New US research has found evidence that including omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the diet can help to promote healthy brain ageing. As the brain is made up of interconnected parts which age at their own pace, some brain structures and their function deteriorate earlier than others. The team looked for a link between the size of this network, performance on tests of fluid intelligence, and the levels of several omega-3 fatty acids in the blood. The results showed those with higher blood levels of three omega-3 fatty acids — ALA, stearidonic acid and ecosatrienoic acid — also tended to have a larger frontoparietal cortex, which predicted the subjects’ performance on tests of fluid intelligence. Previous research has also found that the fornix is one of the first brain regions to be affected in Alzheimer’s disease.

Source: Egypt Independent May 20, 2017 01:18 UTC