Creatine vs Omega-3 for memory
Short answer: For memory, more users report improvement with Creatine — 93% of 85 reports, versus 85% of 80 for Omega-3.
Creatine has 763 meta-analyses and 2,794 randomized trials on PubMed; Omega-3 has 1,341 and 3,093.
Based on 2,265 reports about Creatine and 2,994 about Omega-3. Not medical advice.
| Creatine Supplement | Omega-3 Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| User score | 54 | 46 |
| Verdict | Mostly positive | Mostly positive |
| Positive of reports that state an outcome | 72% | 69% |
| Reports | 2,265 | 2,994 |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 763 / 2,794 | 1,341 / 3,093 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Weight loss % reporting improvement | 77% (30) | 100% (3) |
| Appetite % reporting improvement | 67% (3) | — |
| Focus % reporting improvement | 93% (247) | 85% (170) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 97% (267) | 77% (57) |
| Sleep % reporting improvement | 29% (80) | 72% (32) |
| Anxiety % reporting improvement | 64% (25) | 74% (84) |
| Mood % reporting improvement | 87% (124) | 86% (283) |
| Memory % reporting improvement | 93% (85) | 85% (80) |
| Performance % reporting improvement | 98% (539) | 76% (21) |
| Recovery % reporting improvement | 98% (95) | 90% (30) |
| Pain & inflammation % reporting improvement | 60% (5) | 93% (110) |
| Digestion % reporting improvement | 0% (7) | 22% (9) |
| Libido % reporting improvement | 82% (11) | 71% (14) |
| Hormones % reporting improvement | 79% (19) | 100% (5) |
| Blood sugar % reporting improvement | 100% (5) | 67% (3) |
| Heart & lipids % reporting improvement | 71% (7) | 83% (106) |
| Skin & hair % reporting improvement | 17% (12) | 89% (47) |
| Immunity % reporting improvement | — | 55% (11) |
| Longevity % reporting improvement | 100% (4) | 89% (9) |
| Common side effects | stomach issues, hair loss, insomnia, water retention | brain fog, anxiety, depression, fish burps |
| Typical dose reported | daily | sparingly |
The results of the meta-analysis suggest that creatine supplementation did not significantly alter serum creatinine levels (standardized mean difference = 0.48, 95% confidence interval 0.24-0.73, P = .001, I2 = 22%), and did not alter plasma urea values (standardized mean difference = 1.10, 95% confidence interval 0.34-1.85, P = .004, I2 = 28%). The findings indicate that creatine supplementation does not induce renal damage in the studied amounts and durations.
J Ren Nutr, 2019 ↗“I actually feel a lot better. Mentally clearer and more balanced, like I have my brain back.”
For glycated hemoglobin, there was no significant effect in the meta-analysis. This systematic review with meta-analysis demonstrated that supplementation with omega-3 has protective effects on diabetes parameters.
Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2022 ↗“I do supplement a lot of fish oil and vitamin A as retinyl palmitate though. It has really helped my depression, anxiety and ADHD and has enabled me to stop using more serious psychiatric drugs for those things.”
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Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate