Health Experts Explain Why You Should Be Taking Omega-3 And Vitamin B12 Together: The ‘Alzheimer’s Killing Combo’

Omega-3 and Vitamin B12 for Alzheimer's and Brain Health

Holford says that "73% of Alzheimer’s right now can be prevented. The more Omega-3 you have, the more brain you have (since the brain is made primarily of fat), and the better your cognitive abilities are. So when Omega-3 has crashed, our brain sizes shrink.”

He notes that you can always take these nutrients as supplements if you don’t like fish. "I do both. We say S.M.A.S.H., which is salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and herring/kipper. It's the oily fish that really help." Supplementation might be a good idea because "when people get older, they don’t absorb vitamin B12 very well, which is in meat, fish, eggs, and milk."

Holford also says that if you follow a vegan diet, "you have no vitamin B12," therefore you have to supplement.

Studies also confirm that Omega-3s don’t work without the B vitamins and vice versa.

"A study from Oxford University showed that people with pre-dementia who took B vitamins alongside omega-3 experienced 73% less brain shrinkage in just one year! That’s the difference between staying sharp and losing cognitive abilities," he notes.

The bottom line

Omega-3s are essential for brain function and cognitive health, directly influencing mental sharpness and performance. Higher omega-3 levels can boost brain power, but sadly, declining omega-3 levels are contributing to a literal reduction in brain size.

Omega-3s can be found in fatty fish, salmon, mackerel, and sardines, as well as plant-based sources such as chia seeds, flaxseeds, walnuts, and algal oil. Vitamin B12 is abundant in beef liver, clams, eggs, dairy products, and fish such as trout and tuna.

For those on plant-based diets, fortified options like nutritional yeast or plant-based milk are great choices.