Omega-3 fatty acids can pass through the blood- brain barrier in people with Alzheimer's disease, a new study has found. Researchers say that these 'good fats' might be potential treatment for the disease.
Omgea-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fatty acids that are essential for certain functions in the body. Many experts believe that omega-3 in diet helps protect the heart.
The present study, conducted by researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, found a link between these fatty acids and Alzheimer's disease biomarkers in the brain.
Omega-3 fatty acids accumulate in the central nervous system (CNS) during gestation. It was long assumed that these fatty acids are constantly replaced in the brain. In the present study, researchers wanted to know whether or not omega-3 acid supplements affect the level of fatty acids in the brain.
"Earlier population studies indicate that omega-3 can protect against Alzheimer's disease, which makes it interesting to study the effects of dietary supplements containing this group of fatty acids in patients who have already developed the disease," said the study's lead author, Dr Yvonne Freund-Levi, according to a news release.
Certain conditions, including Alzheimer's disease, affect the levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the brain.
The study included 33 participants; 18 of whom got a daily omega-3 supplement. The rest were given a placebo for six months. Researchers found that fatty acid supplements had higher levels of DHA and eicosapentaenoic acid (another type of omega-3 fatty acid)
Also, levels of DHA directly co-related with changes in inflammatory markers in the CNS. This is just a preliminary finding. But, it does show that fatty acids in diet could help reduce inflammation in the brain.
"Much work remains to be done before we know how these fatty acids can be used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease to halt memory loss," Jan Palmblad, one of the study authors, said in a news release.
The study is published in the Journal of Internal Medicine.
In the U.S., the main sources of omega 3 fatty acids are vegetable oils, particularly canola and soybean oils, fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines and tuna, says National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.