Higher Levels Of Omega-3s In Blood Prevents Brain Shrinkage From Aging, Disease

January 22, 2014: 12:00 AM EST

A long-term clinical study of 1,111 women by U.S. researchers shows that people with higher levels of the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil may tend to have larger brain volumes as they age, preserving one to two years of brain health. One of the signs of Alzheimer’s disease – and normal aging – is a decrease in brain volume. Researchers measured levels of omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA in red blood cells in the women, following up eight years later with an MRI to measure brain volume. By that time, the women – average age of 78 – with levels of fatty acids twice that of other women had a 0.7 percent larger brain volume.

J. V. Pottala et al., "Higher RBC EPA DHA corresponds with larger total brain and hippocampal volumes", Neurology, January 22, 2014, © American Academy of Neurology

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