In a small study published inJAMA Network Open, researchers found that older people with a particular genetic variant putting them at higher risk of Alzheimer's disease experienced less nerve cell breakdown when given fish oil or omega-3 supplements.
People without this gene did not experience the same benefit. Researchers are calling for larger clinical trials to see whether these supplements really do help people at high risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.