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Originally Posted by maikeru
One more thing that deserves mention is that omega-3 fatty acids are strong anti-inflammatory agents and moderate an immune response. I wonder if this would also contribute to other beneficial effects for the brain, especially in those afflicted with Alzheimer's.
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I found this on inflammation and Alzheimer's:
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Professor Jeffrey Kelly of the Scripps Research Institute has recently proposed that inflammation could be start of a chain reaction that leads ultimately to Alzheimer's disease. Normal brain molecules are disrupted as a result of inflammation and this can cause amyloid beta proteins in the brain to misfold. Misfolded amyloid beta proteins are thought to have a critical role in the development of Alzheimer's.According to Kelly the inflammation process might occur years before the onset of Alzheimer's and be the result of any number of infections people can contract.
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Could Inflammation Cause Alzheimer's?
The Kelly Group
The anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3 fatty acids are apparently due to their ability to decrease the production of prostaglandins by competing with omega-6 fatty acids for binding sites thereby reducing the amount of omega-6 that can be converted to prostaglandins.
Anti-inflammatory Effects Of Omega 3 Fatty Acid In Fish Oil Linked To Lowering Of Prostaglandin
The anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3 fatty acids are apparently only beneficial for those with Alzheimer's during early stages of the disease:
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"The mechanisms by which omega-3 fatty acids could interfere in Alzheimer's disease pathophysiologic features are not clear, but since anti-inflammatory effects are an important part of the profile of fish oils, they are conceivable also for Alzheimer's disease," the authors write. This could potentially explain why effects were seen only in those with very early-stage disease--recent evidence suggests that there is a critical period two or more years before patients develop dementia when levels of chemicals that signal the presence of inflammation are elevated. "It is possible that when the disease is clinically apparent, the neuropathologic involvement is too advanced to be substantially attenuated by anti-inflammatory treatment."
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Omega-3 fatty acids may slow cognitive decline in some patients with very mild Alzheimer's disease
