Does taking omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) supplements affect healthy older people becoming frail?

What is it about?

Omega-3 fatty acid supplements (e.g.fish oil) have been shown to benefit younger adults and older people with illness or disease but the benefits to people over 60 who are otherwise medically healthy is not known. We aim to examine the evidence that in healthy older adults omega-3 supplements can have a beneficial effect on their muscle mass, muscle strength and physical activity.

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Why is it important?

Our review will provide the first summary of the effect of omega-3 supplementation across all published studies of otherwise healthy elderly individuals. The findings will inform our understanding of the value of this popular nutritional supplement in preventing frailty-related outcomes such as physical activity levels, walking speed, hand grip strength, muscle strength and weight loss. The results will also help to inform future guidelines ondietary supplementation for older adults.