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Omega-3 vetzuren houden hersenen gezond*
Uit een Amerikaanse studie onder 1.575 senioren van gemiddeld 67 jaar blijkt dat regelmatig voeding rijk aan omega-3 vetzuren zorgt voor gezonde hersenen. Omega-3 vetzuren worden in de vorm van DHA en EPA gevonden in vette vis, en in de vorm van ALA vooral in chiazaad en lijnzaad. Deelnemers met de laagste bloedwaarden omega-3 scoorden duidelijk slechter bij geheugentests en andere testen dan zij met goede bloedwaarden. Zij met de laagste bloedwaarden hadden ook duidelijk kleinere hersenen te vergelijken met een veroudering van 2 jaar van de hersenen.
Low Levels of Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Cause Memory Problems
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A diet lacking in omega-3 fatty acids, nutrients commonly found in fish, may cause your brain to age faster and lose some of its memory and thinking abilities, according to a study published in the print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Omega-3 fatty acids include the nutrients called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). 
“People with lower blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids had lower brain volumes that were equivalent to about two years of structural brain aging,” said study author Zaldy S. Tan, MD, MPH, of the Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research and the Division of Geriatrics, University of California at Los Angeles. 
For the study, 1,575 people with an average age of 67 and free of dementia underwent MRI brain scans. They were also given tests that measured mental function, body mass and the omega-3 fatty acid levels in their red blood cells. 
The researchers found that people whose DHA levels were among the bottom 25 percent of the participants had lower brain volume compared to people who had higher DHA levels. Similarly, participants with levels of all omega-3 fatty acids in the bottom 25 percent also scored lower on tests of visual memory and executive function, such as problem solving and multi-tasking and abstract thinking. 
The study was supported by the Framingham Heart Study’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Institute on Aging. 
To learn more about memory problems, visit http://www.aan.com/patients. 
The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 25,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis, brain injury, Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy. For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit http://www.aan.com. (Maart 2012)