Omega-3s not tied to women's mental sharpness

Women who consume plenty of omega-3 fatty acids may not have better thinking and memory skills as a result, according to a new study.

Some researchers have suggested that fatty acids found in fish and fish oil supplements might protect against memory loss.

But studies trying to test that theory have been "all over the place," said Dr. Jennifer G. Robinson from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, senior author of the new report.

"There's nothing really convincing, (in) one direction or the other," she told Reuters Health.

To address the uncertainty, she and her colleagues analyzed data collected as part of the large Women's Health Initiative trial focused on hormone replacement therapy.

For the new study, they compared women's fatty acid levels to their performance on six years' worth of thinking and memory tests.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_141015.html