Lee Swanson Research Update

Omega-3s Slow Progress of Dementia

October 2005

Eating fish (a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids) at least once a week slows the toll aging takes on the brain, according to a study that examined the lifestyles of people who participated in the Chicago Health and Aging Project.

Researchers noted that dietary intake of fish and the omega-3 fatty acids have been associated with lower risk of Alzheimer's disease. The objective of the study was to "examine whether intakes of fish and the omega-3 fatty acids protect against age-related cognitive decline."

Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to boost brain functioning and the six-year Chicago study reinforced the idea that eating fish regularly appears to protect the brain as people age. Researchers found that the rate of cognitive decline was 10% slower in people who ate at least one fish meal per week when compared to test subjects who consumed fish less than once a week. Those who ate two or more fish meals per week saw a 13% slower decline. Lead investigator Martha Clare Morris of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago said "The rate reduction (of mental decline) is the equivalent of being three to four years younger in age."

Archives of Neurology Published online Oct. 10, 2005

(doi:10.1001/archneur.62.12.noc50161)

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