- Omega-3 Index Basic
- Omega-3 Index Plus
- Omega-3 Index Complete
The Brain Craves Healthy Omega-3 Fats
When your mom told you to eat your fish because it would make you smarter, she wasn’t just sharing an old wives’ tale. Today’s science continues to point toward new and positive associations between omega-3s, such as those found in fish, and brain health.
The best way to get omega-3s from the diet and into the brain is through the blood. When you get them from fish, supplements or fortified foods, they are absorbed into the intestine and enter the bloodstream. From there they are picked up by the brain and deposited in brain tissue.
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential nutrients that regulate your brain’s structure and ability to perform. And omega-3s EPA and DHA in particular are known to play specific roles in the structure and function of the brain, from the beginning of life to the end.
The Brain Craves Healthy Omega-3s Fat
The best way to get omega-3s from the diet into the brain is through the blood. So when you get them from fish, supplements or fortified foods, they are absorbed into the intestine and enter the bloodstream. From there they are picked up by the brain and deposited in brain tissue. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential nutrients that regulate your brain’s structure and ability to perform. And omega-3s EPA and DHA in particular are known to play specific roles in the structure and function of the brain, from the beginning of life to the end.
By far the most prominent fat in the brain is the omega-3 DHA. Research has shown that this important omega-3 fat can hang around for more than two-and-half years before it is replaced by new DHA in the brain.
Studies have linked Omega-3 Index levels to:
Lower risk of developing dementia with higher phospholipid DHA levels
Lower red blood cell DHA levels linked to smaller brain mass and more white matter in older people
Higher Omega-3 Index levels can contribute to greater “cognitive reserve”
Women with high omega-3 levels were resistant to the adverse effects of air pollution on brain volume
Risk for dementia was lower in postmenopausal women with a higher vs a lower Omega-3 Index
The volume of the ‘memory center’ (hippocampus) in postmenopausal was directly related to their Omega-3 Index
Why do you need to test your Omega-3 level
Are you a Healthcare Provider?
Diet is a key piece to maintaining a healthy brain. Help your patients stay on track with their nutritional status by testing their nutrients levels every 4-6 months, especially if they have a history of brain issues.
Learn more about how to bring the power of testing to your patients. A simple finger stick and a drop of blood will tell you a lot about their nutritional status and how that relates to their heart health.