Omega-3 fatty acids are extremely important ingredients for health. They belong to the group of unsaturated fats, which means that the body is unable to produce them on its own and must be supplied with food. Omega-3 fatty acids are safe supplements that carry many health benefits. They are called essential for a reason – they are a pure good that our body needs!
Summary:
- The advancing years, unfortunately, are not conducive to the processes of learning, regeneration and remembering. Changes in the brain are inevitable, but proper nutrition and supplementation can slow them down.
- Omega-3 fatty acids protect the brain against the neurodegenerative process, thus supporting its efficiency. The right amount of Omega-3 improves concentration, the ability to learn and remember.
- Cognitive decline depends not only on changes in the brain, but above all on nutritional status. Caring for a proper diet (including the appropriate dose of Omega-3 acids) allows not only to maintain the efficiency of the brain, but also to improve its functioning.
Brain work and age
With age, learning and memory abilities decline. It is associated with a gradual decrease in the volume of the brain, which is caused by a deficiency of DHA acid (belonging to the Omega-3 group) in the nervous tissue. This leads to cognitive impairment. DHA levels decline with age, particularly in the regions of the hippocampus, which are responsible for cognition and memory, among other things. Insufficiently high levels of DHA in the brain can cause behavioral changes and is associated with difficulties in concentration and learning.
Omega-3 – help in maintaining the efficiency of the mind
Omega-3 fatty acids support learning and memorization processes by enhancing synaptic plasticity, which is the process of remodeling and strengthening the connections between neurons. They significantly accelerate the transmission of nerve impulses and information, which has a positive effect on concentration, association and remembering.
Essential Omega-3 fatty acids support the executive function of the brain. They support the prefrontal cortex and memory. They have a positive effect on well-being and emotions thanks to the influence on the amygdala. All of this translates into the development and smooth functioning of the brain.
Omega-3 acids also have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties, which results in the protection of neurons. Additionally, they reverse age-related changes and may prevent the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. Thanks to their antioxidant properties and the protection of neurons, Omega-3 fatty acids increase the ability to learn, concentrate and remember. The daily dose of Omega-3 fatty acids recommended by researchers is 2.5 g per day. However, EFSA indicates that the dose showing a therapeutic effect should be 2-4 g per day.
A healthy meal – a healthy brain
The wealth of scientific evidence clearly shows that a healthy diet and nutrition play a very important role in the structural plasticity of the brain (that is, the ability to repair itself, adapt, learn and remember). From the prenatal period when the brain is formed, the mother’s diet has a significant influence on its development in the child. Moreover, there is a clear correlation between healthy eating and children’s intelligence levels. A diet rich in highly processed foods and rich in trans fats reduces the rate of increase in IQ levels, which significantly reduces cognitive abilities.
The food we eat has a very strong effect on the brain’s efficiency, and in particular on the cerebral cortex, which is responsible, among others, for the development of individual characteristics and the course of cognitive processes such as memory, thinking and language functions. In order to support the development of the brain, it is therefore necessary to control what we eat and take care to provide the best possible values, including those that the body cannot produce on its own. The diet should be rich in complete and wholesome meals that contain a therapeutic dose of Omega-3 fatty acids. One of them is SUPERSONIC Food Powder – a perfectly balanced meal for quick preparation in the form of a cocktail. It contains a high level of Omega-3-6-9 fatty acids and as much as 40 g of protein. It provides up to 1/3 of the daily fiber requirement, and its preparation takes only 30 seconds.
Bibliography:
- Hibbeln J.R. I in., Maternal seafood consumption in pregnancy and neurodevelopmental outcomes in childhood (ALSPAC study): an observational cohort study, The Lancet, 2007, 369, 578-585.
- Talukdar T. I in., Nutrient biomarkers shape individual differences in functional brain connectivity: Evidence from omega-3 PUFAs, Human Brain Mapping (journal), 2019, 40(6), 1887-1897.
- Bourre J.M. i in., Essentiality of omega 3 fatty acids for brain structure and function, World Review of Nutrition and Dietetics,1991, 17, 66-103.
- Zamroziewicz M.K. i in., Determinants of fluid intelligence in healthy aging: Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid status and frontoparietal cortex structure, Nutritional Neuroscience, 2018, 21(8), 570-579.
- Bourre J.M., Effects of nutrients (in food) on the structure and function of the nervous system: update on dietary requirements for brain. Part 1: micronutrients, The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, 2006, 10(5), 377-85.
- Basak S. i in., Maternal Docosahexaenoic Acid Status during Pregnancy and Its Impact on Infant Neurodevelopment, Nutrients, 2020, 12(12), 3615.
- Lauritzen L. i in., DHA Effects in Brain Development and Function, Nutrients, 2016, 8(1), 6.
- Su HM., Mechanisms of n-3 fatty acid-mediated development and maintenance of learning memory performance, The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 2010, 21(5), 364-73.
