Chapter 17 - Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Supplementation as a Potential Protective Factor or Treatment for Neurodegenerative Diseases

Abstract

The neuroprotective properties exhibited by omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may denote potential treatments or protective factors against the neurodegenerative diseases. This review examines the potential treatments or protective factors of omega-3 fatty acids on dementia, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia, multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and Huntington’s disease (HD). Studies have produced mixed results on the effectiveness of omega-3 supplementation on the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Despite the potential for omega-3 fatty acids to function as protective factors against these diseases, thus far, no randomized control trials (RCT) have investigated the influence of omega-3 fatty acids on incident dementia or frontotemporal dementia. Omega-3s intake has not been found to decrease AD risk, but there may be some protective effect of high levels of fish consumption. Omega-3 supplementation and fish consumption appear to decrease PD incidence, improve depressive symptoms in individuals with PD, and improve quality of life in individuals with MS. Studies on the influence of omega-3 intake on HD have produced mixed results, but ethyl- eicosapentaenoic acid (ethyl-EPA) may have beneficial effects. There is a paucity of RCT investigating the potential benefits of omega-3 fatty acids on neurodegenerative diseases. Further research is needed to determine the effects of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on individuals with neurodegenerative diseases and their influence on the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases.