One more benefit of the natural dietary add-on that may help prevent dementia by clearing waste from the brain.
Omega-3 fatty acids help to clear waste from the brain, new research concludes.
This includes the amyloid peptides that are linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
Omega-3 is found in:
- fish oil
- margarine,
- milk,
- and yoghurt.
The conclusions come from a study on mice in which some were given omega-3 supplementation.
The results showed that the supplementation increased the clearance function of the glymphatic system.
The glymphatic system clears waste from the central nervous system — and mostly operates in the brain.
Thoru Pederson, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal
“These now-famous fatty acids have been the subject of major studies both in academia and industry.
Just when we thought we had heard everything, here is something new, and it is provocative indeed.
This study should not turn attention away from the roles of these substances in maintaining vascular health, but neither should they restrict our view.
The brain is an extremely vascularized organ, while we might also bear in mind that omega-3 fatty acids may impact neurons, glia, and astrocytes themselves.”
Whether or not omega-3 helps prevent dementia continues to be controversial.
However, omega-3 has been linked to maintaining IQ levels with age and even reducing anxiety.
Other research has suggested that omega-3 needs to be combined with B vitamins to help the body deal with mental decline.
The study was published in the The FASEB Journal (Luo et al., 2016).
