How Omega-3s Support Mood, Focus, and Brain Fog Relief?
Whether you’re a working professional or a high-school student, you must have experienced mental fogginess, lack of focus, or emotional exhaustion at least once. Unfortunately, these experiences have become a regular part of many individuals' lives for several reasons.
The food we eat plays one of the most crucial roles in our mental performance, to an extent most don’t realize. The human brain is an incredibly active organ that consumes much of our energy regularly and depends heavily on the nutrients we provide it. Among these nutrients, omega-3 fatty acids are particularly powerful allies for mental clarity and emotional well-being.
These essential fats don’t just support your physical health but also act as the building blocks for optimal brain function. This blog explains how omega-3 fatty acids support your overall mental and emotional health, necessitating including an omega-3 fatty acid supplement in your diet.
What Are Omega-3s?
Before exploring their role in your mental and emotional well-being, let’s start by understanding what omega-3s exactly are. For those new to this term, omega-3s refer to a family of essential fatty acids, namely ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid).
These fatty acids are ‘essential’ for your body, but they can only be obtained from external sources. Hence, most people rely on food items like salmon fish, fish oils, chia seeds, walnuts, flaxseeds, sardines, mackerel, fortified foods, and supplements like omega-3 fatty acid supplements to fulfill their daily omega-3 requirements.
ALA is one of the most common omega-3 fatty acids found in food. The human body converts into tiny amounts of EPA and DHA. EPA is a crucial fatty acid that primarily supports your mood and lowers inflammation, whereas DHA supports cognitive function and makes up a large portion of the human brain.
How Omega-3s Affect Your Brain?
The human brain operates like a sophisticated communication network, with billions of cells sending messages to each other to maintain healthy mind functioning. Every brain cell requires a healthy outer membrane for this system to work efficiently. This membrane is like a flexible protective wall that controls what goes in and out.
Omega-3s are crucial components of these outer cell membranes. They keep the membrane fluid and functional instead of rigid and sluggish. When your brain cells have adequate omega-3s, they communicate more effectively and process information faster. It eventually leads to maintaining improved brain health, lowering instances of mental fogginess, inability to focus, erratic mood swings, etc.
If you frequently experience disturbed mood, mental clutter, or other cognitive disturbances that affect your daily routine, consider checking your omega-3 intake. Adding good-quality omega-3 fatty acid supplements to your diet can ensure that the brain cells receive the required nutrients, maintaining optimal mental health.
Does Science Back Omega-3s as a Trusted Solution?
When it comes to consuming omega-3 fatty acid supplements, many question whether it’s a scientific solution to improve mood, focus, and mental clarity.
According to meta-analyses from 30+ clinical trials and studies, omega-3s are effective. However, their effectiveness varied significantly in results because of the dosage variability, the ratio of EPA to DHA, and other study design parameters.
Industry experts believe that depressed individuals who are overweight and experience elevated inflammatory activities can benefit more from omega-3s, leading to improved mood and mental clarity.
A study reaffirmed that omega-3 fatty acids support the maintenance of normal brain function throughout one’s life by preserving brain cell membrane health and facilitating smooth communication between brain cells.
A randomized controlled trial on 176 adults with low omega-3 intake confirmed that giving them 1.16 grams of DHA daily for 6 months improved their episodic and working memory. Hence, people with constantly scattered focus or poor memory may benefit from it.
While several studies point to the effectiveness of omega-3s, we encourage people to consult their healthcare professional before including any omega-3 fatty acid supplement in their diet, especially if they’re diagnosed with some health conditions or taking medicines.
Ideal Omega-3 Intake Guidelines
Omega-3s have repeatedly proven effective and beneficial for health. However, excess consumption may attract health consequences. Although expert opinions on dosage vary considerably, most recommend a regular minimum consumption of 250-500 mg combined EPA and DHA.
Those who eat 8 ounces of fatty fish every week generally fulfill this nutritional requirement from diet. People who don’t consume fish or don’t follow an omega-3-rich diet should consider using omega-3 fatty acid supplements to cover this deficiency. Doctors may prescribe a higher dosage to people with certain health conditions, so always consult your healthcare professional for personalized guidance.
If you start taking supplements or foods high in omega-3, ensure you don’t overconsume them. To avoid health consequences, the daily recommended amount should never exceed 5,000 mg.
Conclusion
No one wants to experience frequent mental disturbances, such as brain fog, lack of focus, drastic mood shifts, etc., but they’re rapidly becoming a common part of most people’s lives. While the reasons can be different, omega-3 deficiency is one of the leading causes.
Since the brain requires omega-3 for smooth and active functioning, fulfilling the daily nutritional requirement can bring notable improvements in cognitive functions and overall mental well-being.
You can include any fatty fish in your diet or take omega-3 fatty acid supplements for the best results. Consult a healthcare professional for personalized guidance.