Optimal Nutrition Preserves Cognitive Ability

According to the National Institutes of Health, optimal nutrition preserves cognitive ability. In a recent study funded by Abbott Nutrition, consumption of supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil may benefit those at risk of Alzheimer's disease. This study helps to support prior research documenting the link between nutritional deficiency and incidence of cognitive impairment. Individuals identified as at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders were monitored and provided nutritional supplementation. These test subjects ranged in age from age 65-75 and were monitored for mental function including reasoning, planning, problem solving, attention, task switching, and impulse control. It was found that those individuals provided with fish oil supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids maintained a higher level of cognitive flexibility. Though this study is only one of many supporting the belief that optimal nutrition preserves cognitive ability, it does lend credibility to the theory that supplementation can reduce the incidence of debilitating cognitive disease.