Diet and exercise interventions to promote metabolic homeostasis in TBI pathology
Mark J. Ashley, David A. Hovda in Traumatic Brain Injury, 2017
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22: 6n-30) is the most prevalent omega 3 (n-3) fatty acid in brain tissue. Structurally, DHA truly stands as brain food as it accounts for roughly one third of the fatty acids present in the gray matter of the brain and is essential to normal healthy brain development.98–102 DHA deficiency has been linked to several neurocognitive disorders, such as anxiety-like behavior,103,104 Alzheimer’s disease (AD),105 major depressive disorder,45 schizophrenia106 with psychosis,107 and impaired attention.108,109 Notably, DHA supplementation has been shown to relieve anxiety.110–113 The action of DHA is particularly important during growth and development,98–102,104,114–117 and during challenging situations, such as aging118–121 or brain injury.122,123 Evidence suggests that DHA serves to improve neuronal function by supporting synaptic membrane fluidity and function and regulating gene expression and cell signaling.124 Because the human body is not efficient in producing its own DHA, supplementation of diet with foods rich in DHA is important in insuring proper function of neurons and in facilitating neuronal recovery after injury.89 Omega-3 fatty acids also reduce oxidative stress damage.89,125 Even more interesting, DHA dietary supplementation along with exercise has been shown to have additive effects on synaptic plasticity and cognition in rodents under normal conditions.126
The dietary requirements of infants
Claire Tuck in Complementary Feeding, 2022
The 18-carbon chain polyunsaturated fatty acids linoleic acid (omega-6) and alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3) are essential fatty acids, in that they cannot be synthesised by the body and must be obtained from the diet. Linoleic acid can be obtained from many plant, seed and nut oils such as corn, soybean, sesame and sunflower, while alpha-linolenic acid can be obtained from soybeans, walnuts, wheatgerm, rapeseed oil, linseeds and their oils. The longer carbon chain omega-3s, eicosapentaenoic acid (20 carbons) and docosahexaenoic acid (22 carbons), found in fatty fish and shellfish (such as herring, fresh tuna, salmon and mackerel) are seen as conditionally essential, since they can only be formed to a limited extent in the body from alpha-linolenic acid.63 Docosahexaenoic acid is important in the development of the brain and retina, and together with eicosapentaenoic acid, is important in the prevention of cardiovascular disease.63
Pharmaceuticals and Nutraceuticals from Fish Wastes and Their Activities
Ramasamy Santhanam, Santhanam Ramesh, Subramanian Nivedhitha, Subbiah Balasundari in Pharmaceuticals and Nutraceuticals from Fish and Fish Wastes, 2022
The eicosapentaenoic acid of shark liver oil has been reported to be very effective for treatment of some cardiovascular diseases and it has a protective effect against thrombosis, atherosclerosis, and inflammatory diseases. The docosahexaenoic acid of this oil is also known to help in the brain development and in preventing skin disorders. The PUFA, arachidonic acid (C20:4 x-6) was the major one present at levels ranging from 2.02 (for S. acanthias) to 5.36% (for R. cemiculus). This fatty acid which is a precursor for prostaglandins helps in immune response and thromboxane which contributes to form blood clot by attachment to the endothelial tissue during wound healing. Arachidonic acid also plays an important role in the development of the brain, retina, and infantile growth.
Fish-oil supplementation improves retinal injury induced by diabetes and hypercholesterolemia in male Wistar rats
Published in Egyptian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 2020
Hassan IH El-Sayyad, Doaa A. Ali, Mohamed E Hanafy
Fish oil is composed of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) which cannot be synthesized in the body and has to be supplemented in the diet [16]. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have been strongly associated with cardiovascular protection even at low doses to improve endothelial function [17,18]. Dietary oily fish and sea-food intake were associated with decreased incidence of age-related macular degeneration [19]. The retina has a high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids, particularly DHA, which optimizes fluidity of photoreceptor membranes, retinal integrity, and visual function [20]. The lipid contents of the disk membranes are composed primarily of phospholipids (80–90% of the total lipid) with low levels of cholesterol (8–10%), a composition that makes them unusually fluid. DHA accounts for approximately 50–60% of the total fatty acid content within rod outer segments of photoreceptors [21].
Omega-3 fatty acids' supplementation in Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review
Published in Nutritional Neuroscience, 2018
Scheine Canhada, Kamila Castro, Ingrid Schweigert Perry, Vivian Cristine Luft
Evidence suggests that omega-3 fatty acids' modulate numerous molecular and cellular processes, which include brain and visual development, inflammatory reactions, thrombosis, and carcinogenesis.10 Omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential for the human body because we are unable to produce them, so they must be obtained from dietary sources.11,12 Among them, alpha-linolenic acid is present in flaxseed and canola oils, and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are found in fatty fish such as salmon, trout, and tuna, and in fish-oil supplements.12 Observational studies have suggested that omega-3 fatty acids and its food sources are associated with lower incidences of AD and dementias in general.4,67–8 However, omega-3 fatty acids' role in AD treatment, when the disease already exists, is still controversial in the literature.
Nutritional Supplements During Gestation and Autism Spectrum Disorder: What Do We Really Know and How Far Have We Gone?
Published in Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2020
Antioxidant action and calcium metabolism seem to be the key mechanisms of the neuroprotective effects of docosahexaenoic acid, too (39). According to data from animal research, a maternal diet rich in omega-6 and relatively deficient in omega-3 induced autism-associated behaviors in mouse models, while docosahexaenoic acid rescued autism-associated behaviors and brain neurochemistry changes associated with the prenatal stress mouse model (24,25). Furthermore, omega-3 supplementation seems to reverse stereotypical behaviors often observed in autism in rats prenatally exposed to lipopolysaccharides (40). An additional interesting finding in the study by Weiser et al. was that docosahexaenoic acid improved social behavior (i.e., time spent with a novel mouse) only in the group of mice with polyriboinosinicpolyribocytidylic acid administration during gestation (21). In other words, the beneficial effects of some dietary supplements may depend on their interaction with environmental factors (e.g., viral agents, immunologic challenges), a number of which are thought to be risk factors of autism. In an attempt to clinically translate this finding, one could speculate that the use of specific dietary supplements should be reserved for groups of children with increased risk of autism.
Related Knowledge Centers
- Carboxylic Acid
- Cerebral Cortex
- Retina
- Skin
- Brain
- Omega-3 Fatty Acid
- Α-Linolenic Acid
- Catenation
- Cis–Trans Isomerism
- Trivial Name