DHA Brain Benefits Appear to Extend into Middle Age
Lee Swanson Research Update
Increased blood levels of DHA were associated with improved nonverbal reasoning and working memory in people between 35 and 54, but intakes of other omega-3 fatty acids ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) were not, according to findings published in the Journal of Nutrition.
Researchers at the Center for Clinical Pharmacology, University of Pittsburgh stated: "Existing evidence links greater dietary intake of fish and omega-3 PUFA [polyunsaturated fatty acids] to better early brain development and lowered risk of cognitive disorders in late life. The mechanisms for these associations remain unclear and may be related to specific omega-3 fatty acids and may concern cognitive function generally rather than only early brain development and age-related cognitive dysfunction. In this investigation, we tested potential associations between omega-3 fatty acids in serum phospholipids and major dimensions of cognitive functioning in mid-life adults."
"These findings suggest that DHA is related to brain health throughout the lifespan and may have implications for clinical trials of neuropsychiatric disorders," added the researchers, led by Matthew Muldoon.
Muldoon and his co-workers analyzed data from 280 community-dwelling people aged between 35 and 54. The participants were not taking fish oil or omega-3 supplements and were free of major neuropsychiatric disorders.
Blood levels of ALA, EPA and DHA were correlated with five major dimensions of cognitive functioning in neuropsychological tests. Average levels of the fatty acids were 0.16, 0.49 and 1.52, respectively, as a percentage of the total phospholipid fatty acids.
"Higher DHA was related to better performance on tests of nonverbal reasoning and mental flexibility, working memory and vocabulary," said the researchers. Furthermore, increasing levels of DHA were associated with improved mental function in a "generally linear" relationship, they said. On the other hand, EPA and ALA were not associated with cognitive performance.
"Among the three key omega-3 PUFA, only DHA is associated with major aspects of cognitive performance in non-patient adults younger than 55 years old," Muldoon and his co-workers concluded.
"Taken together, research to date suggests that specifically, DHA may favorably affect cognitive performance and may do so throughout the life course," they concluded.
Journal of Nutrition Published online ahead of print.
March 2010
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