You often hear the saying that you should eat more fish because it contains healthy fat. It is good for the brain and everyone knows that the brain is the core of our body and all important functions. This nutritional recommendation comes from the fact that fish is an excellent source of the essential omega-3 fatty acids it contains, for which there are also vegan alternatives. They are important for many processes in a healthy body and minimize the risk of various diseases, for example by contributing to normal heart function, maintaining normal brain function and contributing to the healthy development of children. If you want to maintain and support your cognitive performance, it is a good idea to find out more about omega-3 fatty acids.
Read this article to learn what role omega-3 fatty acids play in this context and what possible sources can provide you with a supply of these fats.
What are omega-3 fatty acids?
Omega-3 fatty acids are a group of numerous chemical compounds. The most important for our body are: α-linolenic acid (ALA), which comes from plant sources such as linseed oil, chia oil and walnut oil. ALA is then metabolized in the body into the other important fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which can also be obtained from fatty fish or algae. For people who would like to avoid fish, there is a purely plant-based alternative in which the omega-3 fatty acids are obtained from microalgae. This means that vegetarians and vegans can also easily ensure they have an adequate supply of fatty acids by taking algae oil capsules. Since ALA and therefore also DHA & EPA cannot be produced by the body, we have to take in omega-3 fatty acids from food or ensure an adequate supply through dietary supplements.
Current studies
It has now been shown not only that omega-3 fatty acids contribute to healthy mental development in children with improved learning ability, but also that adults benefit from the fats due to positive effects on psychological disorders and a reduced risk of neurodegenerative diseases in aging. In both brain development and neuropathological diseases, the fatty acids are said to have anti-apoptotic properties; more generally, they prevent nerve cells from dying.
The healthy development of the child begins before birth and an adequate supply of omega-3 fatty acids in pregnant women has shown a coherent, positive influence on the development and intelligence of the children after birth. However, pregnant women should note that they should not eat too much fish due to the risk of ingesting too much mercury from the fish. Other sources such as healthy oils or supplements are recommended.
Aging brings with it a deterioration in cognitive functions such as memory and concentration, but studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acids can counteract these symptoms and delay and improve them. The positive influence of omega-3 fatty acids has even been shown in the early stages of Alzheimer's. Numerous studies show that with a healthy supply of fats, one can improve one's memory and ability to learn. A study from Berlin showed that people who received the fats were better able to remember the location of certain objects. However, all of this is not only relevant for older people.
Loneliness is known to have a negative effect on long-term memory. In older people who suffer from loneliness more frequently due to social isolation, a two-fold increased risk of dementia was found. A study from Ohio showed that supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids had a positive effect on people whose loneliness had led to a deterioration in memory. Compared to the control group, the group that received additional fatty acids showed improved performance in verbal, episodic memory. Put more simply: the participants were better able to remember what was said and told. In another study, the supply of omega-3 fatty acids also reduced inflammation, which is linked to depression.
Ensuring healthy omega-3 fatty acid levels protects your brain and prevents declining cognitive performance.
Sources
- Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 December 2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods
- Fatty acid composition of important vegetable and animal edible fats and oils. (nd-b). German Society for Fat Science eV The German Network for the Science and Technology of Fats, Oils and Lipids. https://www.dgfett.de/material/fszus.php (Accessed on October 21, 2023)
- Farmed fish: a major provider or a major consumer of omega-3 oils? | GLOBEFISH | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (nd). https://www.fao.org/in-action/globefish/fishery-information/resource-detail/en/c/338773/ (Accessed on October 21, 2023)
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- Jaremka, LM, Derry, HM, Bornstein, R., Prakash, RS, Peng, J., Belury, MA, Andridge, RR, Malarkey, WB, & Kiecolt-Glaser, JK (2014). Omega-3 supplementation and loneliness-related memory problems: secondary analyzes of a randomized controlled trial. Psychosomatic medicine, 76(8), 650–658.
- Jaremka LM, Derry HM, Bornstein R, Prakash RS, Peng J, Belury MA, Andridge RR, Malarkey WB, Kiecolt-Glaser JK. Omega-3 supplementation and loneliness-related memory problems: secondary analyzes of a randomized controlled trial. Psychosom Med. 2014 Oct;76(8):650-8.
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- Wilson RS, Krueger KR, Arnold SE, Schneider JA, Kelly JF, Barnes LL, Tang Y, Bennett DA. Loneliness and risk of Alzheimer's disease. Arch Gene Psychiatry. 2007 Feb;64(2):234-40.
- Kiecolt-Glaser, JK, Belury, MA, Andridge, R., Malarkey, WB, Hwang, BS, & Glaser, R. (2012). Omega-3 supplementation lowers inflammation in healthy middle-aged and older adults: a randomized controlled trial. Brain, behavior, and immunity, 26(6), 988–995.
- Sinha RA, Khare P, Rai A, Maurya SK, Pathak A, Mohan V, Nagar GK, Mudiam MK, Godbole MM, Bandyopadhyay S. Anti-apoptotic role of omega-3-fatty acids in developing brain: perinatal hypothyroid rat cerebellum as apoptotic model. Int J Dev Neurosci. 2009 Jun;27(4):377-83.
