Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that represents the leading cause of dementia in the world. Omega-3 supplementation has been the subject of numerous studies regarding its effectiveness in treating and preventing dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.

In today’s article, we will reveal the key points of this disease and how highly effective supplementation, such as omega-3 fatty acids, can make a difference.

Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disorder with clinical, biological, and pathological consequences. These characteristics occur throughout a process that goes from the beginning in a patient without evidence, to the terminal stage. Advances in biomarkers have led to a shift in the way disease is viewed as a clinical-pathophysiologic entity, with a growing appreciation that this disease should not only be seen as a count of defined clinical stages, but as a multifaceted process that progresses progressively and seamlessly. Recognizing this concept is critical to understanding the process of developing disease-modifying therapies and to initiating effective options for diagnosis and management of the disease.

Advances in basic research in recent years have improved our understanding of the natural history of Alzheimer’s disease. It is now recognized that pathophysiological changes begin many years before the clinical manifestations of the disease and that the pathological spectrum ranges from its clinically asymptomatic stage to the severely altered stage, therefore, defining it only by its clinical presentation would be an incomplete view. DOI: 10.3233/JAD-2010-1237

Alzheimer’s disease is clinically characterized by the development of early amnesic and executive dysfunction, which eventually spreads to the cognitive domains, leading to total disability and the development of end-stage dementia.

The main pathological features are the deposition of extracellular amyloid plaque (Aβ) and the formation of intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles. Emerging evidence suggests that progressive inflammation and increased oxidative stress play a key role in the early development of such pathological features. It has also been reliably postulated that such mechanisms play a key role in synaptic dysfunction and loss of neuronal integrity that may precede the overt appearance of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brains of affected individuals. Cellular pathways involved in homeostasis and regulation of brain fatty acids are central players in the inflammatory and oxidative stress cascades involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. DOI: 10.1016/j.plefa.2009.05.015

What contribution do omega-3s make?

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for brain growth and development. They play an important role as critical modulators of neuronal function and regulation of oxidative stress mechanisms, in brain health and disease. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the main omega-3 fatty acid found in neurons, has taken on a central role as a target of therapeutic intervention in Alzheimer’s disease.

A large body of in vitro, animal and human data, collected recently, highlights the important role DHA can play in the development of a variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease. Cross-sectional and prospective cohort data have shown that reduced dietary intake or low brain levels of DHA are associated with accelerated cognitive decline or the development of early dementia.

DHA is broadly neuroprotective through multiple mechanisms including neuroprotective metabolites, reduced metabolites of arachidonic acid, and increased trophic factors or transduction of downstream trophic signals. DHA also protects against several risk factors for dementia, including head trauma, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

In addition, this fatty acid specifically protects against Alzheimer’s disease through additional mechanisms: it limits the production and accumulation of the amyloid beta peptide toxin that is thought to drive the disease; and it also suppresses several Abeta-induced signal transduction pathways, including two major kinases that phosphorylate microtubule-associated tau protein and promote neurofibrillary tangle pathology.

Based on epidemiological and basic research data, expert panels have recommended the need for clinical trials with omega-3 fatty acids, particularly DHA, for the prevention or treatment of age-related cognitive decline, focusing on the most common cause. Results to date suggest that DHA may be more effective if started early or used in conjunction with antioxidants. DOI: 10.1016/j.plefa.2009.05.015

DHA, the most important

DHA may also play a key role in both the structure and function of brain regions involved in the formation of new memories. DHA levels in the hippocampus have been directly associated with dietary intake and higher levels have been shown to enhance hippocampus-dependent learning processes. DOI: 10.1016/s0306-4522(99)00107-4

DHA has also been linked to the newly described phenomena of hippocampal neurogenesis in the adult brain. The role of this fatty acid in the process is modulated by the expression of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors in neuronal stem cells originating from the dentate gyrus. Alterations in gene expression induced by DHA help promote the exit of the cell cycle and allow neuronal differentiation to occur. Enhanced neurogenesis in such regions has been postulated to lead to increased neuronal density and function in this circuitry critical for the formation of new memories. High dietary intake of omega-3 PUFA has been directly associated with increased gray matter volume in the corticolimbic circuits that represent the affective input for memory formation and cortical activation in the brain. Anterior cingulate, right amygdala, and right hippocampal volumes correlated with higher omega-3 PUFA intake after correction for total brain volumes. DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2007.04.086

Our advice

Salengei Active Ω3 B-Complex It is a food supplement with a high content of omega-3 fatty acids. Each pearl contains 1000 mg of fish oil, of which 760 mg is DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). The oil is obtained by a cold extraction process, concentrated in the form of triglycerides, which promotes better absorption.

In addition, we have supplemented our product with B vitamins. Evidence from human research clearly shows that a significant proportion of populations in developed countries are deficient in one or more vitamins in this group, so supplementation of dietary intake with micronutrients is warranted.

Vitamin B deficiency in aging populations, has been linked to cardiovascular disorders, cognitive dysfunction, osteoporosis, and methylation disorders and may increase the risk of developing degenerative diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases, cognitive diseases, as in the case of Alzheimer’s disease.

Conclusion

Fatty acids serve as energy substrates and integral components of the membrane and are essential for proper neuronal and brain function. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are integral membrane lipids that serve to maintain both the structure and function of neuronal membranes, membrane-associated proteins, and protein complexes. The incorporation of PUFAs increases membrane fluidity, which is essential for maintaining synaptic structures

Increasing membrane fluidity can increase the number and affinity of receptors at the synapse and improve neurotransmission. Such fluency is important for promoting synaptic plasticity that is essential for learning, memory, and other complex cognitive processes.

The DHA present in Active Ω3 B-Complex is an excellent option for supplementation according to the objectives of reducing inflammation and protecting against free radicals.

Let’s remember that while much is known about eicosanoids, including prostaglandins, cyclooxygenases, and their role in initiating and maintaining the inflammatory cascade in the brain and other tissues, the critical role of DHA and other omega-3s is only beginning to be understood.