January 9, 2008 - SFB Staff — A new report published in the e-newsletters Fats of Life and PUFA Newsletter links omega-3 fatty acids with the prevention of Parkinson’s disease.

The study, headed by Frederic Calon at Laval University in Quebec City, was performed on an animal model of the disease. Results showed that the consumption of omega-3s, particularly DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) found mainly in seafood, protected  animals with Parkinson’s from losing their dopamine-producing neurons. Animals without these omega-3s lost 30 percent of the essential cells.

These results suggest omega-3s may protect against the earliest stages of Parkinson’s, and that DHA may have potential as a preventative agent in humans if it is available before the disease is triggered.

Parkinson’s involves the degeneration of neurons in the substantia nigra region of the brain. These neurons produce dopamine, a chemical involved in the coordination of movement. The disease is treated by providing dopamine, which eases but does not abolish all of the symptoms.