fish

Do this once a week to prevent Alzheimer’s disease

It might be February, but I’m already looking ahead to spring.

Some folks can’t wait for the flowers to bloom or spring training, while others just want warmer weather.

Me? I’m making dinner plans!

When fresh Alaska salmon hits the market, I’m ready – and not just because nothing tastes better than a filet fresh off the grill or out of the broiler.

Wild-caught salmon is also one of nature’s best sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids, and new research reels in one more reason to make sure you put fish on the menu at least once a week: These brain-boosting fats could slash your risk of dementia!

If you’re one of the 75 million Americans who carry a copy of the APOE4 gene, you’re already facing a higher risk of dementia whether you know it or not. Some 7 million of us even carry TWO copies of the gene, further increasing that risk.

But what’s written in your genes isn’t written in stone. You can overcome it with good choices and clean living – such as a diet rich in the healthy omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon and other fish.

What makes this study so unique is that researchers didn’t just ask folks about their fish consumption and track their risk.

They actually tracked 286 seniors right up until the day they died – with many of them living into their 90s – then examined their brains for the telltale signs of Alzheimer’s damage such as beta amyloid plaques and tangles.

Folks who carried that APOE4 gene and ate fish at least once a week had lower levels of those plaques and tangles and fewer signs of other forms of brain damage linked to cognitive decline, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

They didn’t find a benefit in seniors without the APOE4 gene, but the researchers wouldn’t rule it out, either, saying the study may not have been big enough to go that far.

Since we already know that seniors who follow a Mediterranean diet rich in fatty fish tend to have a lower risk of dementia, it would make sense that putting fish on the menu can help just about everyone.

The study also finds that exposure to mercury from fish won’t boost your risk of dementia, but I wouldn’t take comfort in that. There’s just too much research linking memory loss and other brain damage to mercury and other heavy metals, so make your best effort to avoid them by choosing low-risk fish such as wild-caught salmon from Alaska.

For more on how to choose safer fish, read this free report from my House Calls archives.

How mercury can wreck little brains

Fish are the best source of essential omega-3 fatty acids around. Unfortunately, many fish are also high in something else -- something you don't want at all.

Mercury in fish and seafood is becoming such a huge problem that there are certain types of fish -- like swordfish and king mackerel -- that shouldn't even be on the menu at all, especially for pregnant women.

It's a double-edged sword(fish), and new research of mercury in fish shows just how fine the line is between benefit and risk: Children born to moms who get plenty of omega-3s have a lower risk of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder... while kids born to moms exposed to mercury have a higher risk of the condition.

In the study, women used food diaries to track their seafood consumption during pregnancy. Then, researchers took hair samples to measure their levels of mercury exposure from the mercury in fish.

Moms with higher levels of mercury produced kids 40 percent more likely to show mild ADHD-like behavior and 70 percent more likely to battle full-blown impulsive and/or hyperactive behavior -- especially among boys (who have a much higher risk of ADHD in the first place).

By higher levels of mercury, we're not talking much -- just 1 microgram per gram, according to the study, or what many in the mainstream would consider to be both normal and safe.

Clearly, it shouldn't be considered normal or safe.

On the other hand, the study also found that women who consume two servings of fish per week or more give birth to kids that are 60 percent less likely to suffer ADHD -- and that's almost certainly thanks to the omega-3 fatty acids in fish, which are critical to brain development.

So can more of one cancel out the other? Don't bet on it either way.

Expectant mothers -- and everyone else, for that matter -- should get their omega-3 fatty acids from fish we know to be safe, such as salmon, herring, sardines, and mackerel to lower their risk for mercury in fish.

King mackerel, shark, tuna, and swordfish, on the other hand, tend to be much higher in mercury and should be off limits.

Making matters worse, there is a huge problem with high-risk fish being deliberately mislabeled to make them more marketable.

If keeping up with it all is too much of a challenge, try a purified omega-3 supplement from a manufacturer you trust instead. And if you want to test the levels of metals in yourself or a child or grandchild, make an appointment to see a holistic doctor, like me, who can run those tests for you.