| Fish
Fights Aging in the Brain
Eating
Fish Once a Week Slows Age-Related Mental Decline.
WebMD
Medical News
Oct.
10, 2005 -- Fish really is brain food after all, according
to a new study, which shows eating fish can slow the mental
decline associated with aging.
The
results show that eating fish at least once a week slowed
the rate of mental or cognitive decline in elderly people
by 10%-13% per year.
"That
rate of reduction is equivalent to being three to four years
younger in age," write researcher Martha Clare Morris,
ScD, of Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, and colleagues
in the Archives of Neurology.
Their
findings were released online today in advance of the scheduled
December publication date in the journal.
Researchers
attribute the protective effects of fish on the brain to
omega-3 fatty acids. Fish, especially oily types like salmon
and tuna, are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which
are essential for brain development and normal brain functioning.
Eating
fish regularly has already been linked to a lower risk of
dementia and stroke, and some animal studies show that at
least one type of omega-3 fatty acid known as DHA (docosahexaenoic
acid) plays an important role in memory performance during
aging.
Fish
Slows Mental Decline
In the study, researchers looked at the relationship between
fish consumption and age-related cognitive decline in more
than 4,000 participants aged 65 and over in the ongoing
Chicago Health and Aging Project.
Researchers
interviewed the participants every three years and assessed
their mental function as well as their diets.
After
more than six years of follow up, researchers found that
the more fish people ate, the slower their rate of mental
decline.
People
who ate fish at least once a week experienced a 10%-13%
lower rate of cognitive decline than those who ate fish
less frequently.
Researchers
say these protective benefits of fish persisted even after
adjusting for other dietary factors, such as fruit and vegetable
consumption.
"This
study suggests that eating one or more fish meals per week
may protect against cognitive decline associated with older
age," write the researchers. "More precise studies
of the different dietary constituents of fish should help
to understand the nature of the association."
SOURCES:
Morris, M. Archives of Neurology, Oct. 10, 2005
online edition; vol 62. News release, American Medical Association.
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