Millions of people take fish oil for years, but a new study has found no confirmation that omega-3 supplements protect the brain or improve memory in older adults at increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. ScienceDaily reports this, according to infohub.kz.
Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California conducted a two-year study involving 365 volunteers aged 55 to 80. The participants rarely ate fish and were at high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, and 47% of them carried the APOE4 genetic marker. The subjects took a high daily dose of omega-3 — 2,000 milligrams of docosahexaenoic acid — or a placebo.
After six months, cerebrospinal fluid in the supplement group showed a 17% increase in the acid's level. This confirmed that omega-3 successfully reaches the brain. However, by the end of the second year, cognitive tests and tomography scans revealed no benefits. Fish oil did not slow the shrinkage of the hippocampus, the brain area responsible for memory formation.
The study authors believe omega-3 benefits the body when it comes from a balanced diet rather than in isolated capsule form. To protect the brain, experts recommend following a healthy diet such as the Mediterranean diet, exercising regularly and getting enough sleep.