Fish Smarts

Scientists have reported numerous benefits of eating fish, but new research indicates that fish consumption, particularly of fatty varieties such as tuna and salmon, may be instrumental in preventing age-related dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers followed 899 men and women with an average start age of 76, for nine years to determine whether the status of DHA, an essential fatty acid found in fish, is associated with dementia risk.  They discovered that people who ate three or more servings of fish per week were 47 percent less likely to develop dementia rather than those who ate the least amount of fish.  That group was also 39 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.

The study participants who ate the greatest amount of fish had the highest level of DHA in their blood.  Earlier studies have found low DHA content in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.