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Omega-3s: Are “Brain-Boosting” Effects Scientifically Backed?

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Re: Omega-3s: Are “Brain-Boosting” Effects Scientifically Backed?

#91

Post by boringg »

permo-w wrote: post #43
mistercow wrote: post #16

I don’t understand the author’s reading of the literature they cite. They refer to “isolated studies” and then link to a systematic review of 25 studies. They also linked to the same review twice for both memory and attention, which I assume is a mistake, because the review only supports the claim about memory. But none of these studies are about “brain-boosting”. They’re about preventing or reversing cognitive decli…

why is it that no one wants to study the effects of nootropics?

Way too many variables to control for which makes any scientific findings incredibly difficult to validate. Tough to make a career on it and way to many conflict of interests.

It's too bad because if someone could legitimately find conclusive results that would be really helpful.

It feels like its a part of the medical space that the mainstream part of the medical community has shunned which has allowed for a lot of less scrupulous individuals to take up the mantel (See all the podcasts etc). It's too bad because there is probably something to it but its tough to validate/quantify.

Re: Omega-3s: Are “Brain-Boosting” Effects Scientifically Backed?

#92

Post by rex-mundi »

nervousvarun wrote: post #84
mamonster wrote: post #18

I mean, that's kind of the gist of supplements as a whole, you only take them if you cannot replicate it using a normal diet/lifestyle. The biggest example for this IMO is Vitamin D. If you can spend time in the Sun regularly every day, you won't ever need to touch vitamin D. But how realistic is that for most people ? The only supplement I've encountered so far that has a noticeable effect that cannot be reproduced…

Creatine...would say especially if you're male, is such a game-changer. Recently got my dad who is in his 70s to start taking it and it's been enormously positive for him. Really good stuff. Personally think it's probably equally valuable for women but can't get my wife to take it (worried about the bloating which is a thing). To your point it would be very difficult to get the equivalent creatine from your diet. Wou…

What benefits did you Dad get from it?

Re: Omega-3s: Are “Brain-Boosting” Effects Scientifically Backed?

#93

Post by taeric »

nervousvarun wrote: post #84
mamonster wrote: post #18

I mean, that's kind of the gist of supplements as a whole, you only take them if you cannot replicate it using a normal diet/lifestyle. The biggest example for this IMO is Vitamin D. If you can spend time in the Sun regularly every day, you won't ever need to touch vitamin D. But how realistic is that for most people ? The only supplement I've encountered so far that has a noticeable effect that cannot be reproduced…

Creatine...would say especially if you're male, is such a game-changer. Recently got my dad who is in his 70s to start taking it and it's been enormously positive for him. Really good stuff. Personally think it's probably equally valuable for women but can't get my wife to take it (worried about the bloating which is a thing). To your point it would be very difficult to get the equivalent creatine from your diet. Wou…

Did you look at any of the studies that showed placebo effects comparable to creatine? It is insane, as we know the mechanism for how creatine does its thing. Still, the social effects of being told it is effective seems to be the dominant reason it is as effective as it is.

Re: Omega-3s: Are “Brain-Boosting” Effects Scientifically Backed?

#94

Post by vassy »

mamonster wrote: post #18

I mean, that's kind of the gist of supplements as a whole, you only take them if you cannot replicate it using a normal diet/lifestyle. The biggest example for this IMO is Vitamin D. If you can spend time in the Sun regularly every day, you won't ever need to touch vitamin D. But how realistic is that for most people ? The only supplement I've encountered so far that has a noticeable effect that cannot be reproduced…

I was reading your comment and wanted to comment about creatine until I saw it added at the end. With over 20 years of gym training and taking massive amounts of supplements, I totally agree. Apart from protein if you can't get enough from food, I find that everything else is either useless or not worth the price.

Re: Omega-3s: Are “Brain-Boosting” Effects Scientifically Backed?

