A fatty acid called DHA could reduce our risk of dementia including Alzheimer’s disease.
DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid, is found mostly in fatty fish and also available in supplement form. In our bodies, it is abundant in the brain but people with dementia have decreased brain and plasma DHA levels.
Researchers in the Framingham Heart Study wanted to find out if levels of DHA present in the body are associated with the risk of developing dementia. They studied 899 men and women who were dementia-free at the outset and had a median age of 76 years. During the follow-up period of about nine years, 99 new cases of dementia including 71 of Alzheimer’s disease developed.
After analyzing the data, researchers found that those with the highest plasma levels of DHA had a significant 47% reduction in the risk of dementia from any cause, and a 39% reduction in risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Source: Arch Neurol. 2006;63:1545-1550
