Even our grand mother told us
that.. fish was "brainfood"..and
now scientists have yet more
evidence to back the claim
Researchers with the Department
of Veterans Affairs and the
University of California, Los
Angeles, found that a diet high
in docosahexenoic acid, or DHA-
one of the omega-3 fatty acids in
cold-water fish dramatically
slowed the progression of
Alzheimer's disease in mice.
Specifically, DHA cut the
harmful brain plaques that mark
the disease.
Senior author Greg M. Cole, PhD,
a neuroscientist at the Greater
Los Angeles VA Healthcare System
and UCLA, said that unlike many
studies with mice, this one
points to the benefits of a
therapy that is easily available
and already touted for other
medical conditions.DHA-either
from food sources such as fish or
certain nuts, or in fish-oil-
or algae-based supplements-
is recommended by many
cardiologists for heart health,
based on scores of studies.
"You can buy this therapy at your
supermarket or drug store,"
said Cole.
DHA has a tremendous safety
profile-essentially no side
effects-and clinical trial evidence
supports giving DHA supplements
to people at risk for
cardiovascular disease.
The new study involved older mice
genetically altered to develop
Alzheimer's disease.
The researchers fed one group of
the mice DHA-fortified chow.
The other mice ate a normal or
DHA-depleted diet.
After three to five months-the
equivalent of several years in
human biology-the high-DHA
group
had 70-percent less buildup
of amyloid protein in the brain.
This sticky protein makes up
the plaques, or patches, that are a
hallmark of Alzheimer's.A similar
study by Cole's group published
inNeuron last fall showed
that DHA protected against
damage to the "synaptic" areas
where brain cells communicate and
enabled mice to perform better
on memory tests.
The studies, say the scientists,
suggest that even people who are
genetically predisposed to the
disease may be able to delay itby
boosting their DHA intake.
Omega-3 fatty acids, typically
deficient in the American diet,
are essential for human health.
DHA in particular is vital
to proper brain function,as well
as eye health and other body
processes.
In recent years epidemiologists
have tied fish-rich diets to
a lower incidence
of Alzheimer's disease
andhomed in on DHA as
the preventive factor.
Omega-3 fatty acid supplements
are now being tested in clinical
trials with early-stage
Alzheimer's patients in the United
States, Canada and Sweden
to see if the therapy really slows
the disease.
Food sources of omega-3 fatty
acids include fish such
as salmon, halibut, mackerel
and sardines, as well
as almonds, walnuts and DHA-
enriched eggs. Concerns about
mercury in fish have helped
popularize purified DHA
supplements based on fish oil or
algae.Cole's team last year
identified another nutrient
that appears to combat
Alzheimer's plaques in
mice:
curcumin, the yellow pigment
in turmeric, one of the spices
that make up curry powder.
Researchers became
interested in curcumin's
potential to prevent or treat
Alzheimer's disease after
noting the low prevalence of
dementia among the elderly in
India, where curry is a staple.
Cole is the associate director for research at VA's Los Angeles-based Geriatric Research,
Education and Clinical Center, and a professor of medicine and neurology at UCLA.
Lead author for the new study was Giselle P. Lim, PhD, a UCLA postgraduate
researcher in Cole's group. Working with them were colleagues from VA,
UCLA and the National Institutes of Health. The study was supported
by the National Institute on Aging, VA, the Alzheimer's Association,
and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
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