#95

Post by osigurdson »

I've always thought that these types of studies / meta-analysis are conducted in a backward manner. A study is proposed, funded, performed - possibly with a particular objective in mind. The results are published (possibly used in various marketing materials), then almost enviably, methods and rationale are questioned by others post hoc. The end result of the exercise is often no knowledge gained with diminishing public trust in science.

Instead what we should do, is to come up with a study design first, gain broad consensus that the study, if rigorously conducted in accordance to the design, would yield statistically meaningful results.

The challenge here is many studies would likely be infeasible (requiring millions of people or hundreds of years in order to attain a statistically valid result - or both). However, that is useful in it's own right as it would help us to direct resources at studies that do have a hope of increasing knowledge. Infeasible studies will just have to wait until we can accurately simulate biological phenomena.

Re: Omega-3s: Are “Brain-Boosting” Effects Scientifically Backed?

#96

Post by bannedbybros »

osigurdson wrote: post #95

I've always thought that these types of studies / meta-analysis are conducted in a backward manner. A study is proposed, funded, performed - possibly with a particular objective in mind. The results are published (possibly used in various marketing materials), then almost enviably, methods and rationale are questioned by others post hoc. The end result of the exercise is often no knowledge gained with diminishing pub…

[dead]

Re: Omega-3s: Are “Brain-Boosting” Effects Scientifically Backed?

#97

Post by manuelabeledo »

permo-w wrote: post #43
mistercow wrote: post #16

I don’t understand the author’s reading of the literature they cite. They refer to “isolated studies” and then link to a systematic review of 25 studies. They also linked to the same review twice for both memory and attention, which I assume is a mistake, because the review only supports the claim about memory. But none of these studies are about “brain-boosting”. They’re about preventing or reversing cognitive decli…

why is it that no one wants to study the effects of nootropics?

"no one" is a bit of an overstatement.

If I run a quick search on PubMed, there are a handful focused on cognitive enhancement and other effects on healthy brains, e.g. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35366192/

Re: Omega-3s: Are “Brain-Boosting” Effects Scientifically Backed?

#98

Post by meindnoch »

Anecdotal experience: I was taking an SNRI medication, and when I tried an omega-3 supplement it gave me those unmistakeable brain zaps you get when weaning off of antidepressants. So it definitely did something to my brain!

By the way, paradoxically, people discontinuing antidepressants usually take omega-3 hoping that it will lessen their brain zaps...

Re: Omega-3s: Are “Brain-Boosting” Effects Scientifically Backed?

#99

Post by PragmaticPulp »

One of the interesting things you pick up on from reading supplement blogs and fitness forums is that a lot of people have negative reactions to Omega 3 supplements. If you search for “omega-3 depression” you find a lot of stories from people whose depression started or worsened with omega-3 supplements, and resolved later.

This is a particularly interesting find given that the placebo effect would be expected to go in the opposite direction: Many of these people started the supplement because they thought it was going to improve their health, not worsen it. It can take a very long time to recognize the connection between the supplement and side effects.

Several other supplements are common contributors to depressive symptoms. Choline supplements often make irritability and depression worse. This finding isn’t surprising given that cholinergic signaling has been known to be associated with depression for decades and many powerful antidepressants are anticholinergic. Yet you can find a lot of supplement sellers pushing choline supplements as something that automatically improves brain health.

Re: Omega-3s: Are “Brain-Boosting” Effects Scientifically Backed?

#100

Post by rhacker »

Supplements are great because at worst they work like a placebo. There is a ton of evidence that placebos actually work better than real FDA approved stuff (in some cases) because there is a metric tonne of crap we don't understand about the brain itself and it's ability to heal the body.

At best they actually affect the gut microbiome in some way (mostly probiotics) which, in many cases, are also backed by clinical studies that show has effects (placebo controlled). We'll be finding out in the coming years that the gut microbiome is the "second brain" or the brain controlling the brain. Everything from mood disorders to major diseases like ALS to auto-immunity of the thyroid may start with good or bad bacteria in our systems.

This is the cutting edge research, nothing in a book in the last 3 years.

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