Human Data! Fish Oil During Lactation Reduces Cognitive Capacity at Age 7. Impairements in Processing Speed and Working Memory.
Supplemental fish oil: Panacea or rat poison? Well, I know you all love your fish oil. And you probably know I don't ;-) And this is why I am "happy" (yes, I am biased, here) to report the unfortunate results of a Danish study ( Cheatham. 2011 ), which investigated the effects of moderate dose fish oil supplementation @ 1.5 g/d n-3 LCPUFA (vs. olive oil as placebo) during the first 4 months of lactation on the cognitive performance of 98 children. The data was obtained at the age of seven by a combination of an "age-appropriate Stroop task , and the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire ". The results were quite unequivocal: [...] analyses including all participants revealed the speed of processing scores were predicted by maternal n-3 LCPUFA intake during the intervention period ( negative relation ) and maternal education (positive relation). Stroop scores indicative of working memory and inhibitory control wer...