Many seniors feel the effects of cognitive decline that impact their quality of life. New research is showing that a simple healthy fat can help.
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is the cognitive area between the normal cognitive decline of aging and the serious cognitive decline of dementia. It causes difficulties with memory, thinking, judgement and language but falls short of the drastic impact on independence and daily activities of Alzheimer’s disease.
As many as 42% of seniors experience MCI. Drugs don’t help. But healthy omega-3 essential fatty acids might.
Lifestyle improvements, including good nutrition, physical activity and cognitive stimulation reduce the risk of cognitive decline. Now, you might want to add omega-3 EFA’s.
Omega-3 EFA’s show promise for cognition because they reduce neuroinflammation, enhance synaptic function, and support neuronal membrane composition, fluidity and integrity. They are the best dietary fats to incorporate into your brain cells.
This umbrella review included 9 systematic reviews of 14 controlled studies of 26,881 people who were 40 or older and had MCI. All of them used the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). The MMSE assesses cognitive function and is effective for diagnosing dementia.
The benefit of supplementing omega-3 EFA’s on cognition was evident and consistent. 7 of the 9 systematic reviews included in the umbrella review showed improvement on MMSE scores. Pooling all the results in a meta-analysis revealed a modest, but statistically significant, benefit for omega-3’s.
This comprehensive study suggests that, in addition to eating healthily, getting enough physical activity and sleep, and cognitive stimulation, supplementing with omega-3 essential fatty acids can improve cognition and help prevent cognitive impairment.
Nutrients. 2025;17(18), 3002.