Could This Simple Omega-3 Boost Be The Ultimate Secret Women Need To Outsmart Alzheimer’s?

Ever wondered if that daily dose of fish oil might be doing more than just keeping your heart happy? Turns out, omega-3 fatty acids could be the unsung heroes in the battle against Alzheimer’s disease in women. A fascinating new study uncovers a link between depleted omega-3 levels and Alzheimer’s risk, shedding light on why women’s brains, those complex engines of thought and memory, might need these fatty lipids to function at their best. It’s like finding the missing piece in a puzzle that science has been trying to solve—could boosting omega-3 intake be a game-changer for brain health? Dive in as we unpack the research, expert insights, and what this might mean for prevention strategies. LEARN MORE

• A new study links a key nutrient to Alzheimer’s disease in women.
• Researchers noticed that women with Alzheimer’s experienced a depletion of omega-3s in their brains.
• Experts know that our brains need these fatty lipids to function properly, which suggests this finding may provide some answers about the degenerative disease.

It’s already clear that there are sex differences in the way Alzheimer’s disease impacts women, but recent research suggests there’s also a potential link between a specific nutrient and Alzheimer’s risk in women.

A new study study, which was published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, suggests that having enough omega-3 fatty acids in your diet may help lower your risk of Alzheimer’s disease. And while more research is needed to better understand the link, this finding definitely raises some important prevention questions. Women’s Health reached out to some experts for insights. Here’s what they had to say.

Meet the experts: Cristina Legido-Quigley, PhD, study co-author and an instructor at King’s College London; Keri Gans, RDN, author of The Small Change Diet; Jessica Cording, RD, CDN, author of The Little Book of Game-Changers; Clifford Segil, DO, is a neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA

What did the study find?

For the study, researchers analyzed samples of plasma (the liquid part of your blood) from 841 people who had Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment, or were cognitively healthy, and measured for brain inflammation and damage.

The researchers specifically analyzed different lipids (a.k.a. fats) in the blood, looking at saturated lipids (which are considered unhealthy) and unsaturated lipids (which are considered beneficial to health). After crunching the data, the researchers saw that there was a big increase in unhealthy lipids in women who had Alzheimer’s disease compared to those who were cognitively healthy.

They also saw low levels of lipids with omega-3 fatty acids attached in the group with Alzheimer’s’ disease compared to those who were cognitively healthy. As a result, the researchers concluded that there is a link between omega-3 fatty acid levels and Alzheimer’s disease in women.

Why is omega-3 linked to women’s Alzheimer’s risk?

There are a few potential reasons for this, according to study co-author Cristina Legido-Quigley, PhD, an instructor at King’s College London.

“Women naturally have higher omega-3 levels than men, so depletion could create a more dramatic impact,” she says. Omega-3s are also “essential” for several functional brain elements, she says. “The brain cannot make omegas and the healthy brain is a very fatty organ—approximately 60 percent is made of fats,” she adds. Without these lipids, there may be a chain of events that raises the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, per Legido-Quigley.

What is omega-3?

Fatty acids are a broad category of lipids, and omega-3s are a specific lipid subtype. “Omega-3s are essential fats that have been shown to reduce inflammation, support healthy brain function, and even promote better mood,” says Jessica Cording, RD, CDN, author of The Little Book of Game-Changers. “They’re called ‘essential’ because your body can’t make them—you have to get them from food or supplements.”

There are three main types of omega-3 fatty acids: ALA, EPA ,and DHA. “ALA can be converted to EPA and DHA in the body,” Cording explains.

Fatty fish like salmon, sardines, and mackerel are good sources of omega-3s since they provide EPA and DHA, says Keri Gans, RDN, author of The Small Change Diet. (These are the forms most closely linked to brain health, she points out.)

“Plant-based sources such as chia seeds, flaxseeds, walnuts, and soy foods provide ALA, which the body converts to EPA and DHA in only small amounts,” Cording says.

How much omega-3 should you consume each day?

It’s generally recommended that women aim to have 1.1 grams a day of ALA and that men try to get in 1.6 grams a day, per the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH).

There’s no official recommendation for how much EPA and DHA to get, but health experts tend to recommend 250 to 500 milligrams of combined EPA and DHA per day for most adults (equivalent to about two servings of fatty fish per week), per Cording. “For those who don’t eat fish, fortified foods or supplements can help fill the gap,” Gans adds.

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What’s the best way to combat Alzheimer’s risk associated with omega-3 levels?

It’s not clear at this point. “The paper doesn’t provide specific prevention recommendations,” Legido-Quigley says. Clinical trials are needed to dive into this more.

But, as of this moment, there is no known supplement that’s been proven to delay memory loss in people, says Clifford Segil, DO, a neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA. Still, he says there’s some solid information we can take away from this research. “Eating more fish as we age is a healthy habit and has been shown to be healthy for your heart,” Dr. Segil says. “Research like this supports eating more fish to be healthy for your brain.”

To further support your brain health as you age, Dr. Segil recommends doing things that stimulate your brain to keep it healthy and functioning well, whether that’s taking classes on a new skill or staying social. And, if you can fit two servings of fish into your meal rotation while you’re at it, even better.

Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.