Omega-3 Supplements Show 0 Brain Benefits in Trials Despite Higher Alzheimer’s Risk Groups
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 8
Omega-3 Supplements Show 0 Brain Benefits in Trials Despite Higher Alzheimer’s Risk Groups
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 8
Summary
A clinical trial published last month found omega-3 supplements did not improve cognition or brain structure versus placebo in older adults.
Roughly half the participants had elevated genetic Alzheimer’s risk, and researchers targeted people who ate little fish to test whether likely beneficiaries would respond.
lumbar punctures showed omega-3 levels in the brain rose with supplementation, yet that increase still failed to translate into measurable cognitive or structural gains.
The result fits the broader evidence: while higher blood omega-3 levels are linked to better cognition and lower dementia risk, most clinical trials have found little to no benefit from supplements.