People who ate broiled or baked tuna and other fish high in omega-3 fatty acids three times or more per week had a nearly 26 percent lower risk of developing dementia and stroke. Buyers check tuna fish at the Tsukiji fish wholesale market in Tokyo
© AFP/Jiji Press/FileAugust 5, 2008 (Sawf News) - People who ate broiled or baked tuna and other fish high in omega-3 fatty acids three times or more per week had a nearly 26 percent lower risk of developing dementia and stroke. Same fish but fried does not provide the same benefit.
Types of fish that contain high levels of DHA and EPA nutrients include salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, and anchovies.
Eating just one serving of this type of fish per week led to a 13 percent lower risk. The study also found people who regularly ate these types of fish had fewer changes in the white matter in their brains.
“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.”
“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.
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