Elderly Brains Age Faster When Diets Are Lower In Omega-3 Fatty Acids

A U.S. study of 1,575 dementia-free people whose average age was 67 found that those with lower levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood had lower brain volumes – equivalent to about two years worth of structural brain aging. Those whose omega-3 levels were among the bottom 25 percent of participants had lower brain volume compared to those who had higher omega-3 levels. In addition, those with the lowest levels of omega-3s also scored lower on tests of visual memory and executive function, such as problem solving, multi-tasking and abstract thinking.