New Research Confirms: Fish is The Ultimate Brain Food

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Definitely, you'd want to be around and in the pink of health as your kids grow up, right? You wouldn't want to miss any milestone along the way. You also might be looking forward to the time when your kids have their own kids and they're only beginning to grasp the unconditional love you have for them. 

Thinking of your kids and the future, health should really be a top priority. This means not to strive to be healthy not just on the physical level, but also on the emotional and mental health levels. We all know the benefits of eating a healthy diet, but this new study presents new evidence that could be a big game changer as to how you prepare not just your family-'s meals. That includes, you Mom! 

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A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that fish is really good for you, for your brain, to be more precise. Researchers said that consuming fish regularly--at least once a week--is linked to a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease, even if eating fish lead to having higher levels of mercury in the brain. Yes, you can eat your way to a sharper mind. 

"The findings were very striking," said Martha Clare Morris, director of nutrition and nutritional epidemiology at Rush University Medical Center and lead author of the study. "Our hypothesis was that seafood consumption would be associated with less neuropathology, but that if there were higher levels of mercury in the brain, that would work against that. But we didn't find that at all," she added.

Seafood is a rich resource of DHA and omega-3 fatty acids--nutrients that are important to brain health. However, many are wary of the buildup of mercury in the body. Researchers suggest that it's even more crucial for adults to include fish in their diet because grownups lose these nutrients as they age.

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Fish and seafood have not only been linked to combat Alzheimer’s disease. Previous research have shown that it omega-3 fatty acids help lower anxiety during pregnancy (but pregnant women should still steer clear of fish that contain high mercury levels) and ease postpartum depression. It has also been linked to healthier sperm in men. 

For kids, studies had shown that eating fish and other seafood is tied to having excellent brain health, including higher cognitive function and longer attention span. It also helps kids sleep better, as well as reduces the risk for children developing depression. 

Not only are fish and seafood a good source of DHA and omega-3 fatty acids, they also contain rich amounts of protein, vitamins D, B2, and B5, iodine, calcium, and Iron, according to the Philippines Department of Science and Technology's Food and Nutrition Research Institute.




Sources
February 8, 2016. "New Study Shows That Fish Really Is Brain Food" (forbes.com)
February 2, 2016. "Study links eating fish with healthier brains, regardless of mercury" (cnn.com)

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