Dementia Risk: Fish or Meat?
Do fish lovers suffer less dementia than meat eaters? It would be good to know if those omega-3 oils really do have something going for them when it comes to neuroprotection. After all, Alzheimers Disease is one of the most feared down sides of the Longevity Boom.
Including omega-3 oils in the diet is not just about adding a little caviar and smoked salmon to the diet of well-heeled western populations, but applies to less developed countries and lower income populations. After all, we have 7 billion people for whom we would wish to slow the progress of cognitive decline. So what’s happening in the rest of the world? Researchers led by Emiliano Albanese from King’s College London correlated a lot of information from nearly 15,000 people from India, China and a number of central and southern American countries. Their findings, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggest a dose-dependent relationship between fish consumption and dementia. Meat consumption was linked with a higher dementia rate, also in a dose-dependent manner.
These findings suggest that prevention of cognitive decline should include regular intake of oily fish like herrings or sardines, or supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids.
There are many other dietary measures that might slow the onset and progression of dementia. For example, vitamin E is predictably lower in people with Alzheimer’s Disease but it’s a supplement that has had a bad wrap for a couple of decades. However scientists now recognize that vitamin E supplementation should include a full range of tocopherols and tocotrienols, which was not the case in years gone by.
Many antioxidants also improve cognitive function including CoEnzyme Q10, turmeric and those found in dark coloured berries and dark green leafy vegetables.
More helpful information including relevant herbal medicines can be found on the website of the University of Maryland Medicinal Center.
Read more about Dr Albanese’s research.
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