"Fish oil brain boost," is the headline in the Daily Mail . The paper says that a "breakthrough in the battle against Alzheimer's is being claimed by British scientists who believe it can be fought with omega-3 oils". The newspaper adds that "older people whose diets are rich in omega-3 oils do better in mental tests than those without the oils in their diets".
The story is based on a study that investigated people aged about 66 to 68 years who had taken an intelligence test at school when they were 11. The researchers looked at whether there was any link between the fatty-acid content of some of these people's red blood cells and their performance in that intelligence test and in later assessments of cognition. The study was not set up to establish whether there was any effect of dietary fatty acids on improved intelligence or brain activity. The only way to address this particular question is through further randomised controlled trials.
