Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids status and cognitive function in young women

Cook, Rebecca; Parker, Helen M.; Donges, Cheyne E.; O’Dwyer, Nicholas; Cheng, Hoi Lun; Steinbeck, Katharine; Cox, Eka P.; Franklin, Janet; Garg, Manohar L.; O’Connor, Helen

doi:10.1186/s12944-019-1143-z

Cited by 14 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…Throughout life, from age four years to the second half of the eighties, at all ages investigated, complex cognitive functions, like problem solving behavior, executive function, or aspects of memory correlated with the Omega-3 Index [ 102 , 103 , 104 , 105 , 106 , 107 ]. Similar results were found, when blood levels of EPA and DHA were assessed differently, and for DHA in a recent meta-analysis [ 108 , 109 , 110 , 111 ]. A low Omega-3 Index predisposes to a more rapid cognitive decline and an earlier onset of dementia compared to a higher Omega-3 Index [ 105 , 112 , 113 ].…”

Section: Brain Health In Adulthood–cognition and Dementiasupporting

confidence: 85%

Importance of EPA and DHA Blood Levels in Brain Structure and Function

Schacky¹

2021

Nutrients

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Brain structure and function depend on a constant and sufficient supply with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) by blood. Blood levels of EPA and DHA reflect dietary intake and other variables and are preferably assessed as percentage in erythrocytes with a well-documented and standardized analytical method (HS-Omega-3 Index®). Every human being has an Omega-3 Index between 2 and 20%, with an optimum of 8–11%. Compared to an optimal Omega-3 Index, a lower Omega-3 Index was associated with increased risk for total mortality and ischemic stroke, reduced brain volume, impaired cognition, accelerated progression to dementia, psychiatric diseases, compromises of complex brain functions, and other brain issues in epidemiologic studies. Most intervention trials, and their meta-analyses considered EPA and DHA as drugs with good bioavailability, a design tending to produce meaningful results in populations characterized by low baseline blood levels (e.g., in major depression), but otherwise responsible for many neutral results and substantial confusion. When trial results were evaluated using blood levels of EPA and DHA measured, effects were larger than comparing EPA and DHA to placebo groups, and paralleled epidemiologic findings. This indicates future trial design, and suggests a targeted use EPA and DHA, based on the Omega-3 Index.

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Section: Brain Health In Adulthood–cognition and Dementiasupporting

confidence: 85%

Importance of EPA and DHA Blood Levels in Brain Structure and Function

Schacky¹

2021

Nutrients

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“…However, contrary to these results, Cook et al [102] reported that cognitively healthy young women with lower omega-3s had lower attention scores. Therefore, discrepancies between these studies might be due to gender differences in absorption and/or response to omega-3 fatty acid supplementation.…”

Section: Pufas Supplementsmentioning

confidence: 78%

Effects of Nutrition on Cognitive Function in Adults with or without Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials

et al. 2021

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New dietary approaches for the prevention of cognitive impairment are being investigated. However, evidence from dietary interventions is mainly from food and nutrient supplement interventions, with inconsistent results and high heterogeneity between trials. We conducted a comprehensive systematic search of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in MEDLINE-PubMed, from January 2018 to July 2021, investigating the impact of dietary counseling, as well as food-based and dietary supplement interventions on cognitive function in adults with or without cognitive impairment. Based on the search strategy, 197 eligible publications were used for data abstraction. Finally, 61 articles were included in the analysis. There was reasonable evidence that dietary patterns, as well as food and dietary supplements improved cognitive domains or measures of brain integrity. The Mediterranean diet showed promising results, whereas the role of the DASH diet was not clear. Healthy food consumption improved cognitive function, although the quality of these studies was relatively low. The role of dietary supplements was mixed, with strong evidence of the benefits of polyphenols and combinations of nutrients, but with low evidence for PUFAs, vitamin D, specific protein, amino acids, and other types of supplements. Further well-designed RCTs are needed to guide the development of dietary approaches for the prevention of cognitive impairment.

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“…Regardless of the mechanism through which omega-3 supplement use stabilizes CBF, the consequent increased delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the brain could explain findings from other studies that show omega-3 fatty acids augment cognitive function and prevent cognitive decline [39][40][41][42]. For example, the connection between atherosclerosis and dementia has been well-established [43], and a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials showed that omega-3 fatty acids significantly slowed the progression of atherosclerosis [44], suggesting that omega-3 fatty acids could potentially prevent cognitive decline through improvements in vascular health.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-Reported Omega-3 Supplement Use Moderates the Association between Age and Exercising Cerebral Blood Flow Velocity in Older Adults

et al. 2020

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Cerebral blood flow (CBF) decreases across the lifespan, and chronic conditions such as dementia and stroke accelerate this decline. Impaired CBF results in reduced delivery of oxygen and nutrients, which can damage the brain over time. Thus, there is a need to identify lifestyle interventions, including diet and exercise, to maintain CBF with aging and in the presence of chronic disease. In the present study, we used transcranial Doppler ultrasound to record middle cerebral artery velocity (MCAv), a surrogate measure of CBF, during moderate-intensity exercise in sedentary, cognitively normal older adults (n = 90). A multiple linear regression model (F(4, 85) = 3.21, p = 0.02) showed that self-reported omega-3 supplement use significantly moderated the association between age and mean exercising MCAv in these individuals (p = 0.01). Older age was associated with lower exercising MCAv in the group not taking omega-3 supplements, while exercising MCAv showed no decline with increasing age in the group who reported omega-3 supplement use. These findings suggest omega-3 supplementation may have an important role in the preservation of CBF with aging.

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Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids status and cognitive function in young women

Cited by 14 publications

References 55 publications

Importance of EPA and DHA Blood Levels in Brain Structure and Function

Importance of EPA and DHA Blood Levels in Brain Structure and Function

Effects of Nutrition on Cognitive Function in Adults with or without Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials

Self-Reported Omega-3 Supplement Use Moderates the Association between Age and Exercising Cerebral Blood Flow Velocity in Older Adults

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