Study: Omega-3 Reverses Brain Gene Damage Derived From Fructose Intake

Don Colbert, MD September 17, 2026

In the Western diet, fructose is consumed on a daily basis which is seen to alter brain genes (also linked to many different diseases). Food products line the grocery aisles which are sweetened with the corn syrup product. Fructose is found in a wide range of drinks, desserts, syrup products, baby foods, and honey. According to the Dept. of Agriculture, Americans consumed approximately twenty-seven (27) pounds of this product in 2014 alone.

Fructose Overload

Fructose is an inexpensive product created from corn syrup. High-fructose corn syrup is produced from corn starches. Therefore, it is used by a large number of companies to create sweetened food products. Food corridors at local grocers are overloaded with merchandises sweetened with fructose.

Wide Spectrum of Diseases

According to a recent study at the University of California (Los Angeles), scientists have linked fructose to hundreds of damaged genes. Changes in brain genes are found in disease processes including diabetes, Attention Deficit Disorders (ADD/ADHD), Alzheimer’s, and heart diseases. More details are contained in the EBioMedicine online research publication.

Gene Identification

During specific studies, rats receiving a high-fructose diet were tested in a variety of ways. Their blood sugar levels increased over time along with triglyceride levels. Over twenty-two thousand (22,000) genes were identified in the brains of the rats. At least nine hundred (900) genes were found to be affected by the high intake of fructose. These specific genes are very close in similarity to those found in human brains.

Negative Impact

The brain genes found to be directly affected by high fructose consumption also regulate inflammation, are involved in cellular communication, and control metabolism within the body. According to Professor Yang, a few of the conditions related to the brain gene changes include depression, Parkinson’s, bipolar syndrome, as well as other brain-related maladies.

Omega-3 Role of Reversal

During scientific studies, researchers found Omega-3 (also known as DHA) created changes in the damaged brain genes. It appears the “reversal” pushes the genes back to their normal state, according to Professor Xia Yang.

The powerful benefit of DHA in the diet can provide healthy changes in the body. DHA is found in the brain in a natural state, but the quantity is not great enough to provide full benefits to the body. The needed amount of DHA for improved health must come from the diet or by natural supplementation.

Natural Dietary DHA

DHA is found in abundance in wild salmon. Other foods which include this Omega-3 fatty acid include fish, walnuts, fruits, flaxseeds, and vegetables. Fish oil is another possible option for adding additional DHA to the diet along with high-quality DHA supplements.

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Don Colbert, MD

Don Colbert, MD, has been board-certified in family practice and in anti-aging and integrative medicine for more than 25 years. He is the medical director of the Divine Health Wellness Center, where he has treated more than 50,000 patients, and a New York Times bestselling author of books including The Seven Pillars of Health, What Would Jesus Eat?, Deadly Emotions and Keto Zone Diet, with more than ten million books sold. He hosts Dr. Colbert's Broadcast with his wife Mary and son Kyle, where faith meets functional medicine. He and Mary live in Orlando, Florida and Dallas, Texas.

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