Omega 3 supplements found to be ineffective for dementia

The trials showed mixed results for older people.

DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is naturally found in the body in small amounts, and is the most abundant fatty acid in the brain. Omega 3 is naturally found in oily fish. These two studies looked at the effectiveness of omega three supplements for reducing cognitive decline.

The first trial, conducted by the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS) found that there was no benefit of omega 3 supplements for people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease over 18 months. The second trial looked at the benefits of the compound in healthy people to see its effective on age related cognitive decline.

Alzheimer's Society comment

'While we know that diet is an important factor in reducing your risk of developing dementia this study suggests that taking omega 3 supplements may not be effective in lowering your risk.  However, it's important to remember that a healthy diet rich in vegetables, fruit and fish which are all naturally high in omega 3, antioxidants and other helpful factors has been shown to help.  A healthy heart means a healthy brain so Alzheimer's Society top tips are to eat a healthy diet, exercise, don't smoke and make sure you get your blood pressure and cholesterol checked.'

Professor Clive Ballard          
Director of Research
Alzheimer's Society

Reference: 

www.abstractonline.com

• Visit www.alzheimers.org.uk/icad for the latest Alzheimer's Society responses to news from the conference.
• Visit www.alz.org/icad the official website of ICAD, the world's leading forum on dementia research.