Poliquin - Healthy. Lean. Strong.

Jan 25

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Take a DHA-rich fish oil to improve your brain function and outperform your peers. Plus, anyone who is serious about strength training and having the optimal body composition knows that boosting the brain is essential prior to a workout. Better brain function means more focus, motivation, and drive, which will make your workout feel easier and allow you to get results.

A new study in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that DHA-rich fish oil is the most effective omega-3 for boosting the brain. The omega-3 fatty acids are DHA, EPA, and ALA. DHA and EPA are found in fish oil, while ALA is found in flaxseed and other vegetable sources. DHA and EPA are both very “healthy” but DHA has gotten the most attention lately in terms of providing significant health benefits. This study compared the effects of supplementing with 1 gram of DHA, 1 gram of EPA, or a placebo daily for 12 weeks on concentration, brain activity, and blood flow.

Results showed that the participants who took the DHA-rich supplement had a significant increase in blood flow to the brain during a brain test. There was also a substantial increase in prefrontal cortex activity, and participants had better overall performance on the cognitive task in the group that took the DHA-rich supplement. There was no difference in cognitive performance, blood flow, or prefrontal cortex activity between the group that took the placebo and the EPA supplement. Take note that the EPA supplement did contain 200 mg of DHA, which researchers point to as a dose that is too low for improving cognitive function and brain activity.

DHA is a natural component of the human and mammal brains, and it appears that brain function is best when DHA makes up close to 20 percent of the fatty acids found in the brain. DHA maintains the structural integrity of the cell membranes of the brain, meaning it has a direct impact on neurotransmitter function. If you don’t have sufficient DHA in your brain, your neurotransmitters and whole nervous system will not be able to perform at its best.

For example, a second new study in the journal PLOS Onetested the effect of a deficiency in DHA fish oil in the diet of pregnant rats. Results showed that the offspring of the rats that were deficient in DHA during pregnancy had altered hormone signaling, and hormone receptors were reduced. In comparison, the offspring of the rats that had adequate DHA fish oil in their diets during pregnancy had normal endocrine function. For practical purposes, this means that the DHA deficiency will likely produce less brain plasticity and poor cognitive function in adulthood.

Along with attending to your DHA levels, you should not ignore your EPA levels because although this omega-3 does not appear to be a major component of the brain, it can influence brain function due to its role in supporting immune, endocrine, and cardiovascular functions. EPA is also known for minimizing inflammation in the body. Interestingly, it appears that both of these omega-3s are best taken in large quantities and both influence numerous health aspects. For example, two weeks ago, I wrote about a new study that sound that men with high blood levels of DHA had less oxidative stress in the form of C-reactive protein, which causes chronic inflammation in the heart and is a primary risk factor for heart disease.

To ensure you are getting the most out of your fish oil to boost your brain, be sure to take at least 1 gram of both EPA and DHA a day. This way you’ll ensure increased blood flow to the brain and get the benefits of EPA. It wouldn’t be a bad thing to take larger quantities—I’ve seen the most dramatic fat loss on a high fish oil dose of 1 to 1.5 grams of fish oil per percent of body fat per day.

 

References:

Jackson, P., Raey, J., et al. DHA-Rich Oil Modulates the Cerebral Haemodynamic Response to Cognitive Tasks in Healthy Young Adults. British Journal of Nutrition. October 2011. Published Ahead of Print.

Harsharan, S., Rahul, A., et al. Omega-3 Fatty Acid Deficiency During Brain Maturation Reduces Neuronal and Behavioral Plasticity in Adulthood. PLOS One. December 2011. 6(12), e28451.
 

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