Omega-3 Supplements May Not Improve Brain Health the Way We Thought, New Study Finds

Key Points

•     Omega-3 supplements alone may not improve brain health, especially if paired with an unhealthy lifestyle.
•     A new study found no difference in memory or brain health between people taking omega-3 supplements and those taking a placebo.
•     Eating omega-3-rich foods like salmon and walnuts, along with healthy habits, may benefit brain health more than supplements.

 Many people take an omega-3 fish oil supplement to help lower their risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have been shown to lower blood pressure, boost good cholesterol, maintain cell health, and reduce the risk for cancer, dementia, and Alzheimer's disease. The body, though, doesn't produce omega-3s on its own. Instead, these fatty acids must be obtained from foods such as salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines, walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseeds, or by taking supplements.

But a new clinical trial found that supplements did nothing to improve memory, cognition, or brain cell loss.

The results of the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial were recently published in The Lancet journal eBioMedicine. The study divided 365 people without dementia between the ages of 55 and 80 into treatment and placebo groups. All had extremely low omega-3 levels and at least one risk factor for dementia, such as obesity, sedentary lifestyle, high blood pressure, or cholesterol. Nearly 50 percent had at least one copy of the APOE4 gene, which increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's. 

The treatment group received a high-dose omega-3 algae supplement (2,000 milligrams of DHA) each day for 24 months. The control group took a placebo for the same period. Both groups also took a vitamin B complex. All participants underwent MRI brain scans, blood draws, and cognitive testing at various points throughout the study.

Even though the levels of omega-3 had risen in the brains of the people who took the supplement, there were no improvements in cognition or in the size of the hippocampus—the brain's memory center.

“In fact, there was no real difference between people taking an omega-3 supplement and those taking a placebo,” lead study author Dr. Hussein Yassine, the Volke Endowed Professor of Neurology at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles, told CNN.

The researchers suggest that supplements are most effective for those who adhere to a healthier lifestyle.

“In the Mediterranean, high omega-3 levels are very strong predictors of good cognition,” Yassine said. “But people in the Mediterranean are not popping supplements. They're eating fatty fish, exercising, meeting with friends, and living slowly with less stress."

“In that context, omega-3s are shining, helping the brain,” he added. “But if you eat a typical Western diet with fast food, don't exercise, and are stressed out all day from work, our study showed having more omega-3 in your brain doesn't move the needle.”

More research is needed on the topic of omega-3 supplementation, memory, and cognition. 

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