Omega-3s Don't Help With Memory, After All

What else are they going to take away from us? Now studies are showing that omega-3 fatty acids may not benefit thinking skills, after all.

These are what's in fatty fish like salmon, and nuts.

“There has been a lot of interest in omega-3s as a way to prevent or delay cognitive decline, but unfortunately our study did not find a protective effect in older women. In addition, most randomized trials of omega-3 supplements have not found an effect,” newswise.com quotes study author Eric Ammann, MS, of the University of Iowa in Iowa City. “However, we do not recommend that people change their diet based on these results.. . We know that fish and nuts can be healthy alternatives to red meat and full-fat dairy products, which are high in saturated fats.”

In the study of over 2,000 women aged 65 to 80, the researchers, using memory tests, found no difference between the women with high and low levels of omega-3s in the blood at the time of the tests. There was also no difference between the two groups in how fast their thinking skills declined over time, according to newswise.com.

So if you're planning on stocking up on walnuts and almonds and salmon this winter, go right ahead.  They taste good and they really are good for you.  But apparently they won't help if you, like me, go to the grocery store and forget what you came in for.

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