Oily fish is brain food, says new US study

Chicago: Eating fish at least once a week may keep you brainy in old age, research from Chicago suggests.

A study of about 4000 senior citizens of Chicago where many were loosing brain function such as memory and speed of thinking, revealed that those who ate fish once a week, slowed the decline by 10%. It was 13% slower among those who consumed at least two fish meals a week. The difference is the equivalent of being three to four years younger, say the researchers.

This new research confirms previus studies that have shown the importance of fatty acids to the brain. Previous research has hinted that omega-3 oils may be useful for improving cognitive skills and behaviour in other groups. Two UK studies suggested benefits in schoolchildren.

Eating fish is already known to improve the health of the heart. But most people do not eat enough of it. In the UK, on average, people eat a third of a portion a week – well below the recommended amount for keeping a healthy heart. The UK Food Standards Agency advises that boys, men and women past reproductive age eat up to four portions of fish a week, and that women of child-bearing age eat up to two portions.

In the Chicago study, residents over the age of 65 living in one district were each tracked for six years. They were interviewed and given four standard cognitive tests at the start of the study, after 3 years and at the end. The tests included measures of immediate and delayed memory, cognitive speed and attention. Their eating habits were established by questionnaire.

“At this point there are so few studies done that we can’t say for sure that eating fish preserves your thinking with age,” admits Morris. But she adds: “It does look promising, and there’s a good biological mechanism.”

She notes that recent studies have shown that elderly rodents given an omega-3 oil fatty acid called DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) exhibit better communication between the neurons in their brains.