A recent study appears to confirm that fish is an excellent food for the middle-aged brain; the brain that needs to be constantly reinvigorated in order to put the brakes on that gradual slide towards inevitable dementia! I am being a little bit melodramatic, but this study suggests that eating fish, sardines and salmon which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids is linked to a larger hippocampus which in turn plays an important role in memory and learning. This part of the brain is also linked with better performance and abstract reasoning tests according to a report in The Times today October 6, 2022.
The study was published in the journal Neurology. The study suggest that middle-aged people could benefit from at least one serving of omega-3-rich fish a week.
Other studies have looked at this association in older populations.
“The new contribution here is that, even at younger ages, if you have a diet that includes some omega-3 fatty acids, you are already protecting your brain”, said Dr. Claudia Satizabal of the University of Texas San Antonio.
Perhaps it is quite well known that in previous studies they found a link between omega-3 and a reduction in the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. There has also been apparently a link between omega-3 fatty acids and a larger brain. Those studies were based upon people reporting their diet.
In this study the researchers looked at the levels of omega-3 in the red blood cells of nearly 2,200 adults with an average age of 46.
Another advantage of omega-3 fatty acids is that it seems to protect against damage to find blood vessels because of a gene called APOEA. This gene is linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and vascular dementia. APOEA is involved in the transport of lipids and the components of omega-3 around the body.
The head of Alzheimer’s Research UK, Dr Sara Imarisio, said that the study does not prove that omega-3 causes brains to be healthier but that another factor might be in play. However, she did agree that diet was an important factor in maintaining good brain condition.
She said:
“Research into omega-3 and brain health has produced mixed results, and while this study adds to the evidence base, it is exploratory and not conclusive. What we do know is that a healthy brain in midlife is important for brain health in later life to, and that a healthy diet overall is important in reducing dementia risk. Up to 40% of dementia cases could be avoidable through health and lifestyle choices we can influence.”
The researchers used a method called gas chromatography to measure the concentrations of two omega-3 fatty acids in red blood cells. They don’t know how these fatty acids protect the brain, but one theory is that because they are needed in the membrane of nerve cells when they are replaced by other fatty acids the cells become unstable.
Comment: the problem, for me, with this sort of research, which will encourage people to eat more fish, is that the planet is already overfished, and the human population is consistently expanding. And therefore, how can we feed more people more fish? Fish farms are the answer, but fish farms don’t have a great track record. There have been accusations against them concerning the health and welfare of the fish. They tend to get diseased quite easily and there appears to be a battle in preventing that. Lastly, in an earlier article I concluded that fish feel pain. There is a moral dimension to this which is rarely addressed. It might be better to find some sort of lab created alternative which does the same thing and upon which we can rely without causing pain and decimating fish stocks.
Below are some more pages on food.
