Omega-3s Promote Brain Health

Previously, a number of studies have suggested that dietary supplementation of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids exert a number of cardiovascular and circulatory benefits. David O. Kennedy, from Northumbria University (United Kingdom), and colleagues studied 65 healthy adults, ages 18 to 29 years. Each subject was given either a supplement of docosahexaenoic acid-rich fish oil (1 g or 2 g) or placebo (olive oil), for a 12-week long period.  The team monitored changes in the concentration of hemoglobin markers in the prefrontal cortex of the brain, while subjects performed computerized cognitive tests. Those participants who received the fish oil, in either dose, demonstrated significantly increased concentrations of hemoglobin, indicative of increased cerebral blood flow, as compared to the placebo group.  Writing that: “Supplementation with fish oil significantly increases cerebral blood flow,” the study authors conclude that: “Docosahexaenoic acid may be particularly relevant for cerebrovascular function.”