November 28, 2006 – A new study confirms it: regular consumption of fish would prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.
To reach this conclusion, the American researchers took blood samples from the 899 men and women participating in this longitudinal study.1, in order to find out the concentrations of omega-3 type DHA in their blood.
The result: High DHA levels are associated with a 47% reduction in the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. The subjects who consumed more than two servings of fish per week had the highest concentrations of DHA.
None of the participants, whose average age was 76, initially suffered from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. A blood test was taken at the start of the study and a follow-up to detect symptoms of these diseases took place over a period of nine years.
A questionnaire on the eating habits and frequency of consumption of more than 126 foods was distributed to each of the participants and more than half of them returned it. During the study, 99 cases of dementia were declared including 71 cases of Alzheimer’s disease.
Docosahexanoic acid, better known by its acronym DHA, is one of the omega-3 fatty acids. It plays a fundamental role in the development of the brain. Oily fish are a good source.
Note that Alzheimer’s disease is the most common senile dementia in developed countries: one in eight men and one in four women will suffer from it during their lifetime.
Marie france Coutu – PasseportSanté.net
1. Schaefer EJ, Bongard V, et al. Plasma phosphatidylcholine docosahexaenoic acid content and risk of dementia and Alzheimer disease: the Framingham Heart Study. Archives of Neurology, 2006 Nov; 63 (11): 1545-50.