Fish for dinner

Charlyn Fargo, Contributor

Here's another study to make you want to have a serving of baked or broiled fish. The new study finds that people who eat baked or broiled fish on a weekly basis may be improving their brain health and reducing their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

The study, presented earlier this week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, looked at 260 normal individuals from the Cardiovascular Health Study. Information on fish consumption was gathered using the National Cancer Institute Food Frequency Questionnaire. Some 163 patients consumed fish on a weekly basis, the majority of whom ate fish one to four times per week.

Each patient then underwent an MRI of the brain. A brain mapping technique was used to model the relationship between weekly fish consumption at baseline and brain structure 10 years later. The data found that grey matter volume increased. When grey matter remains high, brain health is maintained.

The findings showed that consumption of baked or broiled fish on a weekly basis was positively associated with grey matter volumes in several areas of the brain. Risk of Alzheimer's was reduced nearly five-fold in the fish eaters.

Fish's health benefits have long been touted, but there have been concerns about the danger from mercury and other contaminants for pregnant women and children. A major report, though, found that the health benefits of eating fish regularly outweigh any dangers.

The findings, which were reached by independent teams of scientists, pointed to significant benefits for both young and old. In adults, the death rate from heart disease was 36 per cent lower among those who ate fish twice a week, compared with those who ate little or no seafood, according to a study being published in October in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Overall, mortality was 17 per cent lower, the study by Harvard School of Public Health researchers found.

A second, federally funded report released by the Institute of Medicine echoed the conclusion that the heart benefits of eating seafood outweigh the risks and said infants also benefit from the healthy fats found in seafood.

Substituting

Fish is a low-fat, high quality protein, filled with omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins such as D and B2 (riboflavin). Omega-3 fatty acids are found in every kind of fish but are especially high in fatty fish. Some good choices are salmon, trout, sardines, herring, canned mackerel, canned light tuna and oysters. Fish is also rich in calcium and phosphorus and is a great source of minerals, such as iron, zinc, iodine, magnesium and potassium.

By simply substituting broiled, steamed or baked seafood - especially fatty species such as salmon - for meat or poultry a couple of times per week, consumers can increase their intake of omega-3s and help reduce the amount of unhealthful saturated fats and trans fats they eat.

Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian from Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.