Eating fish may thwart 'silent' brain damage
China Daily | Updated: 2008-08-06 07:35
Older adults who regularly eat fish may have a lower risk of subtle brain damage that contributes to stroke and dementia, as long as the fish isn't fried, researchers reported on Monday.
In a study that followed 3,660 adults age 65 and older, Finnish researchers found that those who ate more fish were less likely to show certain "silent" brain infarcts, tiny areas of tissue that have died because of an insufficient blood supply, on an MRI scan.
The tissue damage is considered silent, or "subclinical," because it causes no obvious symptoms and can only be detected through brain scans. It can, however, raise a person's longer-term risk of having a stroke or developing dementia.
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