Omega-3 Found to Increase Brain's Gray Matter

Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish such as salmon, are associated with increased gray matter volume in areas of the brain typically linked to mood and behavior according to new research.

The study's results were presented March 6, 2007, by Sarah M. Conklin, Ph.D., postdoctoral scholar at the Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine Program in the department of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt; PA, USA), at the American Psychosomatic Society's annual meeting, held in Budapest, Hungary.

Animal studies have shown that raising omega-3 intake leads to structural brain alteration. In a separate study presented by Dr. Conklin at the society's meeting in 2006, Pitt researchers reported that people who had lower blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids were more apt to have a negative outlook and be more impulsive. On the other hand, those with higher blood levels of omega-3s were found to be more agreeable and less likely to report mild or moderate symptoms of depression. In this study, the researchers tried to determine if gray matter volume was proportionally related to long-chain omega-3 intake in humans, particularly in areas of the brain related to mood, helping them attempt to elucidate the processes behind the improvement in mood often associated with long-chain omega-3 intake.

Researchers interviewed 55 healthy adult participants to determine their average intake of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Gray matter volume was assessed using high-resolution structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

The researchers discovered that participants who had high levels of long-chain omega-3 fatty acid intake had higher volumes of gray matter in areas of the brain associated with emotional arousal and regulation--the bilateral anterior cingulate cortex, the right amygdala and the right hippocampus.

While this finding suggests that omega-3s may promote structural improvement in areas of the brain related to mood and emotion regulation--the same areas where gray matter is decreased in individuals who have mood disorders such as major depressive disorder--investigators noted that more research is needed to determine whether fish consumption actually causes changes in the brain.


Related Links:
University of Pittsburgh