Eating fish can help keep your brain young, say scientists after finding that diets lacking omega-3 fatty acids hastens brain shrinkage and mental decline. Researcher at the University of California , Los Angeles, found that people who eat the least amount of omega-3 fatty acids, a key nutrients found in fish oil, had less brain mass – equivalent to about two years of chronological ageing.
It’s already known that low levels of omega-3 fatty acids are associated with poor scores for visual memory, problem solving, multi-tasking and abstract thinking.
It is thought that omega-3 fatty acids in fish oils may reduce inflammation of the brain and play a part in brain development and nerve cell regeneration. In the new study, published in the journal Neurology, the researchers carried out brain scans of over 1,500 people with an average age of 67. They found a greater rate of brain shrinkage in those who lacked docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid that is thought to help nerve cells communicate with each other.
“People with lower blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids had lower brain volumes that were equivalent to about two years of structural brain ageing ,” lead researcher Zaldy Tan was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.
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