Fish and Alzheimer's

Eating Fish Regularly Reduces Risk Of
Alzheimer's Disease, According To New Study Reported From The

University Of Pittsburgh

New Research From
University from the
University of
Pittsburgh Medical
Center and the
University of
Pittsburgh School of
Medicine Reports
Eating Fish Regularly
Reduces Risk of Alzheimer's Disease...
People who eat non-fried fish on a weekly basis may be improving their brain health and reducing their risk of
developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and
Alzheimer's disease, according to a study presented at
the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) meeting.

"This is the first study to establish a direct relationship
between fish consumption, brain structure and Alzheimer's risk,"explained a team of research scientists from the
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the University
of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "The results showed that
people who consumed baked or broiled fish at least once
each week had better preservation of gray matter volume
on MRI in brain areas at risk for Alzheimer's disease."

Alzheimer's disease is an incurable, progressive brain disease
that slowly destroys memory and cognitive skills. According
to the National Institute on Aging, as many as 5.1 million Americans may have Alzheimer's disease. In MCI, memory
loss is present but to a lesser extent than in Alzheimer's disease. People with MCI often go on to develop Alzheimer's disease.

For the study, 260 cognitively normal individuals were selected from the Cardiovascular Health Study. Information on fish consumption was gathered using the National Cancer Institute Food Frequency Questionnaire. There were 163 patients who consumed fish on a weekly basis, and the majority ate fish one
to four times per week.

Each patient underwent 3-D volumetric MRI of the brain. Voxel-based morphometry, a brain mapping technique that measures gray matter volume, was used to model the relationship between weekly fish consumption at baseline and brain structure 10 years later. The data were then analyzed to determine if gray matter volume preservation associated with fish consumption reduced risk for Alzheimer's disease.

The study controlled for age, gender, education, race, obesity, physical activity, and the presence or absence of apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4), a gene that increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's.

Gray matter volume is crucial to brain health. When it remains higher, brain health is being maintained. Decreases in gray matter volume indicate that brain cells are shrinking.

The findings showed that consumption of baked or broiled fish
on a weekly basis was positively associated with gray matter volumes in several areas of the brain. Greater hippocampal, posterior cingulate and orbital frontal cortex volumes in relation to fish consumption reduced the risk for five-year decline to
MCI or Alzheimer's by almost five-fold.

"Consuming baked or broiled fish promotes stronger neurons
in the brain's gray matter by making them larger and healthier," the researchers said. "This simple lifestyle choice increases the brain's resistance to Alzheimer's disease and lowers risk for the disorder."

The results also demonstrated increased levels of cognition
in people who ate baked or broiled fish.

"Working memory, which allows people to focus on tasks and commit information to short-term memory, is one of the most important cognitive domains," they said. "Working memory is destroyed by Alzheimer's disease. We found higher levels of working memory in people who ate baked or broiled fish on a weekly basis, even when accounting for other factors, such as education, age, gender and physical activity."

Eating fried fish, on the other hand, was not shown to increase brain volume or protect against cognitive decline.

Story Source: Radiological Society of North America.

Radiological Society of North America (2011, November 30). Eating fish reduces risk of Alzheimer's disease, study finds.

This article is for informational and educational purposes only;

It is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Contact your doctor or healthcare professional for medical and
nutritional consultation.