A new study, involving 1,219 dementia-free older adults (65+), has found that the more omega-3 fatty acids the person consumed, the lower the level of beta-amyloid in the blood (a proxy for brain levels). Consuming a gram of omega-3 more than the average per day was associated with 20-30% lower beta-amyloid levels. A gram of omega-3 equates to around half a fillet of salmon per week.
Participants provided information about their diet for an average of 1.2 years before their blood was tested for beta-amyloid. Other nutrients investigated —saturated fatty acids, omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, mono-unsaturated fatty acid, vitamin E, vitamin C, beta-carotene, vitamin B12, folate and vitamin D — were not associated with beta-amyloid levels.
The results remained after adjusting for age, education, gender, ethnicity, amount of calories consumed and APOE gene status.
The findings are consistent with previous research associating higher levels of omega-3 and/or fish intake with lower risk of Alzheimer’s. Additionally, another recent study provides evidence that the brains of those with Alzheimer’s disease, MCI, and the cognitively normal, all have significantly different levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. That study concluded that the differences were due to both consumption and metabolic differences.
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Cunnane, S.C. et al. 2012. Plasma and Brain Fatty Acid Profiles in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 29 (3), 691-697.