Omega-3 Oils May Protect Elderly Brains

Having high blood levels of omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids, which are found in fish oil, may help preserve thinking ability in the elderly, according to the findings of a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The results were particularly striking among subjects with high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels.

Accumulating evidence suggests that diets that include omega-3 fatty acids, specifically, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid,protect against the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, according to a Dutch research team. However, the effect of thec onsumption on thinking ability, or cognitive function has received less scrutiny.

Dr. Boukje Maria van Gelder, from the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in Bilthoven, and associates evaluated data for 210 healthy men in the “Zutphen Study,” who were 79 to 89 years old in 1990 and had normal mental capacity. Their diets were assessed in 1990, and cognitive function was tested in 1990 and again in 1995.

Subjects who ate fish had a slower decline in cognitive function than subjects who did not eat fish.

The investigators concluded that the intake are not significantly related to cognitive impairment but are related to cognitive decline.

Van Gelder’s team recommends daily consumption of roughly 400 mg of EPA and DHA, found in fish, eggs,meats, leeks, and cereal products.