Fish has long been considered “brain food,” and a recent study suggests that this belief may be especially true for middle-aged adults. Researchers found that individuals with higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids performed better on tests measuring memory and thinking abilities. They also showed greater thickness in brain regions associated with memory, areas that typically shrink with aging and dementia. Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly DHA and EPA, are commonly found in fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, and sardines. These nutrients are also available through fish oil supplements. The study focused on more than 2,000 mentally healthy middle-aged adults, with an average age of 46 years. Researchers aimed to determine whether omega-3 fatty acids could influence brain structure and cognitive function during middle age, a period when the earliest signs of abnormal brain aging may begin to develop. Participants underwent MRI brain scans and standard assessments of memory and cognitive performance. Their blood levels of DHA and EPA were also measured. Researchers adjusted the analysis for several influencing factors, including age, body weight, smoking habits, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Even after accounting for these variables, higher omega-3 levels remained associated with better brain structure and cognitive performance. Although the study does not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship, previous research has also linked omega-3 fatty acids with improved brain health. Experimental studies suggest that omega-3s may reduce inflammation, protect brain cells in the hippocampus, and support the formation of new nerve cells. Importantly, researchers noted that moderate omega-3 intake may be sufficient to provide brain benefits, indicating that even regular dietary consumption of fish could help support healthy brain aging.

Researcher said that the elevated level of CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide) following hormonal fluctuations could help to explain why migraine attacks are more likely during menstruation and why migraine attacks gradually decline after menopause. The study involved three groups of female participants with episodic migraine. All had at least three days with migraine in the month before the study. The groups were those with a regular menstrual cycle, those taking oral contraceptives, and those who had gone through menopause. Each group was compared to a group of female participants of similar ages who did not have migraine. Each group had 30 people, for a total of 180. Researchers collected blood and tear fluid to determine CGRP levels. In those with regular menstrual cycles, the samples were taken during menstruation when estrogen levels are low and around the time of ovulation, when levels are the highest. In those taking oral contraceptives, samples were taken during the hormone-free time and the hormone-intake time. Samples were taken once from postmenopausal participants at a random time. The study found that female participants with migraine and a regular menstrual cycle had higher CGRP concentrations during menstruation than those without migraine. Those with migraine had blood levels of 5.95 picograms per milliliter (pg/ml) compared to 4.61 pg/ml for those without migraine. For tear fluid, those with migraine had 1.20 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) compared to 0.4 ng/ml for those without migraine. The study also suggests that measuring CGRP levels through tear fluid is feasible and warrants further investigation. Researcher said that this method is still exploratory, but it is non-invasive and also noted that while hormone levels were taken around the time of ovulation, they may not have been taken exactly on the day of ovulation, so the fluctuations in estrogen levels may not be fully reflected.