A new study which has been conducted by the researchers at University of South Dakota has suggested that a diet rich in Omega Three Fatty Acid called docosahexenoic acid or DHA can help protect the brain from cell degeneration and memory loss caused by Alzheimer’s disease.
The study and its findings have been reported in the American Academy of Neurology and advocates that high omega-3 fatty acid levels shield the brain from volume loss due to aging and Alzheimer’s disease. The measures can augment the brain health by two years.
The study included 1,111 post-menopausal women with an average age of 70 years from Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study. MRI scans were taken to measure their brain volume eight years later when the subjects were aged 78 years and the results were then compared.
Study author James Pottala, of the University of South Dakota in Sioux Falls and Health Diagnostic Laboratory Inc. in Richmond, Virginia, said “Our study suggests that a higher tissue reserve of omega-3 fatty acids may slow the loss of cognitive function that can accompany brain atrophy.These higher levels of fatty acids can be achieved through diet and the use of supplements, and the results suggest that the effect on brain volume is the equivalent of delaying the normal loss of brain cells that comes with aging by one to two years.”
Fish has been endorsed as a heart healthy diet by nutritionists and studies hints that Omega -3 fatty acid which is present in a significant quantity in the oil of certain fish, algae and human breast milk could play a role in lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
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