Research appearing in the Archives of Neurology (Oct, 2006;63(10):1402-08) looked at omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease. Over a six month period, subjects with mild Alzheimer’s disease received a daily dose of 600 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 1.7 grams of Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), or a placebo.
Although most of the subjects did not have any difference in the rate of cognitive decline, one group of patients did seem to respond to the omega-3 fatty acid supplementation. Subjects with very mild cognitive impairment did respond to the supplementation. Also, the subjects with very mild cognitive impairment who were in the placebo group had significant decline that improved when they received the omega-3 supplements during the second half of the study.
Other research appearing in the Archives of Neurology (July 2003; vol 60, #10) shows that eating fish may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Subjects who ate fish one or more times each week had a 60% less risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease when compared to those who rarely or never ate fish. In the same journal (December 2005, vol 60; #12), researchers came to the conclusion that fish consumption slowed cognitive decline.
