Eat Fish Regularly for a Healthier Brain

Research shows that getting at least some of your protein requirements from fish is good for the brain. If you want to preserve your brain's health, then you might want to add fish to your weekly menu. According to a new study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), people who eat a good portion of baked or broiled fish regularly reduce the risk of having mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and of getting Alzheimer's disease.

With many people around the world who may be suffering from these dreaded brain diseases, this study is definitely a significant step forward. Reportedly the first to directly connect eating baked or broiled fish and the prevention of MCI and Alzheimer's, the study showed that those who have fish at least once a week have better preservation of gray matter volume in brain areas that are most vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease. Gray matter volume is very important to brain health. High levels of gray matter indicate that all is well. Low levels, however, are proof that brain cells are shrinking.

For the study, the researchers gathered 260 cognitively sound individuals from the Cardiovascular Health Study. Then, using the National Cancer Institute Food Frequency Questionnaire, they were asked about their fish consumption habits. Results revealed that 163 patients ate fish on a weekly basis. Each of these patients were then made to undergo 3-D volumetric MRI of the brain and through a technique that measures gray matter, the researchers then checked to see how fish consumption affects brain structure at baseline as well as 10 years later. Social, physiological and even genetic factors aside, those who consumed baked and broiled fish weekly were found to be more likely to preserve gray matter in the brain.

"Consuming baked or broiled fish promotes stronger neurons in the brain's gray matter by making them larger and healthier," explained Cyrus Raji, MD, PhD, from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "This simple lifestyle choice increases the brain's resistance to Alzheimer's disease and lowers risk for the disorder."

But before you leave to edit your weekly menu, keep in mind that fried fish is excluded from the formula. According to the study, fried fish does not do anything to help preserve brain health. If you really want to prevent MCI and Alzheimer's disease, stick to baking or broiling recipes instead.