Recent research conducted by a team from China’s Army Medical University indicates that oral intake of fish oil may not only fail to improve cognitive function in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease but might actually accelerate cognitive decline.
Many older adults commonly take omega-3 supplements with the belief that they can help safeguard cognitive abilities.
However, the new findings from this Chinese study call this assumption into question. The research involved an analysis of over 800 older adults in North America, approximately half of whom possessed the APOEε4 gene, which is associated with an increased risk of dementia.
The results revealed that individuals consuming omega-3 supplements experienced a significantly faster deterioration in cognitive abilities compared to those who did not take these supplements.
The study’s findings were published online in April and will feature in the June edition of The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease.
“These outcomes challenge the widely held belief that omega-3 is beneficial and underscore the importance of carefully reconsidering its broad use for cognitive health,” the researchers stated.
