To Your Health
February, 2016 (Vol. 10, Issue 02) |
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Feed Your Brain the Right Way
By Editorial Staff
Your brain is a precious thing – after all, if it's compromised, so is your very existence, at least in terms of a productive life. It's all about maintaining brain health as we age; doing everything we can to avoid cognitive decline and the debilitating diseases associated with it, including Alzheimer's. What can we do? It may start with nutrition.
A study published in the
Journal of the American Medical Association suggests people who eat at least one seafood meal per week had a lower risk of an Alzheimer's diagnosis than people who did not eat seafood. The study involved a review of nearly 300 autopsied brains, with researchers evaluating each brain for densities of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles typically found in patients with the disease. As the study authors concluded, "[M]oderate seafood consumption was correlated with lesser Alzheimer disease neuropathology."
The researchers were quick to point out that although higher seafood intake also correlated with higher brain mercury levels (excessive mercury intake is a concern when eating seafood, particularly certain types of seafood and by certain people, such as pregnant women and young children), mercury levels did not contribute to brain pathology.
The bottom line: Eat more fish! Your brain will thank you for it. Talk to your doctor for more information on the benefits of seafood consumption and which types of fish may be most beneficial to eat on a regular basis.
