• Neurodegenerative diseases significantly impact global health and mortality. • Ahiflower oil emerges as a plant-based dietary source to enhance brain health. • Gut-brain axis modulation via fatty acids may mitigate neurodegenerative risk. • Omega-3, -6 18:1n-9) as candidate plant-based lipid ingredients for brain health. Experimental and clinical data on the neuroprotective actions of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids are summarized, and proposed synergistic, additive, and antagonistic interactions with monounsaturated fatty acids such as OA are examined. Special attention is given to how these fatty acids influence the MGBA, including effects on microbiome composition and SCFA production. Across the literature, Ahiflower oil and OA show promising anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects, but findings also indicate complex interactions among omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9 fatty acids, including competition for metabolic enzymes and potential attenuation of tissue omega-3 enrichment by high OA intake. Overall, the reviewed evidence suggests that increasing omega-3 intake may support neuroprotection most effectively when accompanied by balance intakes of omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids, and highlights key knowledge gaps that must be addressed before plant-based omega-3 guidelines can be established.
Fuambi et al. (Sun,) studied this question.