheimer’s disease) than women with the lowest levels.

So how exactly do these “healthy fats” work? It’s likelythat they don’t actually increase brain volume, but they avoid shrinkage withage. The brain metabolizes DHA into several anti-inflammatory compounds thatcould help prevent cell death and, DHA is concentrated in nerve cell membranes.If there isn’t enough to replenish the blood supply, then brain matter coulddecline over time.

Consuming omega-3 fatty acids could add years of brainhealth. Eating fatty fish regularly is one way to this, or by taking fish oilsupplements. Adults should eat non-fried ‘oily’ fish (salmon, herring, tuna,sardines, etc.) at least twice a week,” or take fish oil supplements.

Not all supplements are effective though, as another studyhas reported on average, supplements contained about 14% less DHA thanindicated on the label. There are huge variations across brands. While there’sno failsafe way to protect the brain against disease, eating a healthy dietfull of antioxidants and essential nutrients, is one way to help reduce therisk.