A Diet Rich in Fish May Help the Aging Brain
Eating fish and other foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids could help people maintain healthy brains as they age, as well as protect their hearts, new research suggests.
In a study to be released Tuesday, participants with low levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood had slightly smaller brains and scored lower on memory and cognitive tests than people with higher blood levels of omega-3s.
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Some, but not all, research suggests intake of fatty fish like salmon can lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
The changes in the brain were equivalent to about two years of normal brain aging, says the study’s lead author, Dr. Zaldy Tan, a visiting associate professor in the geriatrics department of the University of California, Los Angeles, and a member of the UCLA Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research. Brains normally shrink as people age.
The study involved 1,575 people with an average age of 67 who didn’t have dementia, a condition typically marked by memory loss. The study was part of the larger, federally funded Framingham Heart Study, which is looking at what contributes to cardiovascular disease. The study will appear in the journal Neurology.
Several studies have shown diets that include fish, such as the Mediterranean diet, lower people’s risks of developing heart problems or having a stroke. And some studies, including one of the first set of participants in the ongoing Framingham study, which started in 1948, suggested intake of fatty fish like salmon and tuna can lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other causes of dementia.
But not all studies have found such an association for Alzheimer’s disease, according to researchers. One reason for the inconsistent results might have been because most diet-related studies rely on food-frequency questionnaires to determine dietary intake, which might not reflect what’s really been consumed over a certain time period.
The study led by Dr. Tan used a measure that looked at the level of omega-3 fatty acids in red blood cells over three months. The study participants underwent a magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, scan of the brain and researchers measured total brain volume.
The researchers then looked at and ranked the level of omega-3 fatty acids in the participants’ blood. People who scored in the bottom 25% in omega-3 fatty acid levels were compared with the rest of the study participants. Researchers found that those who had the lowest level of omega-3 fatty acid levels in their blood had lower brain volume compared with those with higher levels.
Dr. Tan said people with low omega-3 blood levels also didn’t do as well on neuropsychological tests designed to test memory, abstract reasoning and function.
However, it wasn’t clear from the study how much fish or other omega-3-rich fare people consumed to reach a certain omega-3 level. Dr. Tan said that there isn’t a universally accepted target for the level of omega-3 in the blood and the test used in the study isn’t commercially available.
The most recent U.S. dietary guidelines—released last year—recommend at least two servings of seafood a week. Some doctors and diet experts recommend that patients consume fish three times a week or take fish-oil supplements so they get enough omega-3 fatty acids to obtain health benefits.
Write to Jennifer Corbett Dooren at [email protected]
Fish & Seafood with Bill & Sheila
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