Twelve-month Studies on Perilla Oil Intake in Japanese Adults-Possible Supplement for Mental Health.

Michio Hashimoto,Setsushi Kato,Shahdat Hossain,Kentaro Matsuzaki,Osamu Shido,Miho Ohno

doi:10.3390/foods9040530

Michio Hashimoto, Setsushi Kato + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9040530

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Abstract

Perilla oil (PO), rich in α-linolenic acid (LNA, C18:3, ω-3), is increasingly alleged to have numerous health benefits in humans. However, the current reports detailing the effects of PO on human mental health are not adequate. Therefore, in the current investigation we compared the effects of PO or placebo treatment on the mental condition of healthy adult Japanese volunteers. At baseline and after 12 months of treatment, mental health condition was assessed using the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Apathy Scale, and serum biochemical parameters were determined. From baseline to 12 months of intervention, both SDS depression and apathy scores improved significantly in the PO-administered group. Compared to those of control group, serum norepinephrine and serotonin levels after 12 months decreased in the PO-administered group. The enhanced mental state observed in PO-subjects was accompanied by LNA level increases in erythrocyte plasma membranes. Our data demonstrate that PO intake enhances blood LNA levels and may maintain healthy mental conditions in adult subjects.

Highlights

Numerous reports suggest that ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have major roles in the maintenance and sustenance of brain cognition in both animals and humans [1,2,3]
We investigated the effects of LNA-rich Perilla oil (PO) on mental condition in Japanese adults
Participants were excluded if they had evidence of a medical disorder including renal, respiratory, cardiac, or hepatic disease, diabetes mellitus, and endocrine, metabolic, or hematological disturbances, or were using any psychotropic drug/supplement that might significantly influence the outcomes of the study, or had a hypersensitivity or allergy to PO

Summary

Introduction

Numerous reports suggest that ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have major roles in the maintenance and sustenance of brain cognition in both animals and humans [1,2,3]. Fats and oils, such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), can enrich the brain with essential fatty acids, and dietary lipids appear to be an important factor for brain fatty acid nutrition. Many studies support the notion that dietary lipid selection significantly correlates with human ailments such as obesity, atherosclerosis, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, and brain cognition [4]. High fat diet increases brain neuroinflammation [5], which can affect cognition. Tsuboi et al (2013) [7]

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