FocusHerb
There is a growing body of evidence that
fish oils (in particular Omega 3 fatty acids) are very important in the development and function
of the brain, A 2003 review study in the Scandinavian Journal of Nutrition concluded “an adequate dietary intake of omega-3 fatty
acids in particular may be crucial for optimal mental health and functioning”.
The importance of fish oils for “healthy ageing” was
demonstrated in a 2018 study published in the BMJ. The study defined healthy ageing as “survival without chronic diseases (ie, cardiovascular
disease, cancer, lung disease, and severe chronic kidney disease), the absence of cognitive and physical dysfunction, or death from
other causes not part of the healthy ageing outcome”. It concluded a higher cumulative level of serially measured circulating n3-PUFAs
(omega 3 fatty acids) from seafood was associated with a higher likelihood of healthy ageing.
A 2015 meta-analysis looked at the effect
of n-3 PUFA supplementation on cognition in healthy populations and those with ADHD and related disorders. This study looked at 24
randomised control studies. Its analysis found that there was no evidence that supplementation helped cognition in healthy populations.
It was only in situations where there was a deficiency in omega fatty acids that supplementation improved