Have You Gotten Your Weekly Fish Fix?
Tuesday March 11, 2008
A recent study by researchers at Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago found that eating fish once a week may lower the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. The study was based on the theory that omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, nuts, and oil-based dressings help nourish brain cell membranes and enhance nerve function, learning, and memory.The study followed 815 people age 65-94 for 7 years who did not have Alzheimer's at the beginning of the research. They found that those who ate fish at least once a week had a 60% lower risk of developing Alzheimer's than those who rarely or never consumed fish.
While fish clearly has nutritional benefits, many are worried about levels of mercury or other contaminants in the fish they eat. To learn how to safely incorporate fish into your diet, see Good Fish, Bad Fish by Shereen Jegtvig, About.com's Nutrition Guide.
For more tips on how to improve brain health, see Can Alzheimer's Disease Really Be Prevented?
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Comments
This is reassuring to me, because we eat a lot of fish at my house. (My husband’s a big fisherman.) I do worry about mercury levels, though. I’ll have to look at the accompanying article on “Good Fish, Bad Fish.” You might be interested in MayoClinic.com’s Alzheimer’s blog (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/alzheimers/AZ00071). I am a freelance writer who does some work for Mayo Clinic (so I find myself on their site a lot), and I find their blogs to be especially informative and helpful.