A High Omega-3 Fatty Acid Multinutrient Supplement Benefits Cognition and Mobility in Older Women: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Pilot Study

Siobhán C Strike, Alison Carlisle, E Leigh Gibson, Simon C Dyall, Siobhán C Strike, Alison Carlisle, E Leigh Gibson, Simon C Dyall

Abstract

Background: Mobility is a key determinant of frailty in older persons, and a variety of dietary factors, such as the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are positively associated with decreased frailty and improved mobility and cognition in older persons.

Methods: The effects of a multinutrient supplement on mobility and cognition were assessed in postmenopausal women (60-84 years). Participants received either Efalex Active 50+ (1g DHA, 160 mg eicosapentaenoic acid, 240 mg Ginkgo biloba, 60 mg phosphatidylserine, 20mg d-α tocopherol, 1mg folic acid, and 20 µg vitamin B12 per day; N = 15) or placebo (N = 12) for 6 months. Mobility was assessed by VICON 9 motion capture camera system synchronized with Kistler force plates, cognitive performance by computerized cognitive function tests, and blood fatty acid levels by pin-prick analysis.

Results: Significant effects of treatment were seen in two of the four cognitive tests, with shorter mean latencies in a motor screening task (p < .05) and more words remembered (p < .03), and one of the three primary mobility measures with improved habitual walking speed (p < .05). Compared with the placebo group, supplementation also resulted in significantly higher blood DHA levels (p < .02).

Conclusions: In this pilot study, multinutrient supplementation improved cognition and mobility in able older females at clinically relevant levels, suggesting a potential role in reducing the decline to frailty.

Keywords: Aging; B vitamins; Docosahexaenoic acid; Gait; Memory.

© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
CONSORT diagram reflecting flow of study participants through the study.

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