You Really Should Eat Fish Once a Week, at Least

Well, there’s a caveat - it should be baked or broiled fish.  But given that, once a week fish will lower your risk of getting Alzheimer’s, according to a study reported at the recent Radiological Society of North America meeting.

Dr Cyrus Raji of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Mercy Hospital reported a study of dietary fish intake in 260 cognitively normal people in 1998/1999, as well as a 3-dimensional MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of the brain, to establish baseline levels.  The MRIs allowed the volume of the grey matter of the brain to be measured.  The subjects were then followed for approximately 10 years, and then the 3-D MRIs were repeated.

After adjusting for possible confounding factors (e.g. age, gender, race, education level, waist/hip ratio, and physical activity) it was found that consumption of fish at least once a week was associated with increased grey matter volumes in various areas of the brain (hippocampus, precuneus, posterior cingulated, and orbital frontal cortex).  Further analysis showed that increased volume of 3 of these 4 parts was significantly linked with a reduced risk for a 5-fold cognitive decline over 5 years.

One should note that there was no statistically significant relationship between eating fried fish and brain structure volumes or cognitive decline.  Only baked and broiled fish were linked in this way; however, the kind of fish wasn’t important.

If that wasn’t convincing, look at a new publication in the journal Neurology.  Oregon researchers found that, in 85-year-olds, a high intake of marine omega-3 fatty acids was associated with more favorable cognitive function measures and increased brain volume.  A dietary pattern rich in the various B vitamins, and vitamins C, D, and E, was also linked to improved brain function and size in this study.