Fish oil ‘really can help boost our memory’

FISH oils can help older people with memory problems to boost their brain power, say researchers.

Otherwise healthy people who struggled to remember some events from their life had improved recall after six months of taking supplements, a study found.

Previous studies have given conflicting results about the extent to which omega-3 fatty acids in fish oils and other marine sources can prevent mental decline.

But the latest research found the acids are most beneficial for people who already have memory problems, especially those dealing with physical or mental stress.

In an overview of evidence by US and Canadian scientists, one study looked at 485 elderly people with memory problems. Those who were given marine oil supplements f or 24 weeks saw ‘ significant improvements’ in memory test scores compared to those given dummy tablets, the journal Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids reports.

Docosahexaenoic acid, the omega-3 acid found in oily fish, is thought to help nerve cells communicate with each other. Our bodies cannot produce the nutrient themselves so we must obtain it from our food.

British nutritionist Dr Carrie Ruxton said fish oils lead to ‘better performance in working and verbal memory’, adding: ‘People with the greatest cognitive decline have the least amount of omega-3 in their diet.’

She warned that Britons do not eat enough oily fish – such as salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines – and two thirds eat none at all.