May 12, 2010 – A supplement rich in omega-3 from seaweed is believed to help improve memory in healthy people aged 55 and over.
American researchers have found that people consuming 900 mg of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid, improved their learning and memory skills compared to those not taking any supplement.
The authors of the study1 estimate that this improvement would be equivalent for a man or a woman to have the capacities of a person younger than 3.6 years.
“The beneficial effects of omega-3s on heart disease and depression are well known, but this is the first study of this caliber to show the effect of ADH on memory and learning functions,” says the pharmacist and expert in natural products, Jean-Yves Dionne.
For the study, 485 people aged 55 and over with normal decline in cognitive functions were recruited. For 24 weeks, half of the participants consumed a supplement containing 900 mg of DHA daily. The other half of the participants, the control group, were given a placebo.
All were tested to assess their cognitive skills. Regardless of age, gender, education level, and family history of dementia, people who consumed ADH marine supplements performed better than the control group in episodic memory tests and spatio-visual learning.
For the researchers, ADH in supplement form could reduce the first cognitive declines that are normally associated with normal aging, but also the first symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.
A daily consumption of 900 mg of DHA could thus serve as a neuroprotector to slow down the first cognitive declines. Further work will be necessary to confirm or not the long-term benefits.
A high dose of DHA
Such daily consumption of ADH is however “quite rare”, notes Jean-Yves Dionne, recalling that a serving of fish contains around 200 mg. “For this fatty acid, it’s safe. It is not a potentially toxic dose, but it is not a usual dose, ”he says.
Another downside is that the DHA in this study was obtained from algae-based supplements and not from a food source as in the vast majority of studies on omega-3s. “Can we extrapolate the results of this study to those on fish oils?” asks Jean-Yves Dionne. At the moment, we don’t know. “
This study was funded by Martek Biosciences, the company that manufactures and markets the study supplement. Although 4 of the 6 authors are in his employ and that biases are possible, the study remains interesting, according to Jean-Yves Dionne.
Louis Gagné – PasseportSanté.net
1. Yurko-Mauro K, et al. Beneficial effects of docosahexaenoic acid on cognition in age-related cognitive decline. Alzheimers Dement. 2010 Apr 29.
