Why?  Cole's team had a clue.  People with Alzheimer's disease tend to have low levels of a brain protein called LR11 (also known as SorLA).  And about 15% of people with Alzheimer's disease carry a genetic mutation that reduces LR11. LR11 helps clear the brain of amyloid precursor protein, essential for production of the brain-gumming beta-amyloid plaque that clogs the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease.

Sure enough, in live rodents and in cultures of human brain cells, the researchers found that the fish-oil compound DHA causes brain cells to make lots more LR11.  'Because reduced LR11 is known to increase beta amyloid production and may be a significant genetic cause of late-onset Alzheimer's disease, our results indicate that DHA increases in LR11 levels may play an important role in preventing late-onset Alzheimer's disease,' Cole and colleagues conclude.

While it may be too late for people with late-stage Alzheimer's disease to get much benefit from fish oil, Cole suggests that it may be a great help if taken at the first signs of Alzheimer's.  Cole and colleagues report their findings in the Dec. 26 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.

It is also known that the quality of the fish oil is paramount to getting the preventative benefits.  Not all omega supplements meet the standard of qualification.  Products that are often on discount store shelves are frequently made in foreign countries with considerably lower standards.  According to Michael Steelman, M.D., "It doesn’t do any good to take an Omega 3 supplement that is of low quality.  It won’t do the job."

Active Omega is the highest refined and processed quality grade of Omega 3 in the world.  Three different filtering processes are used to insure removal of all ocean contaminants.  Only deep cold water North Atlantic fish are used and processed in American plants.  Then a very unique touch is added, a drop of lemon to remove the fishy odor and taste.