This entry was posted 10 years, 5 months ago.
December 7, 2012
Health effects of omega 3 fatty acids were proven by numerous scientific studies and researches, that is why many experts recommend adding natural sources of this nutrient like oily fish (namely tuna fish, salmon, herring, mackerel, and many others, provided they are cooked by using a healthy cooking style: roasting, boiling, grilling, etc.) as well as most of nuts and seeds. Omega 3 fatty acids assist in normalizing cholesterol levels in the body, this way decreasing our chances to suffer from serious cardiovascular diseases like a stroke or heart attack. Besides, consuming natural omega 3 acid sources is linked to reduced risk for breast cancer and some other types of cancer. Finally, a proper consumption of omega 3 acid is essential for aging people as one of the most effective natural way to prevent memory loss and reduce the risk of suffering from dementia like brain disorders.
However, the truth is: all previous researches and studies of the effects on omega 3 fatty acids on our memory was focused on only aging groups of people. A group of American scientists from Pittsburgh University has got an idea to invite young adults for their experiment and tried to look closer at possible links between omega 3 fatty acid consumption and improved memory. A number of healthy young American men and women aged between 18 and 25 were asked to take omega 3 supplements which are sold in American pharmacies as an over-the-counter medicine, for a half year period of time. Certainly, before starting the treatment program, all the participants went through very thorough medical examination which included measuring their body mass, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, as well as brain function and mental abilities via common memory tests.
To a great surprise of the scientists, just a 6-month treatment involving omega 3 acid supplements caused significant improvement in working memory of the participants, and all of those without exceptions have shown much better performance compared to the test results that were received before the experiment. “Before seeing this data, we would have said it was impossible to move young healthy individuals above their cognitive best, but we found that members of this population can enhance their working memory performance even further, despite their already being at the top of their cognitive game,” 
Neale S. Mason and Matthew F. Muldoon, the scientists from the University of Pittsburgh wrote in the report about their study published this month in one of the issues of the journal PLOS One.
The researchers underlined the importance of their findings and pointed to the fact that their study has become the first one to suggest that omega-3 acid supplements can be used not only by elderly but also by young population, by all those people who want to improve memory and protect themselves against memory problems in the future by using an effective natural approach. “So many previous studies have been done with the elderly or people with medical conditions, leaving this unique population of young adults unaddressed. But what about our highest-functioning periods? Can we help the brain achieve its full potential by adapting our healthy behaviors in our young adult life? We found that we absolutely can,” a study leader reported in the journal.
Other specialists valued very highly the reported findings of American researchers, however, most of them pointed to an important drawback of the study. Unfortunately, there was not a clue found during this study about the way how omega-3 acid supplements works to enhance and improve memory. That is why future researchers are being scheduled to find an answer to this question, too. It is certainly advised to use natural sources of omega-3 acid mentioned above rather than the supplements, since such kind of nutrients are considered always more effective and more useful to the human body than the synthesized ones used in dietary supplements. You can find more information about the findings of Americans scientists in this report.
Author Info: Hi! My name is Carla and I am a 5th year medical student at HYMS. I am interested in alternative medicine and I have done months researching the topic of herbal medicine. Besides, I like interviewing people and learning more about their experiences with one or another type of herbal treatments. I am willing to contribute to this site with my knowledge, and I would be happy to help you out to the best of my ability with any specific questions or problems related to alternative medicine.
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