Research published in the Archives of Neurology (October 2006; 63(10):1402–1408) examined omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease. Over a six-month period, participants received either a daily supplement providing 600 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 1.7 grams of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) or a placebo. While most participants did not show a significant difference in the overall rate of cognitive decline, a subgroup did appear to benefit. Subjects with very mild cognitive impairment responded positively to omega-3 supplementation. In addition, participants with very mild cognitive impairment who were initially assigned to placebo experienced significant cognitive decline, which improved after they were switched to omega-3 supplementation during the second half of the study.
Other observational research published in the Archives of Neurology has suggested a broader relationship between fish intake and Alzheimer’s disease risk. A study reported in July 2003 (vol. 60, no. 10) found that individuals who ate fish one or more times per week had approximately a 60% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease compared with those who rarely or never consumed fish. In a later report in the same journal (December 2005; vol. 60, no. 12), researchers concluded that regular fish consumption was associated with a slower rate of cognitive decline.
