omega-3 supplements (Photo : Twitter)
Dementia is a non-curable brain disease, causing many people suffering from cognitive decline to use omega 3 supplements such as fish oil capsules to prevent it. However, a new study shows that pills of the fatty acid do not stop age-related dementia and other severe mental illnesses, following-up a previous study showing that food could be a better source of the healthy fat.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
The New York Times reported that observational studies during the past decade have claimed omega-3 boosts brain health, according to The Market Business. This has been the backbone of the fatty acid supplement's industry.
Emily Chew is a NIH deputy director. She issued a press lease indicating that no solid evidence supports the frequently-used health claim.
NIH's new study is a spin-off of another study called AREDS2. It centers on the effects of omega-3 supplements and others for preventing age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
In the previous study researchers learned that the supplement provides no benefits to patients. However, eating foods that are rich in the fatty acid could be beneficial.
The new study included over 3,500 AMD patients whose average age was 72 years old. Over half of the volunteers were women.
Participants were randomly chosen to take a placebo, omega-3, luetein and zeaxanthin, or omega-3 with zeaxanthin and luetein, according to Youth Health Mag. They could also use the AREDS2 formulation instead.
Researchers then tested the volunteers' cognitive functions including memory, recall, and processing speed. That was at the study's start, and then two and four years later.
Patients still suffered cognitive decline. The number of years they took the supplements was irrelevant.
The NIH research team believes future studies are needed. That is because the supplements' benefits could be based how many years patients consume them.
This video is about foods that are high in omega-3:
