(Source: Newswise) - According to a study, eating tuna and other types of fish may help lower the risk of cognitive decline and stroke in healthy older adults.
For the study, 3,660 people age 65 and older completed questionnaires and underwent brain scans to detect small lesions in the brain that can cause loss of thinking skills, stroke or dementia. Follow up scans were performed again five years later.
The study found that people who ate broiled or baked tuna and other fish high in omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, and anchovies) three times or more per week had a nearly 26 percent lower risk of the brain lesions. Eating just one serving 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. "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."
Go to full story: newswise.com
