Recent research on fish oils and Alzheimers Disease show omega 3 fatty acids may play a role in reducing your risk for Alzheimers disease (AD).

Here's some research I think you'll find very interesting....

Chicago, Illinois - Researchers at the Rush Institute of Healthy Aging conducted a study to see if consuming fish and different omega 3 fatty acids will protect against Alzheimers.

815 participants unaffected by Alzheimer's disease, and between the ages of 65 and 94, were monitored from 1993 to 2000. They were followed-up for a 4 year period to see if they developed Alzheimer's.

Researchers discovered patients who ate fish once or more per week had a 60% lower risk of Alzheimers. They also found an association between the total intake of omega 3 fatty acids and a reduced risk for developing Alzheimer's disease.

That's some promising results. So let's take a look at some more studies involving diet, fish oils and Alzheimers disease.

Omega 3 Supplements Delay Cognitive Decline in Mild Alzheimer's Disease

Stockholm, Sweden - A study published in the October 2006 issue of the Archives of Neurology suggests fish oil supplements may slow cognitive decline in patients with very mild Alzheimers.

This double-blind, placebo-controlled study had 174 Alzheimers patients received either 430 mg. of DHA, along with 150 mg. EPA, 4 times a day or a placebo. The randomized treatment lasted for 6 months, and then all subjects received the fish oil supplements for another 6 months.

Patients who took omega 3 fatty acids experienced less change in their rate of cognitive decline compared to those who took the placebo.

A smaller group of 32 patients with mild Alzheimer's disease experienced significant reduction in their rate of cognitive decline, compared to the placebo group. And surprisingly enough, when the placebo-group patients took the omega 3 supplements for 6 months post-placebo trial, they also experienced the same reduction in mental decline.

How to Lower Your Risk for Alzheimers with Fish, Omega 3 Oils, Fruits and Vegetables

France - Newly released data from a 3-city study in France shows you can reduce your risk for dementia and Alzheimers by increasing your consumption of fish oils, fruits, vegetables and other omega 3 oils, such as flaxseed oil.

A total of 8,085 patients aged 65 and over, without dementia or Alzheimers, were included in a 3-city study in Dijon, Montpellier and Bordeaux in 1999 - 2000. All participants had at least one re-examination during the study.

At the end of the 4 year study an independent committee of neurologists confirmed 281 cases of dementia, including 183 cases of Alzheimers.

Looking over the diet of participants, researchers found:

• Weekly consumption of fruits and vegetables was associated with reduced risk for dementia.
• Eating fish every week resulted in a lower risk for Alzheimers and dementia, especially among participants not carrying the gene associated with the disease.
• Regular use of omega 3 rich-oils (fish, flaxseed and walnut oils) was associated with decreased risk for dementia.

An interesting note is researchers found an increased risk for dementia among participants who didn't increase their intake of fish or omega 3 oils and ate a diet high in omega 6 oils (vegetable oils).

Comments:

Scientists are still unsure of a direct connection between fish oils and Alzheimers disease. Some believe that fish oil's anti-inflammatory effects may have a positive effect in early, but not later, stages of the disease. They caution that more in-depth research is needed before forming any conclusions.

Although it may be premature to prescribe fish oils for people with Alzheimers disease, research shows eating plenty of fatty fish, fruits, vegetables and other omega 3 oils may lower your risk for Alzheimers disease by up to 60%.

If you want to read more about natural Alzheimer's treament, learn how this Doctor reduced her husband's Alzheimers symptoms with coconut oil.

Research References:

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