Fish oil, often associated with health foods, has now been found to also promote brain health.
According to The Huffington Post, researchers found that the level two fatty acids that fish oil and fish contain actually can promote brain growth.
Typically aging will cause the brain to shrink. They took a look at 1,000 women that had already gone through menopause and looked at their level two fatty acids. The women that had higher fatty acids actually had larger brains and hippo campuses [the part of the brain associated with memory].
Study author, James Pottala, said that that this finding could certainly reap major mental health benefits. Because fish oils are found in food and inexpensive supplements, it would be readily available for everyone and could delay or prevent dementia in elderly people.
“It’s likely that fish oil doesn’t increase brain volume, but prevents brain shrinkage with age,” Pottala said. Pottala also added that if fish oil is consumed at a higher level it could even potentially lead to two extra years of brain health.
However, if you are trying to extend your brain health you have to be careful. Not all supplements are great. Forbes listed Nature Made, Axis Labs and NOW Food as three trustworthy supplement companies.
Though mental health is hard to track, finding that fish oil may delay, and even prevent, degeneration is a giant step forward in finding keys to brain health.