| Older adults may be able to preserve and | | | | 2,313 of the participants and asked them |
| improve their memories and ward off stroke by | | | | questions about their diets, including how much |
| eating more non-fried fish, researchers reported in | | | | fish they ate. |
| the latest issue of Neurology. | | | | After comparing scans and analyzing diet |
| The have found that older adults whose diets | | | | information, they learnt that the adults who ate |
| include three or more weekly helpings of baked or | | | | non-fried tuna and other fish high in omega-3 |
| broiled tuna and other fish, like cod, high in | | | | fatty acids at least three times a week had a |
| omega-3 fatty acids are less likely to develop | | | | nearly 26 per cent lower risk of silent brain lesions |
| "silent" brain lesions that can lead to cognitive | | | | than those who opted for such foods less often. |
| decline and vascular stroke. | | | | Those who had just one serving of fish per week |
| A brain lesion, or infarct, is an area of damaged | | | | reduced their risk of silent brain lesions by 13 per |
| brain tissue. The damage typically results from a | | | | cent and those who regularly chose the healthy |
| lack of blood flow to the area. The lesion is | | | | fish also had fewer changes to the white matter |
| dubbed "silent" if it developed in someone who | | | | in their brains. |
| has not had a recognized stroke or transient | | | | "While eating tuna and other types of fish seems |
| ischemic attack, also called a mini stroke. Silent | | | | to help protect against memory loss and stroke, |
| brain lesions are very common, especially as a | | | | these results were not found in people who |
| person grows older. The lesions can cause thinking | | | | regularly ate fried fish," Dr Virtanen said. "More |
| problems, memory loss and stroke. | | | | research is needed as to why these types of fish |
| "Previous findings have shown that fish and fish oil | | | | may have protective effects, but the omega-3 |
| can help prevent stroke, but this is one of the | | | | fatty acids EPA and DHA would seem to have a |
| only studies that looks at the effect of fish on | | | | major role." |
| silent brain infarcts in healthy, older people," said | | | | Tuna, salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, and |
| Dr Jyrki Virtanen of the University of Kuopio in | | | | anchovies are all rich in omega-3 fatty acids and |
| Finland. | | | | are good for the heart and the brain. Together |
| He and his colleagues studied magnetic resonance | | | | with a healthy lifestyle, active mental stimulation, |
| imaging brain scans of 3,600 adults aged 65 and | | | | you can improve your brain function, stave off |
| older who had no history of cerebrovascular | | | | brain aging and improve your memory. |
| disease. Five years later, researchers rescanned | | | | |