Differences in Omega-3 Compounds Affect Brain Skills

A growing body of scientific evidence suggests a wide range of potential health effects of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation – ranging from cardiovascular to immune system benefits.  Scientists are now focusing attention towards identifying the specific compounds present in omega-3s, to ascertain their respective potential health benefits.  Isabelle Bauer, from Swinburne University (Australia), and colleagues enrolled 13 men and women, average age 24 years, in a study in which participants were randomly assigned to first receive 30 days of supplementation with an dietary supplement rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) , or a supplement rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA);  followed by a 30-day washout period; and a crossover period to the other intervention.  Brain activity was measured via fMRI while the subjects completed a standardized cognitive assessment.  The team observed that EPA improved cognitive performance while reducing neural activity, whereas the DHA-rich supplement appeared to be less effective in enhancing neurocognitive functioning.  The study authors report that: “following the [eicosapentaenoic acid]-rich supplementation, participants' brains worked ‘less hard’ and achieved a better cognitive performance than prior to supplementation. Conversely, the increase in functional activation and lack of improvement in time or accuracy of cognitive performance following [docosahexaenoic acid]-rich supplementation may indicate that [docosahexaenoic acid]-rich supplementation is less effective than [eicosapentaenoic acid]-rich supplementation in enhancing neurocognitive functioning .”