Salmon Steak
Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids, which may benefit the brain and protect against Alzheimer's disease.
updated 11/30/2011 9:17:45 AM ET 2011-11-30T14:17:45






  1. MyHealthNewsDaily
    1. Workers Want Employers to Help Them Stay Healthy
    2. Girls Struggle More When Friends Let Them Down
    3. Psychotherapy May Help Teens with Fibromyalgia
    4. Collective Brands Recalls KEDS Girls' Shoes


Gray matter boost
The study involved 260 people who answered questions about their weekly fish consumption, and then had their brains scanned using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 10 years later.

People with greater volumes of gray matter in brain areas called the hippocampus, posterior cingulated and orbital frontal cortex were less likely than others to have Alzheimer's disease or a type of impaired thinking know as mild cognitive impairment.

The link held even after the researchers took into account factors that could affect a person's risk for Alzheimer's, including participants' age, gender and physical activity.

Gray matter is important for the brain's ability to function, and decreases in gray matter volume indicate the brain is shrinking, Raji said.

Good for the brain
Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids, which may benefit the brain and protect against Alzheimer's disease, Raji said. Omega-3s improve blood flow to the brain, which in turn delivers more oxygen and nutrients to brain cells. In addition, omega-3s reduce inflammation in the brain, and can protect against the buildup of the amyloid plaques thought to be the cause of Alzheimer's disease, Raji said.

It's possible lifestyle factors other than those accounted for in this study, including socio-economic factors, contributed to the lowered Alzheimer's disease risk seen among some people in the study, the researchers said.

In a recent report, the National Institutes of Health reviewed data on risk factors for Alzheimer's disease, and concluded that the evidence available now is insufficient to say that any modifiable risk factor, such as diet, influences the development of Alzheimer's disease.

More research is needed to validate the results, according to the study.

Pass it on: Consumption of baked or broiled fish may protect against Alzheimer's disease. 


Discussion comments