A study in mice has shown that insufficient intake of omega 3 during pregnancy and breastfeeding impairs the development of the neural network in children.
Omega 3, what are they?
Omega 3 fatty acids are a family of so-called “essential” fatty acids. These are fatty acids that are essential for the development and proper functioning of our body and that we do not know how to manufacture. We must therefore find them in our diet: in nuts, rapeseed oil, linseed oil, or oily fish, for example.
Their role in the brain development of young
A team of researchers has been interested in the impact of maternal nutrition during the perinatal period on children’s brain development. To carry out their study, they looked at microglial cells, cells that participate in the construction of neural memory networks.
Indeed, during brain development, microglial cells, or “microglia”, sculpt neural networks by engulfing unnecessary synapses while retaining those that are essential for proper brain function.
The results, published in the journal Nature Communications, have shown that insufficient intake of omega 3 in the maternal diet affects the activity of microglial cells in the developing brain.
A malformed neural network
“These cells adopt an abnormal functioning and become hyperphagic, that is to say they lose their capacity to recognize the synapses which must be removed engulf too many synapses. The neural network is then poorly formed, which leads to alterations in the memory of the little ones. “, Explain the researchers, adding:” this work in animals opens up new research perspectives and studies will continue in humans to better understand the links between omega 3 and brain development. “
