Omega-3 diet reduces stroke severity

A diet rich in omega-3s, found in fatty fish like salmon, reduces the severity of brain damage after a stroke, researchers in Canada say. Jasna Kriz and Frederic Calon of the Universite Laval showed the extent of brain damage following a stroke was reduced by 25 percent in mice that consumed DHA type omega-3s daily. Researchers observed that the effects of stroke were less severe in mice that had been fed a diet rich in DHA for three months than in mice fed a control diet. In mice from the DHA group, they saw a reduction in the concentrations of molecules that stimulate tissue inflammation and, conversely, a larger quantity of molecules that prevent the activation of cell death. "This is the first convincing demonstration of the powerful anti-inflammatory effect of DHA in the brain," the researchers say. "This protective effect results from the substitution of molecules in the neuronal membrane: DHA partially replaces arachidonic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid known for its inflammatory properties." The consumption of omega-3s creates an anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective environment in the brain that mitigates damage following a stroke, Kriz says. "It prevents an acute inflammatory response that, if not controlled, is harmful to brain tissue."