Omega-3 & Brain

Omega-3s May Guard Against Brain Decline

In the first study of its kind, researchers link blood levels of healthy fats to brain size and memory loss.

By MATT MCMILLEN/HEALTH.COM | February 28, 2012 | 

DIN EUGENIO / GETTY IMAGES

Eating a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids — healthy fats found in abundance in oily fish such as salmon — may protect against premature aging of the brain and memory problems in late middle age, according to a study published today in the journalNeurology.

Fish has long had a reputation as a brain food. The new study, however, is the first to link blood levels of omega-3s with brain shrinkage, mild memory loss, and declines in cognitive function, all of which are associated with a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia./.../