Can fish oil protect us from Alzheimer's Disease?

by Laura Meads

Researchers in the US believe it can. New research has been published that says if we eat a diet that is rich in an omega 3 fatty acid called DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) we will reduce our chances of getting Alzheimer's, as this acid protects the brain against memory loss and cell damage that is caused by Alzheimer's. Consuming more DHA is something that we can control easily as DHA is found in soy, fish and other oils. You can also get it in a more concentrated form as fish oil capsules and DHA supplemented eggs.

Dr Greg Cole, associate director of UCLA Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, has done a study on mice who have the Alzheimer's gene and found that mice fed a diet high in DHA had less memory loss and less brain cell damage than the mice that were on a diet high in DHA. Dr Cole says, "We saw that a diet rich in DHA dramatically reduces the impact of the Alzheimer's gene."

The human brain absorbs DHA rapidly, making it crucial for proper cognitive function, eye development and mental tasks. Good food sources of DHA are oil rich fish: salmon, halibut, mackerel, sardines and herring.