improving the omega-3 content of fish
Habitual consumption of foods rich in omega-3 fatsboth of plant and marine originis associated with the brain’s better ability to absorb the glucose it needs to function. This, in turn, could help improve brain function and prevent dementia This is linked to Alzheimer’s disease, as demonstrated by a joint team from the Barcelona Beta Brain Research Centre (BBRC) and the Hospital del Mar Research Institute.
Before clinical symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease appear, certain areas of the brain begin to have difficulty metabolizing glucose. “This is important because It is the organ of the body that uses it the most.“, stressed one of the study’s authors, Aleix Sala-Vila, who is a member of the Cardiovascular Risks and Nutrition Research Group of the Hospital del Mar Research Institute and a BBRC researcher, in statements included Europe Press.
Omega-3 plays an important role because it helps the receptors needed for glucose uptake in the brain function properly. These fats are incorporated into cell membranes. and facilitate further utilization of glucose. “Including these omega-3s in the diet may be beneficial for the brain is resistant to change which occur before the onset of Alzheimer’s disease,” the researcher clarified.
The study, published in the journal Alzheimer’s disease and dementia: diagnosis, assessment and monitoring of diseasesincluded data from 320 volunteers from the Alfa+ cohort supported by the La Caixa Foundation. This is a cognitively healthy population that does not have clinical symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, but is mainly the descendants of people affected by the disease and therefore at high genetic risk of developing it.
The results show that plant-based omega-3s, such as those found in nuts or soywere associated with better cerebral glucose utilization, especially in participants with a higher genetic risk, i.e. carriers of the APOE-e4 gene. This preventive effect can be achieved with products such as walnuts and flax seedsor cooking oils such as canola or soybeans. According to a 2022 study, these recommendations would be equivalent to about 15 grams of nuts or a teaspoon of butter per day.
On the other hand, marine-derived omega-3s were more beneficial for people who, despite not showing symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, had already developed the disease. accumulation of amyloid and tau proteinsfeatures of the disease. In general, fatty fish such as salmon, sea bream, sardine, mackerel, swordfish, mullet, tuna, roosterfish, European sea bass, flounder, European hake, blue whiting, anchovy or monkfish are fish high in omega-3 acids.
Therefore, “it is suggested that adequate levels of omega-3 in the blood should be maintained to prevent the disease, especially in people at higher risk of developing dementia. This can be achieved by including foods such as walnuts and oily fish in the diet,” the study concluded.