Fish oil holds promise in Alzheimer’s fight

March 25, 2005 | Source: KurzweilAI

A diet high in DHA–an omega-3 fatty acid found in relatively high concentrations in cold-water fish–dramatically slowed the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in mice, researchers with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the University of California at Los Angeles found.

After three to five months–the equivalent of several years in human biology–the high-DHA mice group had 70-percent less buildup of amyloid protein in the brain. This sticky protein makes up the plaques that are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s.

The studies, say the scientists, suggest that even people who are genetically predisposed to the disease may be able to delay it by boosting their DHA intake.

VA news release