Dietary fish hydrolysate improves episodic memory in healthy elderly with lower level of memory performance: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study
Chataigner M, Peltier A, Bouvret E, Dinel AL, Joffre C, Pallet V. Am J Clin Nutr. 2026; 124(1):101360.
PubMed 42162916 · doi:10.1016/j.ajcnut.2026.101360
Compares people who got the treatment with people who did not.
- Who or what was studied
- 53 healthy adults aged 60–73 whose memory scores were lower than average for their age
- Design
- Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, registered trial
- Dose
- 1 g/day of low-molecular-weight peptides plus 30 mg omega-3 long-chain fatty acids
- Duration
- 3 months
What it found
On the primary episodic-memory score the fish hydrolysate group did better than placebo (P = 0.003), with partial improvement in spatial working memory; verbal recognition did not differ. Red-blood-cell omega-3 levels rose and C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation, fell.
What it doesn't show
A small trial in a selected group of healthy older adults. The supplement also contained omega-3 fatty acids, so the benefit cannot be attributed to the peptides alone.
Funding and conflicts of interest
Two authors are funded by Abyss Ingredients. One author reports financial support from Public Investment Bank France and Région Bretagne. The other authors report no conflicts.
Summary written from the study's abstract and checked against PubMed on November 9, 2026. How we check studies. Educational information, not medical advice.
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