High-fish diet may slow cognitive decline

A group of elderly Norwegians who eat fish frequently performed better in six cognitive tests than those who did not.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that a diet filled with fish may help maintain cognitive ability and function among elderly populations.

Investigators found older men and women who ate fish frequently scored better on memory, visual conception, spatial motor skills, attention, orientation, and verbal fluency tests.

“All six cognitive tests were performed better by those who ate fish,” said principal author, Dr A. David Smith of the University of Oxford.

And the more fish a person eats, the bigger the effect, up to a daily limit of 80 grams.

The researchers measured cognitive ability and the average daily fish consumption of 2,031 men in and women between the ages of 70 and 74 in Western Norway.

In the group, 1951 reported eating 10 or more grams of fresh, frozen, canned fish, fish oils and seafood each day.

Those who reported more frequent consumption of fatty or lean fish as their main meal performed significantly better in five of the six cognitive tests.

Processed fish or fish sandwiches were also associated with better performance on three of the cognitive tests.

Lean fish was found to be just as effective as fatty fish.

Tags: cognitive-ability,

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