Alzheimer's disease patients can benefit from omega-3 fatty acid supplements, a latest study reveals.
Researchers at Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, found that these fatty acids can cross the blood-brain barrier and reach brain.
"Earlier population studies indicate that omega-3 can protect against Alzheimer's disease, which makes it interesting to study the effects of dietary supplements containing this group of fatty acids in patients who have already developed the disease," said the study's lead author, Dr Yvonne Freund-Levi, according to a news release.
For the study, the researchers examined 33 participants. Of these, 18 were received omega-3 supplements. The rest were put on placebo for six months.
Previous research has shown that levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients are low.
The present study found that people on fatty acid supplements had higher levels of DHA and eicosapentaenoic acid (another type of omega-3 fatty acid)
Further, the levels of DHA are directly connected with changes in inflammatory markers in the CNS.
"Much work remains to be done before we know how these fatty acids can be used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease to halt memory loss," Jan Palmblad, one of the study authors, said in a news release.
The study is published in the Journal of Internal Medicine.
A recent study by the University of Iowa stated that omega-3 fatty acids could hamper the brain health. "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," Eric Ammann of the University of Iowa said in press statement.
