Food and Human Responses by Kodoth Prabhakaran Nair

Author:Kodoth Prabhakaran Nair
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783030354374
Publisher: Springer International Publishing

8.12 The Interrelationship Between Fish Oil Supplements and Cognitive Decline

There is largely supportive evidence from epidemiological studies that show fish intake to be positively linked to enhanced cognitive capacity. The late Sir Arthur Conan Doyle creator of the famed Sherlock Holmes-Dr Watson duo, who solved several murder mysteries, has credited the brainy Sherlock Holmes, as a voracious fish eater. Cunnane et al. (2009) reviewed observational studies that related fish or dietary DHA/EPA consumption to the risk of cognitive decline or dementia and indicated that 9 out of 12 studies showed at least some protective effects on Alzheimer’s disease, cognitive decline, or all-cause dementia. Whether DHA/EPA supplements will also exert a protective effect on cognition performance has been examined in at least half a dozen investigations since 2000. Providing DHA + EPA supplements for 6 months (Suzuki et al. 2001) and using DHA (+arachidonic acid in unspecified proportions), Kotani et al. (2006) showed better performance on tests of cognitive abilities in subjects who had exhibited mild cognitive impairment. In light of the vast numbers of health conscious individuals, who currently take fish oil supplements, in many instances to ward off future cognitive problems, including dementia and/or Alzheimer’s disease, it is worth asking if Omega-3 fatty acids are effective or not in preventing these disorders in later life, who are currently healthy without any cognitive disorders. A recent review identified three high-quality randomized control trials that used DHA + EPA supplements anywhere from 6 to 40 months (Sydenham et al. 2012), with over 3500 individuals comprising the total subject pool across the investigations. The reviewers concluded that there was no benefit to cognitive function from the omega-3 fatty acid supplements in cognitively healthy individuals over the age of 60; instead, weekly consumption of oily fish was recommended by the review’s authors.

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