FISH AND HEALTH
Eating
foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish, chicken and salad
dressing and avoiding saturated fats, meat and dairy foods may be linked to
preserving memory and thinking abilities, the largest study to date has found.
However, the same association was not found in people with
diabetes.
“Since there are no definitive treatments for most dementing
illnesses, modifiable activities, such as diet, that may delay the onset of
symptoms of dementia are very important,” said Georgios Tsivgoulis, MD, with
the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of Athens, Greece.
Tsivgoulis is also a member of the American Academy of Neurology.
Data came from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences
in Stroke (REGARDS) study, a national sample of the general population.
For the study, dietary
information from 17,478 African-American and Caucasian people with an average
age of 64 was reviewed to see how closely they adhered to a Mediterranean diet.
They were also given tests that measured memory and thinking abilities over an
average of four years. A total of 17 percent of the participants had diabetes.
Seven percent of the participants developed impairments in their
thinking and memory skills during the study.
The study found that in healthy people, those who more closely
followed the Mediterranean diet were 19 percent less likely to develop problems
with their thinking and memory skills.
There was not a significant difference in declines between
African-Americans and Caucasians. However, the Mediterranean diet was not
associated with a lower risk of thinking and memory problems in people with
diabetes.
“Diet is an important modifiable activity that could help in
preserving cognitive functioning in late life,” said Tsivgoulis.
“However, it is only one of several important lifestyle activities
that might play a role in late-life mental functioning. Exercise, avoiding
obesity, not smoking cigarettes and taking medications for conditions like
diabetes and hypertension are also important,” the researcher noted.
The research has been published in the latest print issue of
Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
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