Eat fish to slow down cognitive decline

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Eating fish once a week has a significant impact on the rate of cognitive decline.
Fish is a direct source of omega-3-fatty acids which are important in brain functioning. Studies have shown that eating fish might reduce the risk of stroke and dementia. Now a team at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago show that fish consumption helps people with their cognitive functioning.

They looked at a group of local residents aged 65 or more and gave them cognitive tests and dietary questionnaires during two interviews spaced three years apart. They learned that dietary intake of fish was inversely related to cognitive decline. One or more fish meals a week conferred a 10 to 13 per cent decline in risk of cognitive decline compared to those who ate fish less often. In cognitive terms, eating fish wiped three to four years off the age of the participants. It's an easy way to preserve your mental functioning, although it's not yet clear which components of the fish are responsible for this health benefit.

Source
Archives of Neurology online 10th October 2005

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