A study released last week found with the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids had better preservation of older women’s brain as they aged than those with the lowest levels, which might mean they would maintain better brain function for an extra year or two.

The results suggest this may hold promise for delaying cognitive aging and dementia, said the study’s lead author, Jay Pottala of the University of South Dakota in Sioux Falls and Health Diagnostic Laboratory in Richmond, Va.

Pottala was one of the researchers on another study released this fall that didn’t find a benefit to omega-3 fatty acid levels and better memory and thinking skills for older women, but he said the women may have been too healthy for any short-term benefits to show.