We would all like to have a well functioning brain as we age. New interesting research shows us that there is something easy and simple we can do to help prevent the brain from shrinking and also help us retain function and memory (Tan ZS. et al, 2012).
The research reviewed evaluated the association between brain function and red blood cell values of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). DHA and EPA are fatty acids found in omega 3 fish oil. The researchers examined the fatty acid levels of the red blood cells, performed cognitive tests and volumetric brain MRI on 1,575 participants.
The results documented that lower red blood cell DHA levels are associated with smaller brain volumes. The participants with lower DHA and DHA plus EPA levels also had lower scores on tests for visual memory, executive function and abstract thinking.
It is amazing that just a small thing like taking a couple of fish oil capsules daily can make such a difference, if they are high in DHA and EPA. That is all it would take to raise DHA and EPA levels. Click here to see how much DHA, EPA the "Better Fish Oil" contains.
Tan ZS, Harris WS, Beiser AS, Au R, Himali JJ, Debette S, Pikula A, Decarli C, Wolf PA, Vasan RS, Robins SJ, Seshadri S. Red blood cell ω-3 fatty acid levels and markers of accelerated brain aging. Neurology. 2012 Feb 28;78(9):658-64.
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