Eating Fish Once a Week Staves Off Dementia
18 Feb 2016 --- Eating at least one portion of fish per week helps to reduce a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and dementia-related illnesses.
This finding was evidenced by international research conducted at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, and published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA).
We know that eating more fish entails consuming higher concentrations of heavy metals such as mercury, with long-term overconsumption of heavy metals potentially causing damage to the kidneys, liver, brain and nervous system. This was also true in this study –the higher the intake of fish, the higher the concentrations of mercury. However, as these higher concentrations did not correlate with a greater number of markers of dementia, it was not the case that an increased intake of mercury had a negative impact on the brain. In general, the health benefits of consuming fish outweigh possible negative effects.
The Dutch Health Council's Guidelines for a healthy diet ('Richtlijnen Goede Voeding'), revised in 2015, reads: “Consume one portion of fish a week, preferably oily fish.” The basis of this guideline is more on the beneficial effect eating fish has on cardiovascular diseases, however, this could also be good advice for maintaining a healthy brain.
However, it is recommended to vary the type of fish consumed. Tuna, mackerel and eel can contain high concentrations of heavy metals. The same applies to crustaceans and shellfish, such as lobster, Chinese mitten crab, mussels, squid and octopus.