Omega-3 Blood Levels Correlated to Brain Volume in Postmenopausal Women

by | Jan 22, 2016 | 2014, Alzheimer's Disease, Omega - 3, Women's Health

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. In an 8 year prospective study, researchers found that every 1.6% increase in the amount of EPA + DHA in the blood produced a 2.1 cm3 larger brain volume.

One of the most concerning health risks that accompanies aging is the increased risk of dementia and cognitive impairment, especially in the later decades (1). Data from the Framingham study shows that middle-aged woman in North America of European descent have a 20% risk of developing some form of dementia in their lifetime, especially Alzheimer disease (2). This is the most common form of dementia among older adults (3) and the most significant contributor to the $215 billion that dementia costs our healthcare system each year (4).

Reduced brain volume is an important contributor to the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease, especially in an area of the brain called the hippocampus (5), so ways to help reduce breakdown of the hippocampus (called “hippocampal atrophy”) are at a premium. Now a new study (6) suggests that increasing omega-3 fatty acid blood levels may benefit brain volumes in postmenopausal women.

In the study, researchers analyzed omega-3 blood levels and MRI studies from 1,111 postmenopausal women between the ages of 74 and 83 over the course of 8 years in the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study (7). They found that every 1.6% increase in the amount of EPA + DHA in the blood produced a 2.1 cm3 larger brain volume (p = 0.048). This significance was not present when looking at DHA separately (p = 0.063) nor EPA separately (p = 0.11). What’s more, each 1.6% increase in EPA + DHA in the blood increased hippocampal volume by 50 mm3 (p = 0.036), the highest 25% of EPA + DHA blood levels (7.5%) having a 159 mm3 greater hippocampal volume than those in the lowest 25% of EPA + DHA blood levels (3.4%) (p = 0.034).

The encouraging results from this data is that getting the highest 25% of EPA+DHA is possible through diet, with a 2012 study showing that consuming between 930 milligrams and 1.86 grams per day of EPA and DHA for one year increased blood levels by 3.6% and 4.5%, respectively (8).

For the researchers, “This study thus adds to the growing literature suggesting that higher omega-3 FA tissue levels, which can be achieved by dietary changes, may hold promise for delaying cognitive aging and/or dementia.”

Source: Pottala, James V., Kristine Yaffe, Jennifer G. Robinson, Mark A. Espeland, Robert Wallace, and William S. Harris. “Higher RBC EPA+ DHA corresponds with larger total brain and hippocampal volumes WHIMS-MRI Study.” Neurology 82, no. 5 (2014): 435-442.

 © 2014 American Academy of Neurology

Posted March 3, 2014.

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com.

References:

  1. Hebert LE, Weuve J, Scherr PA, Evans DA. Alzheimer disease in the United States (2010–2050) estimated using the 2010 census. Neurology 2013;80:1778–1783.
  2. Seshadri S, Wolf PA. Lifetime risk of stroke and dementia: current concepts, and estimates from the Framingham study. Lancet Neurol 2007;6:1106–1114
  3. “NIH-supported study finds U.S. dementia care costs as high as $215 billion in 2010” posted on the National Institute of Aging website April 4, 2014.
  4. “Prevalence of Alzheimer’s Disease” posted on the National Institute of Aging website
  5. Fjell AM, Walhovd KB. Structural brain changes in aging: courses, causes and cognitive consequences. Rev Neurosci 2010;21:187–221.
  6. Pottala JV. Higher RBC EPA 1 DHA corresponds with larger total brain and hippocampal volumes. Neurology 2014 Feb 4;82(5):435-42. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000000080. Epub 2014 Jan 22
  7. Espeland MA, Rapp SR, Shumaker SA, et al. Conjugated equine estrogens and global cognitive function in postmenopausal women: Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study. JAMA 2004;291:2959–2968
  8. Browning LM, Walker CG, Mander AP, et al. Incorporation of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids into lipid pools when given as supplements providing doses equivalent to typical intakes of oily fish. Am J Clin Nutr 2012;96:748–758