USDA Researchers Claim Low Seafood Intake Linked to Cognitive Decline

Research presented at the Experimental Biology 2014 meeting has apparently confirmed the importance of dietary long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), concluding that lower intakes of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA) were predictive of cognitive decline. According to an April 27, 2014, press release, scientists with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University used food-frequency questionnaires to assess the consumption of omega-3 PUFAs among 895 study participants, who also completed cognitive testing over a two-year follow-up period. The results evidently showed that participants in the lowest four quintiles of EPA and DHA consumption showed more signs of cognitive decline than those in the highest quintile.

“While more research is needed to determine whether intake of fatty fish such as salmon, tuna and trout can help prevent against cognitive decline, our preliminary data support previous research showing that intake of these types of fish have health benefits,” one of the researchers was quoted as saying.

Issue 522