MedNews

  • Drug Industry News
  • FDA News & Alerts
  • Health & Medical News
You are here: Home / Health & Medical News / Alzheimer's / Eating Fish May Avert Memory Loss

Eating Fish May Avert Memory Loss

August 7, 2008 By MedNews Leave a Comment

The risk of cognitive decline and stroke in older adults may be reduced by eating tuna and other kinds of fish, according to study by researchers in Finland.

The study used a sample of 3,660 men and women aged 65 or older and subjected them to brain scans to look for silent brain infarcts, stroke or dementia. 5 years later, 2,313 members of the sample were tested again with scans, and all participants were given questionnaires on fish in their diets.

Findings of the study showed that participants who ate broiled or baked tuna or other fish high in omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA) three or more times a week were at a 26% lower risk of experiencing the silent brain lesions that cause dementia and stroke than people who were not regular fish eaters. Even one fish meal weekly reduced the risk by 13%, and the study found that regular consumption of these types of fish reduced the changes of white matter in the brains of fish eaters.

“While eating tuna and other types of fish seems to help protect against memory loss and stroke, these results were not found in people who regularly ate fried fish,” said Jyrki Virtanen, PhD, RD, with the University of Kuopio in Finland. “More research is needed as to why these types of fish may have protective effects, but the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA would seem to have a major role.” Types of fish that contain high levels of DHA and EPA nutrients include salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, and anchovies.

“Previous findings have shown that fish and fish oil can help prevent stroke, but this is one of the only studies that looks at fish’s effect on silent brain infarcts in healthy, older people,” said Virtanen. Research shows that silent brain infarcts, which are only detected by brain scans, are found in about 20 percent of otherwise healthy elderly people.

Source: Neurology, August 5, 2008

Filed Under: Alzheimer's, General Health



Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search



Tag Cloud

alcohol alzheimers asthma breast cancer cancer children cholesterol dementia depression Diabetes diet drug abuse exercise fda flu food genetics geriatrics h1n1 heart heart attack heart disease high blood pressure HIV/AIDS hormone therapy hypertension lungs menopause mrsa NIH obesity pain pediatrics pregnancy prostate cancer seniors sleep smoking statistics stroke sun swine flu teens USA women's health

Recent Comments

  • Mia Fritz on Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate
  • Shilpa on Why Too Much Iron Can Be Dangerous
  • Racheal on Teen Pregnancy May Be Reduced by Sex Education in Schools, Says Study
  • Don on Prilosec, Nexium and Prevacid Tied to Higher Risk of Pneumonia
  • Meso on Brain Changes in Elderly Can Affect Mobility and Balance
  • About Us
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 Mednews · Log in