How Your Genes and Fats Shape Your Brain's Wiring
Brain White Matter Development Is Associated with a Human-Specific Haplotype Increasing the Synthesis of Long Chain Fatty Acids
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The gene’s effect on brain development disappears after age 60.
Most genetic effects on brain structure persist or worsen with aging, but here the difference between genotypes vanishes in older adults—suggesting LC-PUFAs matter most during youth.
Practical Takeaways
If you have a family history of cognitive or psychiatric issues, consider genetic testing for FADS variants and optimize omega-3 intake—especially during adolescence.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The gene’s effect on brain development disappears after age 60.
Most genetic effects on brain structure persist or worsen with aging, but here the difference between genotypes vanishes in older adults—suggesting LC-PUFAs matter most during youth.
Practical Takeaways
If you have a family history of cognitive or psychiatric issues, consider genetic testing for FADS variants and optimize omega-3 intake—especially during adolescence.
Publication
Journal
The Journal of Neuroscience
Year
2014
Authors
B. Peters, A. Voineskos, P. Szeszko, T. Lett, P. DeRosse, S. Guha, Katherine H. Karlsgodt, T. Ikuta, Daniel Felsky, M. John, D. Rotenberg, J. Kennedy, T. Lencz, A. Malhotra
Related Content
Claims (6)
Your genes might affect brain wiring more when you're young, but that effect fades as you get older — after 60, it doesn’t seem to matter much anymore.
Your brain needs certain fats that are mostly found in animal foods, and your body isn’t very good at making them from plant fats.
Some people have a gene variant that affects how their brain's wiring develops over time — those with the common version (C) show normal brain changes as they age, while those with two copies of the less common version (T) don't show as much change.
People with a certain gene version (TT) might not develop their brain's wiring the same way as others as they age — especially in how it changes in young adulthood and later life — possibly because of how their bodies make certain fats.
If you're a healthy white person and you inherited two copies of a specific gene variant (T allele) from your parents, your brain's wiring in certain areas might be less organized than in people with a different version of that gene — and this seems to be true no matter how old you are.