Fish oils stabilise Alzheimer’s memory function
It will come as no surprise to our industry that there has been further positive research into the use of omega-3s in Alzheimer's sufferers.
Nutritioninsight.com reports researchers in Sweden have found a positive correlation between omega-3 intake and memory in Alzheimer's patients who performed a cognitive test.
The study has been lauded as the first ever to measure biomarkers from spinal fluid in Alzheimer's patients treated with omega-3 fatty acids.
“We can see that the memory function of the patients in the group that had taken omega-3 is stable, whereas the patients in the control group have deteriorated,” says Yvonne Freund-Levi, a researcher in neuroscience at Örebro University who worked with researchers at Karolinska Institute, Sahlgrenska University Hospital and Uppsala University. “But we can't see any differences between the groups when we look at the various biomarkers in the spinal fluid samples.”
When looking solely within the group that took omega-3, participants' spinal fluid revealed an increase in two biomarkers associated with damaged nerve cells. Researchers point out that these could indicate an increase in the inflammatory response, but more research is needed, say the authors.
Patients who took omega-3 supplements at an early stage of Alzheimer's disease scored better on memory tests, says Freund-Levi.
The study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease consisted of 33 Alzheimer's patients - 18 were given omega-3 supplements twice daily and 15 made up the control group. Omega-3 supplements were 2.3g fish oils with a higher content of DHA than EPA.
Read the report at bit.ly/3lxGSt8
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