BUDAPEST, Hungary, March 8 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers found people who consumed more long-chain omega-3 fatty acids had more gray matter in the brain.
Fifty-five healthy adult participants were interviewed to determine their average intake of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, while the volume of gray matter, a brain tissue full of nerve cells, was evaluated using high-resolution structural MRI.
The findings, presented at the American Psychosomatic Society's annual meeting in Budapest, suggests omega-3 fatty acids may promote structural improvement in areas of the brain related to mood and emotion regulation -- the same areas where gray matter is reduced in people who have mood disorders such as major depressive disorder.
Main dietary sources of omega-3 include flaxseed oil, walnut oil and fish.
Study leader Sarah M. Conklin, a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Pittsburgh, says more research is needed to determine whether fish consumption actually causes changes in the brain.
