Probiotics and omega-3s to help prevent brain damage from excess fat

Supplementing the diet with omega-3 fatty acids and the probiotic Bifidobacterium breve CECT8242 helps prevent brain damage caused by a high-fat diet. At least in prepubertal piglets. This has been demonstrated by research coordinated by research staff from the University of Lleida (UdL) and the Lleida Biomedical Research Institute (IRBLleida) for the food company Ordesa. The study, published in the journal Antioxidants, also included experts from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and the Institute of Agri-Food Research and Technology (IRTA).

The research was carried out with 43 female Duroc pigs, born from eleven different litters. Each one has been distributed into four study groups, to minimize possible biases derived from genetics, and they have been fed different types of diet. "The study with this animal experimental model has shown that diet influences brain modifications in mammals and has served to identify lipid oxidation as the mechanism that causes damage to brain proteins associated with the development of neurodegenerative diseases," the authors state.

Text: Ordesa Communication / UdL Press