Fish consumption found to ward off Alzheimer’s risk

A new study has been conducted that establishes a potentially important link between eating fish and a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Led by University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine staff, the researchers assessed the eating habits of 260 individuals and the effects on brain structure over time.

It was found that consumption of baked or broiled fish on a weekly basis was positively associated with gray matter volume preservation in key areas of the brain, including the greater hippocampus, posterior cingulate and orbital frontal cortex.

These trends were linked to higher levels of working memory among these test subjects, even when factoring in matters such as education, age, gender and physical fitness.

Researcher Dr Cyrus Raji said: "This is the first study to establish a direct relationship between fish consumption, brain structure and Alzheimer's risk."

This comes after a separate US study published earlier this year showed that patients with heightened Alzheimer's risks tend to have detectable changes in brain chemistry before any symptoms manifest.