Fish may not be brain food after all

Fish has long been touted as ‘brain food’, but new research from the US suggests that omega-3 fatty acids may not benefit cognitive function at all.

“There has been a lot of interest in omega-3s as a way to prevent or delay cognitive decline, but unfortunately our study did not find a protective effect in older women,” said study author Eric Ammann from the University of Iowa.

“In addition, most randomised trials of omega-3 supplements have not found an effect. However, we do not recommend that people change their diet based on these results.

“Researchers continue to study the relationship between omega-3s and the health of the heart, blood vessels and brain. We know that fish and nuts can be healthy alternatives to red meat and full-fat dairy products, which are high in saturated fats.”

The study involved 2157 women aged 65 to 80 who were enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative clinical trials of hormone therapy. The women were given annual tests of thinking and memory skills for an average of six years. Blood tests were taken to measure the amount of omega-3s in the participants’ blood before the start of each study.

The researchers found no difference between the women with high and low levels of omega-3s in the blood at the time of the first memory tests. There was also no difference between the two groups in terms of how quickly their cognitive skills declined over time.

The study is published in the 25 September online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.