Tag Archives: cognitive decline

Omega-3 Supplements Fail to Prevent Age-Related Cognitive Decline

Posted on September 16, 2013 | 4 comments
I like fish, but cold whole dead fish leave me cold

Consumption of omega-4 fatty acids, mainly from fish, is thought to prevent dementia and certain types of heart disease such as heart attacks and dangerous rhythm disturbances. For those who don’t like fish or can’t afford it, would taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements be just as effective?

Unfortunately, supplementation does not help prevent age-related cognitive decline and dementia, according to an article at MedPage Today.

The respected Cochrane organization did a meta-analysis of three pertinent studies done in several countries (Holland, UK, and ?).

The investigators leave open the possibility that longer-term studies—over three years—may show some benefit.

I leave you with a quote from the MedPage Today article:

And while cognitive benefits were not demonstrated in this review, Sydenham and colleagues emphasized that consumption of two servings of fish each week, with one being an oily fish such as salmon or sardines, is widely recommended for overall health benefits.

Consumption of cold-water fatty fish also helps return our dietary omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid ratio toward our ancestral level.

Steve Parker, M.D.

Reference:
Sydenham E, et al “Omega 3 fatty acid for the prevention of cognitive decline and dementia” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2012; DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD005379.pub3.

4 Comments

Posted in Dementia, Heart Disease

Tagged , , , , ,

Right Diet Preserves Brain Function and Size

Posted on April 12, 2012 | 1 comment

mp9004223691.jpgThe journal Neurology reports that the proper diet seems to help prevent age-related brain shrinkage and cognitive decline.

From the press release:

People with diets high in several vitamins or in omega 3 fatty acids are less likely to have the brain shrinkage associated with Alzheimer’s disease than people whose diets are not high in those nutrients, according to a new study published in the December 28, 2011, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Those with diets high in omega 3 fatty acids and in vitamins C, D, E and the B vitamins also had higher scores on mental thinking tests than people with diets low in those nutrients. These omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin D are primarily found in fish. The B vitamins and antioxidants C and E are primarily found in fruits and vegetables.

So the dietary pattern linked to preservation of brain size and function in this study is: high omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins B, C, D, and E. I don’t know if study participants were getting these nutrients from supplements or from food or a combination. (I haven’t read the full article.)

To find foods high in the aforementioned nutrients, you can use NutritionData’s Nutrient Search Tool.

Note that the time-honored Mediterranean diet is also associated with lower rates of dementia and slower rate of age-related mental decline.

I previously reported that a supplement cocktail of three B vitamins slowed the rate of brain shrinkage.

Steve Parker, M.D.

Reference: Bowman, G.L., et al. Nutrient biomarker patterns, cognitive function, and MRI measures of brain aging. Neurology. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e3182436598

h/t to Randall Parker at FuturePundit

1 Comment

Posted in Dietary Fat, Supplements, Vitamins

Tagged , , , , , , , ,