Omega 3 Fatty Acids Could Prevent Parkinson's Disease

Omega 3 fatty acids, commonly found in fish, can help prevent Parkinson's disease according to new research conducted by researchers at the Université Laval. While the benefits of omega 3 fatty acids have long been known to increase heart health, this is the first study to show a positive effect of omega 3 against Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease occurs when the neurons that produce dopamine start to die. Usually Parkinson's disease is diagnosed when already half of the cells have died. Once diagnosed, there are no current treatments to stop the death of the neurotransmitters that control movement and produce dopamine.

Researchers hope that this new finding will help prevent people from being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, and once diagnosed possibly slow the progress of the disease.

Testing of the omega 3 fatty acids were conducted on mice who were given a toxic compound to approximate the affects of Parkinson's disease. One group of the mice were given a diet high in omega 3 fatty acids, while the other group of mice were fed a normal diet. The group of mice who had the diet high in omega 3 fatty acids were immune to the affects of the toxic compound.

The mice that were not protected by the omega 3 fatty acids lost a third of their dopamine producing neurons as well as experiencing a 50 percent decrease in dopamine levels.

Upon furth analysis, researchers found that the omega 3 fatty acids had replaced the omega 6 fatty acids that already were in the brains of the mice. This phenomenon was apparent when the fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) was present, causing the researchers to believe that is this component in particular, that protects the brain from Parkinson's disease.

"This demonstrates both the importance of diet on the brain's fatty acid composition and the brain's natural inclination for omega-3 fatty acids," observed Frederic Calon who helped to supervise the study. "In North America, the average intake of DHA is between 60 to 80 mg a day, while experts recommend a daily minimum of 250 mg. Our results suggest that this DHA deficiency is a risk factor for developing Parkinson's disease, and that we would benefit from evaluating omega-3's potential for preventing and treating this disease in humans," concludes the researcher.

The study also suggests that too much omega 6 fatty acids could lead to developing Parkinson's disease. Omega 6 is found in vegetable oil or animal fat, and research already suggests that they cause arthritis, cardiac disease, and Alzheimer's disease. The average Western diet contains 10 to 20 times more Omega 6 than Omega 3, the correct ratio should be 4 to 1.

Source:

Université Laval, "Omega-3 fatty acids protect against Parkinson's, study says", Eurekalert