Omega-3 fatty acids are just one of the ingredients of a diet that will help our brains perform more effectively.
At UCLA, professor of neurosurgery Fernando Gómez-Pinilla and his team have been researching what foods fuel the brain’s best performance, and Omega-3 fatty acids are on the menu.
“Food is like a pharmaceutical compound that affects the brain,” says Dr. Gomez-Pinilla.
“Diet, exercise and sleep have the potential to alter our brain health and mental function. This raises the exciting possibility that changes in diet are a viable strategy for enhancing cognitive abilities, protecting the brain from damage and counteracting the effects of aging.”
Where does Omega-3 fit in?
For starters, helping to prevent depression and schizophrenia. By improving our memory and our learning skills, Omega-3 fatty acids are effective.
“Omega-3 fatty acids support synaptic plasticity and seem to positively affect the expression of several molecules related to learning and memory that are found on synapses,” says Dr. Gómez-Pinilla said. “Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for normal brain function.
Just as increasing our consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids can help our brain, not getting enough Omega-3 can hurt.
“Dietary deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids in humans has been associated with increased risk of several mental disorders, including attention-deficit disorder, dyslexia, dementia, depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia,” says Dr. Gomez-Patilla. “A deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids in rodents results in impaired learning and memory.”
Source: David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
It sounds interesting but I am not sure that I agree with you completely.
You are a very smart person!