by
Carl Hampton
12/21/2006
What is an Omega-3 Fatty Acid? It is an
acid that is a key component in fish oil.
Sounds nasty, right? But you can actually
buy fish oil in a pill form, at the
supermarket, in the vitamin aisle.
This nasty sounding oil has shown to have
benefits for those who suffer from mild
Alzheimer's Disease (AD). A study conducted
in Sweden concluded that although those with
moderate Alzheimer's Disease might not
benefit from Omega-3 Fatty Acids, the fatty
acid can help preserve cognitive functions
in people who are experiencing mild and
early stages of AD.
The study was conducted at the Karolinska
University Hospital in Huddinge, Stockholm
where 174 patients with AD were randomly
selected. Eighty-nine of those patients were
given docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) plus
eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) four times a day
for six months. Eighty-five of the patients
were only given placebo for six months. At
the end of the study, all of the patients
took a Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE). The
results indicated that the patients taking
placebo showed a mental decline whereas
those that were given DHA and EPA had no
kind of mental deterioration.
Even though all those terms can be
confusing, this is what it all boils down
to. The patients with Alzheimer's Disease
who were taking Omega-3 fatty acids did not
lose any kind of brain power. So the study
shows that although Omega-3 fatty acids
cannot treat Alzheimer's, it can prevent it.
Have an opinion or a question you would like
me to answer? Write to me!
http://www.CarlHampton.com
