Omega-3s lower beta amyloid levels and may reduce Alzheimer’s Disease
by Newsletter Editor
In healthy brains, fragments of protein waste, called beta amyloids, break down and dissolve. But in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) these fragments accumulate between brain nerve cells to form hard plaques. In this study, 1,219 people over age 65 without dementia gave doctors information about their diets for 14 months and then took a blood test.
Researchers found a hopeful link: As the levels of omega-3s in the diet increased, blood levels of beta amyloids decreased. Those who consumed 1,000 mg above the average for omega-3s per day — equal to a half-serving of salmon — had 25 percent lower blood levels of beta amyloids than those who got an average amount of omega-3s. Doctors said that regardless of age, gender, race, daily calories, or whether the person had a gene variation, ApoE, that made them more likely to develop AD, everyone benefited equally from omega-3s.