Your brain is the center of your nervous system and requires the most energy of any of your organs. You may not know that your brain is also nearly 60 percent fat including essential fatty acids, DHA and EPA. Almost all of your brain’s functions are dependent on DHA and EPA and they can be found in abundance within krill oil. They are considered essential because our bodies are incapable of producing them.
DHA is vital for early brain development and maintenance, while EPA is closely related to behavior and mood. Together, both provide critical brain protecting benefits that help reduce age-related brain shrinkage. As we get older, many of us experience memory loss, cognitive decline and an increase in depression. Studies suggest this is due to brain shrinkage. It is vital that we increase our consumption of essential fatty acids to mitigate this problem.
People with higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood experience brain benefits such as better cognitive outcomes, larger gray matter volume related to age, fewer signs of brain blood flow disturbances and lower rates of dementia. By increasing omega-3 fatty acid consumption, you can shield the memory processing area of your brain, the hippocampus.
People suffering from depression experience rapid shrinking of the hippocampus. The latest research suggests that increasing new brain cell growth can be an effective treatment for depression. In fact, a recent study found that increasing omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA might help protect the hippocampus from shrinking further and therefore effectively treat depression.
The biggest difference between the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil and krill oil is that the EPA and DHA in krill oil are bound to phospholipids, a form of fat that makes up the cell membrane. Phospholipids also enhance cell signaling, which is particularly important for healthy brain and nervous system functioning. Studies have found that when DHA is bound to phospholipids, it increases their uptake to the brain. It’s no wonder krill oil is often considered the best “brain food” there is.
Leave a Reply