Fish Oil Supplementation Lowers Blood Pressure but No Significant Effect in Cognitive Health in Seniors - Study

A 12-month randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted in New Zealand found that fish oil supplementation lowers blood pressure increase in seniors, but has no impact on cognitive health.  The study, “The effects of docosahexaenoic acid supplementation on cognition and well-being in mild cognitive impairment: A 12-month randomized controlled trial” was published in International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and was conducted by researchers from Massey University.  

The subjects comprising of 72 adults between 60 and 90 years old were randomized into two groups.  One group was given three capsules of fish oil daily, equivalent to daily dosage of 1,491 mg of DHA and 351 mg of EPA.  The placebo group was given three capsules containing a total of 1,857 mg of linoleic acid per day.  By the end of the study 60 participants completed the trial. 

After outcomes of cognition and wellbeing were measured and analyzing blood samples, the following were the study findings: (1) There was no significant difference between the fish oil and placebo group for any of the cognitive measures; (2) Fish supplementation showed significant effect on systolic blood pressure, where the systolic blood pressure increased more in the placebo group than in the fish oil group; (3) Favorable results were also seen in depression and anxiety scores in the fish oil group.