Department of Veterinary Sciences for Health, Animal Production and Food Safety, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy.
Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy.
Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Nov 20;25(22):12479. doi: 10.3390/ijms252212479.
The present review investigates the relationship between polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and mental health disorders, such as dementia, psychosis, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, anorexia nervosa, and impairment problems in animals and human models. Data were collected from a variety of studies: randomized intervention trials, observational and interventional studies, case reports, and epidemiological studies. The evidence suggests that PUFAs are beneficial for mental health, brain function, and behavior. ALA, EPA, and DHA have very significant neuroprotective properties, particularly in inducing changes to the synaptic membrane and modulating brain cell signaling. In the case of neurodegenerative disorders, PUFAs incorporated into cellular membranes have been shown to protect against cell atrophy and death. The formal analyses of the included studies pointed to a decrease in ALA, EPA, and DHA levels in various populations (e.g., children, adolescents, adults, and seniors) presenting with different types of mental disorders. These results indicate that PUFA supplementation may be considered as an innovative therapeutic strategy to reduce the risk of neuronal degeneration.
本综述研究了多不饱和脂肪酸（PUFAs）与精神健康障碍之间的关系，如痴呆、精神病、精神分裂症、阿尔茨海默病、神经性厌食症以及动物和人类模型中的损伤问题。数据来自各种研究：随机干预试验、观察性和干预性研究、病例报告和流行病学研究。证据表明，PUFAs 对心理健康、大脑功能和行为有益。ALA、EPA 和 DHA 具有非常显著的神经保护特性，特别是在诱导突触膜变化和调节脑细胞信号方面。在神经退行性疾病的情况下，已经表明细胞膜中包含的 PUFAs 可以防止细胞萎缩和死亡。对纳入研究的正式分析表明，不同人群（例如儿童、青少年、成年人和老年人）的 ALA、EPA 和 DHA 水平在出现不同类型的精神障碍时会降低。这些结果表明，PUFA 补充剂可能被视为一种创新的治疗策略，以降低神经元退化的风险。
