If your mother tells you to eat your fish served during meals, better listen to her, as she might be on something to make you a better warfighter when you grow up. The U.S. Army is studying how Omega 3 would be able to boost the cognitive process of soldiers in cooperation with the Medical University of South Carolina.

The study, which started last August 1, 2016 and will last until the Spring of 2018, a voluntary, double-blind placebo trial to see if  it indeed Omega 3 fatty acids can help in the brain functions of soldiers. The study’s protocol specifically targets young soldiers going through  Infantry Basic Officer Leadership Course or Ranger School will be clearly under stress when going through these programs.

"We're assessing cognitive processes. Specifically, we are studying concepts such as decision-making and attention and impulsivity, and we're doing this with computer-based cognitive tests," said Bernadette Marriott, Ph.D., professor and director of the Nutrition Section, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at MUSC.

"We're hoping to learn if we can improve cognitive performances under stress, because these young people, who are going through (the Infantry Basic Officer Leadership Course) and Ranger (school), are clearly under stress during specific times in their programs. We're testing them during those times."

Photo: U.S. Army Soldiers during a Ranger Course at Fort Benning, GA.

Those in the study will either be given capsules with Macadamia nut oil, which does not have Omega 3 or Krill oil which is in Omega 3.  The participants will then be assessed that will measure inhibition and rule-monitoring, attention and information processing speed, psychological resiliency, working memory, reasoning, vigilance, focused visual attention, anxiety and mood state.

The results will be published in scientific journals and will be made available to interested organizations that are also researching into benefits of Omega 3.

If there is indeed improvements in the cognitive processed of soldiers in the study, even if it is a small one, then airsoft players might want to plan on having diets with food that are rich in Omega 3.  Apart from Krill Oil, sources of Omega 3 are fish such as Salmon and Tuna, walnuts, flaxseed oil, egg oil squid oil, edible seeds, and more. There are many commercially available Omega 3 capsules that can bought over the counter at groceries, pharmacies, and nutrition centers.