10.11.2005
Omega 3 brain blast
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Fish on Friday a Good thing for more than ecclesiastical reasons
Chicago-based researchers find that 3-4 year improvement in brain age associated with regular consumption of fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids....
(Washington Post) Eating fish at least once a week is good for the brain, slowing age-related mental decline by the equivalent of three to four years, a study suggests.
The research adds to the growing evidence that a fish-rich diet helps keep the mind sharp. Previous studies found that people who ate fish lowered their risk of Alzheimer's disease and stroke. Fish such as salmon and tuna that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids also have been shown to prevent heart disease.
For the new study, researchers measured how well 3,718 people did on simple tests, such as recalling details of a story. The participants, --all were Chicago residents age 65 and older -- took the tests three times over six years. They also filled out a questionnaire about what they ate that included 139 foods.
"We found that people who ate one fish meal a week had a 10 percent slower annual decline in thinking," said co-author Martha Clare Morris, an epidemiologist at Rush University Medical Center. "Those who ate two fish meals a week showed a 13 percent slower annual decline."
The study of fish and mental sharpness was posted yesterday on the Web site of the Archives of Neurology and will appear in the journal's December issue....
