Dr Gerd Faxen Irving conducted the study to discover if replenishing omega-3 fatty acid levels in Alzheimer's patients would improve their general health, Reuters reports.
Approximately 204 men and women were randomly put into groups during the six-month study, according to the article.
All participants had mild to moderate Alzheimer's. One group was given omega-3 supplements while the other was given placebos.
After six months, the participants on the supplement gained about one-and-a-half pounds. The placebo weight remained the same. Another six months saw even more weight gain for the omega-3 group as the placebo group's weight remaining unchanged.
The change in weight between the two groups "did not reach statistical significance," according to Irving, but did "support the benefit of the supplements maintaining weight." Fish oil can be found in supplement form, as well as in some fish such as salmon, mackerel and tuna.
Past studies have also found fish oil may assist in preventing Alzheimer's disease in some patients.
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