Fish Oil Supplements May Slow Cognitive Decline in Certain Individuals

A study by Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) indicates that omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil could slow the rate of neurological damage in older adults at high risk for Alzheimer's disease, despite limited overall impact.

Fish Oil Supplements. Photo: Leohoho/Unsplash

Adding fish oil to your daily diet has been shown to benefit mood, brain health, and reduce the risk of brain lesions linked to cognitive decline.

Researchers from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) explored whether fish oil could slow brain damage progression in older adults already exhibiting white matter lesions.

The team studied 102 volunteers aged 75 to 95, who showed few to no cognitive impairment signs but had early white matter lesions.

Over three years, omega-3 fatty acids showed minimal impact on the group as a whole.

However, a significant improvement was observed in individuals carrying the APOE4 gene, linked to a higher Alzheimer's risk.

While overall white matter lesion growth rates remained unchanged, those genetically predisposed to Alzheimer's experienced "significant reductions" in nerve cell breakdown, a critical brain health indicator.

"The fact that neuronal integrity breakdown was slowed in people randomized to omega-3 treatment who are also at high risk for Alzheimer's disease is remarkable, and warrants a larger clinical trial in more diverse populations in the future," stated neurologist Gene Bowman, formerly of OHSU.

The findings suggest fish oil supplements may not prevent or slow dementia progression generally but could benefit individuals at genetic risk.

"Our findings showed that over three years, there was not a statistically significant difference between placebo and the group that took fish oil," said neurologist Lynne Shinto from OHSU. "I don't think it would be harmful, but I wouldn't say you need to take fish oil to prevent dementia."

Researchers advocate for larger clinical trials to examine the connection between APOE4 carriers, dementia progression, and omega-3 fatty acids to better understand fish oil's potential impact. (Tasnim News Agency)

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