I’m not kidding you, eating fish really does make you smarter!

Review expert: Shen Yingjian, Director of the Nutrition Department of Hebei Yanda Hospital

When I was a child, at the dinner table, there would always be an elder who would put a piece of delicious fish into your bowl and say to you, "Children who eat more fish will be smarter." Although this saying is more out of the elders' love for the younger generation, this saying that I have heard since childhood has indeed been scientifically proven.
In fact, the scientific community has long discovered that fish oil extracted from fish is beneficial to human health. Many studies on dietary structure have also shown that this benefit comes from a substance called Omega-3 fatty acids. However, it was not until recently that the benefits of this substance to the human body were proven.

Source: hippopx

After three years of joint efforts, the team of Professor Zhang Yan from Zhejiang University School of Medicine and Liangzhu Laboratory, and the teams of Professor Sun Jinpeng, Professor Feng Shiqing and Professor Yu Xiao from Shandong University, successfully analyzed at the atomic resolution the pattern of Omega-3 fatty acid receptor recognition of unsaturated fatty acids with different double bond modifications, and then revealed the mechanism by which different fatty acids trigger the Omega-3 fatty acid receptor to produce specific downstream signal spectra, thus revealing the mystery of Omega-3 .
It is this research finding that proves that the adults' experience is correct and that eating fish does make people smarter.

1

Nutrients to nourish the brain and heart

So what exactly is Omega-3? It is a type of polyunsaturated fatty acid that the human body needs but cannot synthesize on its own. Unlike other fatty acids that can lead to obesity, high blood pressure and other metabolic diseases when consumed in excess, Omega-3 is not only helpful for brain development and health, but also contributes significantly to anti-inflammatory, prevention of cardiovascular inflammation, and thrombosis . Studies have shown that Omega-3 can even be used as a drug to treat depression and attention deficit disorder.

Source: hippopx

The reason why Omega-3 plays such an important role in the human body is that Omega-3 fatty acids are one of the main structural components of human cell membranes. Within a certain range, the more Omega-3 a person consumes, the more free fatty acids there are in the body. These free molecules can serve as structural substances to supplement the cell membrane and assist in the transport of substances between cells . In this way, the "good things" in the human body can be enjoyed by more cells more fairly, and any biological information between cells can be quickly transmitted, which is more beneficial to human health. In addition to being a medium for the transport of substances and information between cells in the human body, Omega-3 can also regulate hormone levels in the human body and maintain the homeostasis of the human body's internal environment , just like other members of the fatty acid family.

Therefore, Omega-3 is well-deserved to be called a nutrient that nourishes the brain and protects the heart. However, as Omega-3 is so beneficial to the human body and clinical studies have shown that it is worth studying for decades, why has the principle code of Omega-3 only been solved recently?

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“Blind box” or “Minesweeper”?

Fatty acids are not only the energy source for life activities in the human body, but also the signal molecules that regulate many metabolic processes. It can be said that only when it is "given" in the human body can life activities proceed in an orderly manner. Fatty acids are divided into saturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids. Those containing one double bond are called monounsaturated fatty acids, and those containing multiple double bonds are called polyunsaturated fatty acids. Omega-3 is a polyunsaturated fatty acid, and the main component of fish oil is Omega-3.

In previous scientific research, scientists have discovered that if Omega-3 wants to play its role in the human body, it has an indispensable assistant - the Omega-3 fatty acid oil receptor, which can recognize a variety of saturated and unsaturated long-chain fatty acids, including Omega-3 fatty acids, as information molecules.

However, since the Omega-3 fatty acid receptor is not "specific" to Omega-3 fatty acids, many different long-chain fatty acids can bind to the Omega-3 fatty acid receptor and produce corresponding effects, but the effects are different. In addition, because the structure of the GPCR signal transduction complex in the laboratory contains unsaturated bonds such as double bonds, which are very unstable, and the long-chain fatty acid molecules are very similar, it is difficult to capture them in scientific experiments for a long time , not to mention how to distinguish and analyze them. Therefore, scientists have been unable to study the principle of different fatty acids triggering different activation effects and leading to different results after binding to the Omega-3 fatty acid receptor.

In other words, the effect that occurs when long-chain fatty acids bind to the Omega-3 fatty acid receptor is like opening a "blind box": we don't know what's in the blind box before opening the package, just as we don't know what kind of binding effect will be caused by differences in binding sites, etc.

Source | Science

Professor Zhang Yan's team and collaborators conducted research on Omega-3 fatty acid receptors. The team selected five fatty acids and synthetic compounds with different structures as ligands for chemical unsaturated bonds, and used the ability of Omega-3 fatty acid receptors to recognize unsaturated fatty acids with different double bond modifications and their connection with the biased signals of Omega-3 fatty acid receptors as the starting point for the research. This research method is very similar to the game "Minesweeper" that we have all played. The fatty acid pathways whose final results are inconsistent with expectations are hidden mines. After eliminating the "mines", the research can focus on Omega-3 fatty acids .

Source | Science

3

How to get Omega-3 fatty acids?

Scientists have now confirmed that Omega-3 fatty acids are good for the heart, can reduce blood clots, and prevent arteriosclerosis; in addition, in some preliminary scientific studies, it has also contributed to relieving muscle fatigue and improving organ transplant rejection. Now there is more scientific evidence to show that a diet rich in Omega-3 fatty acids is not only good for the heart and blood pressure, but also helpful for diabetes, attention deficit disorder, cancer, Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, etc.

In our daily lives, we can supplement omega-3 with common seafood such as fish, shrimp, shellfish, algae, as well as foods such as nut snacks, rapeseed oil and soybeans .

Source: hippopx

It is also important to note that people with diabetes and those at risk of bleeding should avoid taking foods containing omega-3 fatty acids with drugs such as aspirin, anticoagulants and ibuprofen to avoid reactions. Nutritionists also remind us: "When buying products, you should look at the overall nutritional value, not just the omega-3 content. Products with high salt and high calories will offset the benefits of omega-3." It seems that although omega-3 is good, you can't be greedy.