Taking omega-3 supplements, even those high in EPA, is just as safe and easy to tolerate as taking a sugar pill for people with Alzheimer’s, and doesn’t cause more people to quit or have bad side effects than the placebo.

People with Alzheimer’s who take a high dose of omega-3 fish oil without any extra antioxidants don’t see as much improvement in memory or thinking as those who take the same fish oil along with a special antioxidant called alpha-lipoic acid.

Taking a high dose of a specific fish oil supplement combined with another antioxidant pill every day for a long time may greatly help people with Alzheimer’s disease think more clearly, better than other treatments or no treatment at all.

Taking omega-3 supplements every day for six months doesn’t seem to help people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s think better, no matter what their blood homocysteine levels were to begin with.

If you have Alzheimer’s and your blood has high levels of a substance called homocysteine, taking omega-3 fish oil supplements might help your memory and thinking skills a bit—but only if you look at certain tests, not all of them.

For people with early-stage Alzheimer’s, taking a specific fish oil supplement for 6 months might help them think a little better and function more normally—but only if their blood has low levels of a chemical called homocysteine before they start.