Fish – To Bake, Broil or Fry?

Previously, a number of studies suggest that modifiable lifestyle factors contribute to brain health. Among these is the role of healthy diet.  James T. Becker, from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (Pennsylvania, USA), and colleagues analyzed data collected on 260 cognitively normal men and women enrolled in the Cardiovascular Health Study.  Dietary information, including fish consumption, was obtained via questionnaire, and subjects underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Data revealed that people who ate baked or broiled fish at least once a week had greater grey matter brain volumes in areas of the brain responsible for memory (4.3%) and cognition (14%), as compared to those who didn’t eat fish regularly, the researchers found.  Interestingly, no association was found between the brain differences and blood levels of omega-3s.  Noting that baked or broiled fish contains higher levels of omega-3s than fried fish because the fatty acids are destroyed in the high heat of frying, the study authors write that: “Dietary consumption of baked or broiled fish is related to larger gray matter volumes independent of omega-3 fatty acid content.”