Dementia is descriptive term for a collection of symptoms that can be caused by a number of disorders that affect the brain. People with dementia have significantly impaired intellectual functioning that interferes with normal activities and relationships. They also lose their ability to solve problems and maintain emotional control and they may experiences personality changes and behavioral problems, such as agitation, delusions and hallucinations.
Small brain lesions, detectable only on scans, have been linked to the loss of thinking skills and dementia. Might eating fish, which is thought to be good for the brain, affect the development of these lesions, called silent brain infarct?
There was a study involved 2,313 generally healthy older people, most in their mid-70s, who had brains scans at the start of the study and again five years later.
Lesions were detected in about 23% of the participants. Those who ate broiled or baked tuna or other fish high in omega 3 fatty acids three or more times a week were 26% less likely to have brain lesions than were those who ate such fish once a moth or less. Eating fish once a week reduced the risk by 13%. No benefit was found for eating fried fish.
Who may be affected? Older people. Although head injury, stroke or brain tumor can destroy brain cells and lead to dementia, the condition becomes more prevalent simply with age. In another study, the French researchers found the links between eating fish which has high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids and a reduced risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease when there asked elderly people about their eating habits. This research involved 1,670 people age 68 or over living in south west France.
It was found that those who ate fish or seafood at least once a week had a significantly lower risk of developing dementia over the seven years of the study.
Fish Diet for Dementia
