ABSTRACT
Over the past four decades or so, studies published on the way omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs) inuence human health have gradually revealed the need for these specic PUFAs, quite separately from the need for the other essential PUFA, omega-6 fatty acids. It was found that a lack of dietary ω-3 PUFA, which is rare in humans (clinical cases of parenteral nutrition), is associated with neurological symptoms (Holman et al. 1982). This resulted in questions being raised about the role of ω-3 PUFA in brain physiology (Bourre et al. 1984). These ndings have triggered considerable interest among scientists, the food industry, the media, and the general population. ω-3 PUFAs are claimed to help improve memory, alleviate mood disorders, and protect the brain against aging. The fad for a nutritional fountain of youth is, in fact, based on a great deal of experimental and epidemiological data. While these data have enhanced our understanding of the role of fatty acid (FA) in brain physiology, we still cannot say denitely that dietary ω-3 PUFA can optimize the resistance of the human brain to aging.
