This Dementia Action Week (21–27 September), coinciding with World Alzheimer’s Month and World Alzheimer’s Day on 21 September, attention is turning to an evolving area of brain nutrition science – how essential nutrients such as omega-3 actually reach the brain.
The research comes as dementia is now Australia’s leading cause of death, with an estimated 446,500 Australians currently living with dementia – a figure projected to exceed one million by 2065.
Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA have long been recognised as important nutrients for the brain. Yet despite decades of research, conventional omega-3 supplementation has produced inconsistent results in brain health studies.
Scientists have uncovered an important part of the puzzle.
Pioneering research led by scientists including Professor David Silver from Duke-NUS Medical School has identified a highly specialised transport pathway the brain uses to take up EPA and DHA when they are bound to lysophosphatidylcholine, or LPC.
It’s not just how much, but how it gets there.
The discovery is shifting the scientific question from how much omega-3 we consume to whether it’s in the right form to reach the brain effectively.
More recent preclinical research has built on this discovery, finding significantly higher levels of EPA and DHA in brain tissue when delivered in LPC-bound form compared with conventional omega-3.
While further clinical research is required, Accredited Practising Dietitian Kate Save said the findings opened an important new area of brain nutrition research.
“From a dietitian’s perspective, nutrients consumed through whole foods are digested and absorbed within a complex food matrix. The surrounding fats, proteins, fibre and other compounds can influence bioavailability and how nutrients are transported and used by the body. When nutrients are isolated in supplements, their molecular form and delivery pathway may become particularly important.
“This research suggests that with EPA and DHA, the question may not be only how much is consumed, but also the form in which it is delivered and whether it can access the brain’s specialised transport system. The LPC pathway identified in this krill derived ingredient is an interesting development, although further human clinical trials are needed.
“For pharmacists, who are often one of the first points of contact for consumers seeking advice about supplements, it is a reminder that omega-3 formulations may not be interchangeable and that the science of nutrient delivery continues to evolve.”
From scientific discovery to nutrition innovation
The first commercial translation of the discovery is Lysoveta®, the world’s first commercially available LPC-bound EPA/DHA ingredient designed around the brain’s natural transport pathway.
Derived from Antarctic krill, Lysoveta® builds on the natural phospholipid structure of krill. Unlike traditional fish oil, krill naturally delivers EPA and DHA in phospholipid form. One of these phospholipids, phosphatidylcholine, can be converted into LPC – the molecule that utilises the brain’s specialised EPA and DHA transport pathway.
Following recent regulatory approval in Australia, manufacturers and brands can now explore the technology as they develop future nutritional products.
Professor Silver said the discovery had opened a new direction for brain nutrition research.
“Rather than simply asking how much EPA and DHA we consume, we’re now exploring how these nutrients naturally reach the brain. That discovery has opened an entirely new direction for brain nutrition research.”
Ms Save said growing interest in brain health has well placed pharmacists to help consumers navigate the evolving science.
“People are increasingly interested in what they can do to support their brain health as they age, but it’s important that we don’t get ahead of the science.
“This is an emerging area of research, and further clinical trials are needed. But it’s giving us a much more sophisticated understanding of how nutrients reach the brain and where brain nutrition research may be heading next.”
