EPA may interfere with brain repair after head injuries |
Fish oil has earned its status as one of the most trusted brain-health supplements. A new study suggests that this may not be the case for everyone.
Researchers used mouse models and human brain cell cultures to examine how long-term fish oil use affects the brain during recovery from injury. Their target was EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), one of the two main omega-3 fatty acids in most supplements. EPA — but not its companion docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) — reduced the repair capacity of the cells that regulate blood flow and support healing after injury.
In mice, long-term fish oil supplementation also correlated with tau buildup in the cortex. This protein is associated with Alzheimer’s disease and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, as well as measurable declines in both spatial learning and memory.
“For patients with repeated mild head injuries, especially athletes, veterans, or people with recurrent falls, the finding that EPA may interfere with brain vascular repair is clinically important,” explained Dung Trinh, MD, of MemorialCare Medical Group, who spoke with Medical News Today about this research.
However, lead researcher Onder Albayram, PhD, emphasized that this is not a call to abandon fish oil. “Biology is context-dependent,” he said, so it’s important to remember that all the mice in the study were male, and the human equivalent of a risky EPA dose is unclear.
To find out more and for guidance on what a brain-protective diet looks like, jump to “Omega-3s may affect brain repair: Should you avoid them?”
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