Use This For Better Brain Health?
Research has shown that low omega-3 fatty acid levels may be linked to cognitive impairment and, in some cases, dementia.
Dementia is the slow loss of brain function that often occurs due to aging or certain disease processes.
It has been shown to affect thinking, memory, language, and behavior.
It is estimated that 24 million people worldwide have some form of dementia, and it is ranked as the fastest growing disease in the world.
Currently, there is no known cure for dementia, which could skyrocket the estimated numbers to 84 million people by the year 2040.
Dementia is a degenerative disease that cannot be reversed or slowed down.
Although there is no known cure, many studies show that increased omega-3 fatty acid levels could result in a lower risk for developing dementia.
In fact, a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, could show a link between low blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids and a higher risk for developing dementia as you get older.
Let me explain…
Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Dementia
Although there is no cure for dementia, there may be steps that you can take in order to reduce your risk for developing dementia.
The authors of this study wanted to evaluate if plasma levels of omega-3 fatty acids, total omega-3 fatty acids, arachidonic acid, and omega-6 fatty acids were changed in people diagnosed with dementia and pre-dementia syndrome.
Pre-dementia syndrome is the first sign of symptoms related to dementia before a clinical diagnosis of dementia is made. Dementia is often attributed to stress or aging, and can be present for up to eight years before the official dementia diagnosis is made.
They searched Pubmed (a research database) for articles that included keywords related to dementia, cognition, cognitive impairments, and mild cognitive impairments in combination with keywords such as omega-3 fatty acids, EPA, DHA, omega-6 fatty acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
They included 10 articles related to the search criteria and that included 2,280 subjects.
They showed that levels of EPA, DHA, and total n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were decreased in patients who suffered from dementia.
Also, when they looked at pre-dementia syndrome, the researchers showed that levels of EPA, and not DHA (or other polyunsaturated fatty acids), was lower in patients who suffered from this syndrome.
From their work, they concluded that omega-3 fatty acids play an important role in the pathophysiology of dementia. They also concluded, when speaking about EPA, it may not only be a disease-state marker, but could also be a risk factor for cognitive impairment.
Although this research is exciting, it still needs further studies in order to verify their findings.
However, it does show a positive relationship for including omega-3 fatty acids into your diet and reducing your risk for developing dementia.
Special Fats
Dementia, which is a degenerative disease that afflicts nearly 24 million people worldwide, is often a leading cause of death among older men and women.
Although there is no cure for this disease, there are promising results on the use of omega-3 fatty acids and reducing your risk for developing dementia.
In fact, according to this study, lower omega-3 fatty acid levels were found in patients who suffered from dementia, and could therefore play an important role in the development of dementia.
Current research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids may be an important nutrient not only for brain health, but for reducing your risk for dementia.
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References:
Lin PY, Chiu CC, Huang SY, Su KP. A meta-analytic review of polyunsaturated fatty acids compositions in dementia. J Clin Psychiatry. 2012 Aug 7. Epub ahead of print.
About Jayson Hunter & Jaylab Pro

Jaylab Pro was founded by Registered Dietitian Jayson Hunter. Jayson has been recognized as one of America's foremost weight loss experts by America's Premier Experts™. He has also been featured in USA Today for this accomplishment. Jayson is also a best-selling author having co-authored multiple books in health & fitness and business growth. Jayson and the Jaylab Pro team are proud to create content that helps improve the lives of millions of people around the world. We hope you enjoy it just as much as others have.