April 3, 2007 – Consumption of omega-3 from marine sources may be associated with an increase in the volume of gray matter, where the brain processes emotions. According to American researchers, this could explain why these fatty acids seem to act in a positive way on the mood.
They observed that participants who had higher intakes of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (EPA and DHA) had a greater mass of gray matter than the others, in several brain regions associated with emotions. Only foods of marine origin provide a direct source of these substances, particularly oily fish.
One of the study’s authors, DD Sarah Conklin, indicates that people with severe depression usually have less gray matter in these same areas. The researchers therefore wanted to examine whether there was a link between the volume of gray matter and omega-3 intake.
Using questionnaires, the researchers tracked what 55 adult subjects ate for 24 hours over two randomly selected days. They then calculated that the daily intake of omega-3 from marine sources varied between 0 mg and 1,800 mg.
Subjects who took fish oil supplements were excluded from the study. Each participant’s gray matter volume was determined using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging tests.
The psychological state of the subjects, however, was not assessed. However, the same researchers observed in an earlier study that people who had low omega-3 levels in their blood were more likely to have mood disorders. Conversely, those with high omega-3 levels seemed less likely to show signs of depression.
Despite their results, the authors cannot however conclude that omega-3 consumption acts directly on the growth of gray matter. The results of this study were recently presented at the American Society of Psychosomatics conference.
Marie france Coutu-PasseportSanté.net
According to Reuter Health, IntelliHealth and MedecineNet.