Does eating more fish make your brain slower as you age?
Cognitive performance in older adults is inversely associated with fish consumption but not erythrocyte membrane n-3 fatty acids.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Higher fish intake correlated with slower cognitive processing speed — the opposite of what every health guide claims.
Decades of public health messaging and supplement ads have promoted fish and omega-3s as essential for brain health — this study found no benefit and even signs of harm.
Practical Takeaways
Don’t eat fish solely for brain health — if you like it, eat it for other reasons like heart health or protein, but don’t expect faster thinking.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Higher fish intake correlated with slower cognitive processing speed — the opposite of what every health guide claims.
Decades of public health messaging and supplement ads have promoted fish and omega-3s as essential for brain health — this study found no benefit and even signs of harm.
Practical Takeaways
Don’t eat fish solely for brain health — if you like it, eat it for other reasons like heart health or protein, but don’t expect faster thinking.
Publication
Journal
The Journal of nutrition
Year
2014
Authors
V. Danthiir, Diane E. Hosking, N. Burns, Carlene Wilson, T. Nettelbeck, E. Calvaresi, P. Clifton, G. Wittert
Related Content
Claims (5)
People over 65 who eat more fish right now tend to be a bit slower at quick thinking tasks like reacting fast or spotting differences, even if their overall brain health is fine.
Kids who eat more fish may grow up to be slower at quick thinking tasks like reacting to buttons or spotting changes, even though we don’t know why.
Older women with more EPA in their red blood cells tend to think a bit slower, but this isn't because EPA itself affects the brain—it's probably just because they recently ate more fish. Once you account for how much fish they've eaten lately, the link disappears.
Studies show that having more of certain healthy fats in your red blood cells doesn't seem to make your memory or thinking any better if you're an older adult who's otherwise healthy.
Eating more fish or having more omega-3 fatty acids in your body doesn't seem to help your brain work better if you're an older adult who's already thinking clearly.