DHA Supplementation Shows Promise for Brain Health in Alzheimer’s Mouse Model

This study looked at how docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid, affects brain health in mice bred to develop Alzheimer’s-like changes. Researchers gave the mice either a low or high dose of DHA and compared them to untreated mice and healthy control mice.

Mice that received DHA performed better on memory and learning tasks, such as finding their way through a water maze, and showed lower levels of proteins linked to Alzheimer’s disease (like amyloid precursor protein and amyloid-beta). DHA also appeared to reduce signs of nerve cell damage and cell death in the brain.

On a cellular level, the DHA-treated mice showed improved antioxidant activity, less oxidative damage to DNA, and longer telomeres (protective caps on chromosomes that tend to shorten with age and stress) compared to untreated mice. The researchers suggest that DHA’s benefits on cognition may be linked to its ability to reduce oxidative stress and slow telomere shortening in brain tissue.