Evidence-Based Nutrient Recommendations

Update on Omega-3s and Cognition

We’ve added the following to Omega-3s Part 2—Research:

A cross-sectional study on women 65 years and older found no difference in cognition between the those in the upper one-third compared to those in the lowest one-third of EPA-plus-DHA percentage of fatty acids in red blood cells (1). However, the lowest one-third had an average EPA plus DHA percentage of 3.8 which is quite a bit higher than average vegan percentages tend to be, so it’s not clear if this finding would apply to vegans.

Reference

1. Ammann EM, Pottala JV, Harris WS, Espeland MA, Wallace R, Denburg NL, Carnahan RM, Robinson JG. ω-3 fatty acids and domain-specific cognitive aging: secondary analyses of data from WHISCA. Neurology. 2013 Oct 22;81(17):1484-91.

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  • If you have a question about whether it's okay to cut supplements in half or combine supplements to achieve the dose we recommend, the answer is “Yes.” Be aware that nutrient recommendations are only estimates—it's not necessary to consume the exact amount we recommend every single day.
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