DHA (an omega-3 fatty acid) may restore memory loss in the elderly

Keeping it Mild

Mild cognitive impairment doesn’t sound so bad…when you’re young. After all, it’s “mild,” right? And everyone becomes forgetful when they get older.

But when you arrive at that older age, the concept of “mild” doesn’t seem so benign anymore, because mild might be step one in a progression that goes from mild to pronounced to severe. And no one wants to go there.

DHA might be the key to arresting that development and keeping it mild.

Up the food chain

DHA is docosahexaenoic acid – an omega-3 fatty acid that plays an important role in brain health and normal cognitive function.

Unfortunately, omega-3 levels tend to decrease as we age, so dementia researchers have often focused their attention on DHA over the years. The most recent DHA trial comes from Martek Bioscience Corporation, which produces a DHA supplement known as algal DHA – that is, it’s extracted from marine microalgae.

This is also where fish pick up DHA – microalgae is eaten by small fish, and those fish are eaten by larger fish, and so on up the food chain.

Martek researchers recruited 485 healthy subjects who had reported “mild memory complaint.” The average age of the group was 70. To begin the study, subjects took a memory test. Then they were divided into two groups to receive either 900 mg per day of algal DHA, or placebo.

After six months, blood tests showed that plasma levels of DHA doubled in the DHA group. And when memory tests were taken again, those in the DHA group scored significantly higher than they did before intervention, and significantly higher than subjects in the placebo group.

Bonus heart benefits

The Martek study also found that DHA apparently prompted a significant decrease in heart rate. Not a surprise, really, because omega-3s have been shown to promote heart health along with brain health.

In a study that appeared in a recent issue of the American Journal of Therapeutics, another Martek team examined the results of 16 studies and found that algal DHA significantly lowered blood levels of triglycerides in subjects who had elevated triglyceride levels – a danger to heart health. Blood pressure and heart rate were also significantly reduced in some subjects who received DHA supplements.

Talk to a doctor or a nutritionist (or, even better, a doctor who’s also a nutritionist) before supplementing with algal DHA. In these studies, the supplement was well tolerated and caused very few adverse reactions, all of which were minor. This might be appealing to some, because fish oil supplements sometimes cause stomach distress or an unpleasant fishy taste. Algal DHA supplements are also less likely to contain traces of mercury.

But fish oil contains something microalgae supplements do not: EPA – the other key omega-3 fatty acid that works with DHA to produce many health benefits.

Source:
“Results of the MIDAS Trial: Effects of Docosahexaenoic Acid on Physiological and Safety Parameters in Age-Related Cognitive Decline” Alzheimer’s Association 2009 International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease, 7/12/09, alz.org/icad
“Results from Trials of DHA in Alzheimer’s Disease and Age- Related Cognitive Decline” Press Release from the Alzheimer’s Association, 7/12/09, eurekalert.org
“Clinical Overview of Algal-Docosahexaenoic Acid: Effects on Triglyceride Levels and Other Cardiovascular Risk Factors” American Journal of Therapeutics, Vol. 16, No. 2, March/April 2009, journals.lww.com