Eating fish every week reduces dementia risk as we get older

Fish’s omega-3 fatty acids have a protective effect on mental abilities, and any decline is far less sharp once we reach the age of 80 if we eat fish once a week, say researchers.

The researchers, from the Rush University Medical Center, tracked the mental health of 915 people, with an average age of 81 and who had no signs of dementia, for five years. By the end, there was a marked difference between the mental abilities of those who ate at least one serving of fish a week and those who ate fish less frequently. The meals could include snacks such as tuna sandwiches, fish sticks, and fish cakes, and main meals of fresh fish, shrimp, lobster and crab.

Those who regularly ate fish maintained their ability to remember words, and were better able to compare letters, objects and patterns.

(Source: Neurology, 2016; doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000002719)

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