Monday, November 8, 2010

Omega-3 fish-oil isn't able to slow Alzheimer's, research states

Hopes that fish oil might be a weapon in the battle against Alzheimer’s disease were dashed Tuesday. The study, which sought to demonstrate how omega-3 fatty acids could impede the progress of dementia, could not. Omega-3 fish oil has been touted as a treatment for Alzheimer's because people with a diet rich in fish demonstrate a lesser tendency to suffer from dementia. Source for this article – Omega-3 fish oil fails to slow Alzheimer’s, study says by Personal Money Store.

Insufficient results from Omega-3 products

Omega-3 fish oil was no more effective than a placebo in results of a study published within the Journal of the American Medical Association. The double-blind study randomly assigned subjects with mild to reasonable Alzheimer’s disease to take a daily dose of either an omega-3 fatty acid supplement or a placebo. Those in the experiment were monitored. For 18 months, this happened. At the end of the study period scientists assessed the subjects’ cognitive ability and conducted MRI scans of their brains. Nobody improved brain volume. Also, cognitive ability was the very same for all.

Still looking into connection with Alzheimer's and fish-oil

Omega-3 fatty acids were something that was looked into for a vitamin good for brain health. This was because Alzheimer's disease was less common in cultures that have a diet with a lot of fish in it. Though the omega-3 study disproves that notion, it didn’t set out to prove whether fish-oil may benefit brain health at a younger age. Dementia is already in the brain years and years before there are any symptoms showing it. Taking Omega-3 many years before getting Alzheimer's could prevent the disease. It may just impede the dementia too.

Don't get too excited specialists

Alzheimer’s therapies aren't proven to work at all. This is what a group of specialists on cognitive development and decline on the National Institutes of Health said. Programs like memory training, not eating saturated fats, eating more fruits and vegetables and rigorous exercise have no scientific facts behind them. These programs do not have any evidence, which means they might nevertheless work. The omega-3 fish oil theory had been proved wrong though with Alzheimer's disease meaning it’s entirely ineffective.

Citations

Los Angeles Times

latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2010/04/cognitive-decline-alzheimers-prevention.html

CNN

cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/02/health.fish.oil.alzheimers/index.html?npt=NP1

Medical News Today

medicalnewstoday.com/articles/206436.php



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