Omega-3 Fatty Acids Hinder ALS Progression

According to a new study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, consuming omega-3 fatty acids, particularly alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a nutrient found in foods such as flaxseeds, walnuts, and chia, canola, and soybean oils, may help slow the progression of disease in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The work will be published in Neurology on June 21, 2023.

“Prior findings from our research group have shown that a diet high in ALA and increased blood levels of this fatty acid may decrease the risk of developing ALS. In this study, we found that among people living with ALS, higher blood levels of ALA were also associated with a slower disease progression and a lower risk of death within the study period,” said lead author Kjetil Bjornevik, assistant professor of epidemiology and nutrition. “These findings, along with our previous research, suggest that this fatty acid may have neuroprotective effects that could benefit people with ALS.”

The researchers conducted a study involving 449 persons with ALS who were enrolled in a clinical trial. The intensity of their symptoms and the course of their disease were assessed as part of this experiment and then graded from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating less severe symptoms of the disease. The researchers analyzed the levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the individuals’ blood and divided them into four groups based on their omega-3 fatty acid levels, from highest to lowest. According to the clinical experiment, they then followed up with the groups 18 months later to track their physical functionality and survival.

They discovered that ALA provided the biggest benefits of any omega-3 fatty acid, since it was substantially connected to slower decline and a lower risk of mortality. The group with the lowest ALA levels had 33% of the 126 individuals who died within 18 months of the study’s start, whereas the group with the highest ALA levels had 19%. After controlling for age, gender, ethnicity, BMI, symptom duration, and ALS family history, the researchers concluded that participants with the highest levels of ALA had a 50% lower probability of mortality during the study period than participants with the lowest levels of ALA.

Eicosapentaenoic acid, another omega-3 fatty acid found in fatty fish and fish oil, and linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid found in vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds, were also linked to a lower risk of death over the study period.

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