It\u2019s among the top five<\/a> most popular supplements in the US, while the global fish oil market is worth a whopping $3.4 billion<\/a>.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s probably time to stop taking the bait. A shocking new study<\/a> is casting doubt<\/a> on the slippery claims of fish oil, painting the pale-yellow softgels as little more than snake oil.<\/p>\n \u201cWe all wish there was a silver bullet for preventing Alzheimer\u2019s, but our findings showed that fish oil supplements do not appear to protect brain health,\u201d said Dr. Hussein Naji Yassine, director of the University of Southern California Center for Personalized Brain Health and lead study investigator.<\/p>\n How did so many people fall for this flimflam, hook, line and stinker? As we age<\/a>, we\u2019re constantly searching for better and easier ways to prevent the cognitive decline that affects about 1 in 9 Americans.<\/p>\n The thought is that folks who eat a lot of fish are healthy, so a concentrated dose of marine life must be good for us too. It\u2019s an idea that stretches back to antiquity<\/a> and gained traction in Boomer homes.<\/p>\n Fish oil is a popular source of omega-3s<\/a> \u2014 fatty acids like EPA and DHA that have been shown to support cell function, eye, heart and joint health.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile omega-3s play an important role in forming brain cell connections needed for cognition, our results do not support fish oil supplements as a preventive measure against Alzheimer\u2019s,\u201d Yassine said.<\/p>\n What researchers found<\/p>\n USC researchers had a group of 365 fish-averse adults, 55 to 80 years old and at increased risk for Alzheimer\u2019s, take fish oil daily to see if it would help them avoid cognitive decline over the course of two years.<\/p>\n The supplement did get into their central nervous system \u2014 but it didn\u2019t actually help participants perform better on cognitive tests or slow the shrinkage of a key component of their brain that\u2019s tasked with forming and storing memories.<\/p>\n Specifically, researchers assessed participants\u2019 cognitive skills like memory, attention and language but found no significant difference in performance between those taking fish oil and those on a placebo pill.<\/p>\n The hippocampus, a region critical for memory, is one of the first places to lose tissue as Alzheimer\u2019s develops \u2014 but there was no difference in brain tissue loss between the two groups.<\/p>\n Prior studies found that fish oil is not helpful for longevity<\/a> or heart health<\/a> and may actually increase the risk of irregular heart rhythm and stroke and undermine healing<\/a> after a brain injury.<\/p>\n More tangible ways to fight Alzheimer\u2019s<\/p>\n Our bodies don\u2019t make omega-3s, so we have to get them through food or dietary supplements.<\/p>\n The authors of the new fish oil study, published in eBioMedicine<\/a>, suggest better avenues<\/a> than dropping $25 at your local pharmacy.<\/p>\n \u201cLiving a healthy lifestyle is the brain\u2019s equivalent of getting regular car maintenance and high-quality oil changes,\u201d Yassine said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe brain is more likely to lose greater function if health issues in other parts of the body go unaddressed, in the same way that car engines stop working if regular maintenance is skipped.\u201d<\/p>\n Consider getting enough exercise, controlling blood pressure and cognitive training.<\/p>\n Just walking 3,800 steps a day can lower the risk of dementia by 25%<\/a>. And controlling blood pressure can add 13 dementia-free years<\/a> to a person\u2019s life.<\/p>\n![\"Close-up](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/close-up-senior-woman-holding-146210880.jpg\")
Fish oil is a popular supplement for brain health, but new evidence claims that it\u2019s worthless for your noggin. Ratirat \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/senior-dementia-alzheimers-comforted-caring-146211174.jpg\")
Researchers didn\u2019t find a significant difference in cognitive performance between those on fish oil and those on a placebo. Robert Kneschke \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n