Vitamins E, a group of fat-soluble vitamins that help prevent oxidative stress in the body among other things, and that contain foods such as peanuts, broccoli, tomatoes, asparagus, kiwis or pumpkin, have proven to be crucial for neuronal health , according to the conclusions of the latest study carried out by Oregon State University (USA) and collected in The Journal of Lipid Research .
The experiment was carried out with zebrafish specimens that were fed a diet deficient in vitamin E for their entire lives. The use of zebrafish in laboratories is already common because it is transparent during the first days of embryonic development and allows the formation of cells to be visualized in real time. In addition, its genetic similarity with humans is 70% .
The results of the study revealed that this lack of vitamin E caused damage to the brain, by interrupting the supply of nutrients that are crucial for neuronal health . Thus, zebrafish with deficiencies in this vitamin had levels of DHA-PC (a component of the cell membrane of neurons) 30% lower than fish that were fed a balanced diet and foods rich in vitamin E. In humans, DHA-PC deficiency has been associated with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
“You cannot build a house without the necessary materials. In a sense, if vitamin E is inadequate, we are cutting by more than half the amount of materials with which we can build and maintain the brain ”, explains Maret Traber, leader of the study.
In addition, the fish also showed abnormally low levels (60% less) of lysoPLs (lysophospholipids) , compounds necessary to obtain DHA in the brain. Docosahexaenoic acid or DHA is key in brain development, memory and learning . Not for nothing is it one of the most important nutrients obtained from omega-3 fatty acids.
“ There is increasingly clear evidence that vitamin E is associated with brain protection , and we are now beginning to better understand some of the underlying mechanisms. This research demonstrated that vitamin E is necessary to prevent a dramatic loss of a critically important molecule in the brain and helps explain why vitamin E is necessary for brain health, ”says Traber.
