Fish oils help preserve cognitive function and verbal ability in the elederly

April 26, 2007

Having a high level of the Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish helps preserve brain function and thinking ability in the elderly; and the results are especially striking in those with high cholesterol or high blood pressure. Accumulating evidence indicates that the fish oil constituents EPA and DHA protect against developing dementia and Alzheimer?s disease. This new research looks in a slightly different direction; maintaining cognitive function and thinking ability. In the first study of 210 healthy men who were between the ages of 79 to 89 in 1990 with normal mental capacity, it was found that those who ate fish had a slower decline in cognitive function than those who didn?t eat fish. In the second study which included 2,251 older people, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that high blood levels of EPA and DHA are associated with less of a decline in verbal ability. The two studies are published in the April 2007 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.