Fish Oil May Not Benefit Brain Health

Omega-3 fatty acids have been touted for preserving cognitive function and memory, but a new review by The Cochrane Library finds that said benefits may be overstated. According to research, healthy elderly people who take omega-3 supplements fared no better on thinking and verbal skills examinations than those who were given a placebo.

Previously, many studies have associated omega-3 consumption with better brain health and a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease. One study from Columbia University researchers determined that people who ate diets higher in omega-3s had lower blood levels of beta amyloid – the telltale protein that gums up the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. In another study that appeared in the journal Neurology this past February, researchers concluded that people with the highest levels of omega-3s in their blood had bigger brain volumes and performed better on visual memory and abstract reasoning tests when compared with those who had the lowest omega-3 levels. For more information, click here to read the full release.