Omega 3 fatty acids, blood pressure, and cognitive ability:
A randomized, controlled, cross-over study involving 40 healthy adults, ages 51-72 years old, found that omega-3 fatty acids improved cognitive function and cardio-metabolic risk factors after 5 weeks of supplementation. Subjects received either 3g daily fish oil or placebo for 5 weeks, separated by a 5-week washout period. Results showed subjects performed better on working memory tests and had lowered blood pressure and plasma triglyceride levels with omega-3 compared to placebo. Systolic blood pressure, f-glucose, and s-TNF-alpha, were inversely related to the performance in cognitive tests. The results from this study suggest that omega-3 fatty acids may improve cognitive performance in healthy subjects after only five weeks and may help prevent or delay onset of metabolic disorders and the associated cognitive decline. (55)