Regular consumption of fatty fish does not lower the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Researchers analyzed health data from 2,012 cognitively healthy participants in the long-running Framingham Heart Study who were monitored over a 21-year period. Despite regular fatty fish intake among participants, the study authors found no convincing evidence that consuming fish reduced the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
The findings challenge the widespread belief that fatty fish functions as a protective brain food against cognitive decline in older adults.
Lifestyle factors in dementia studies
The authors of the study suggested that earlier research may have overstated the protective benefits of fish consumption. People who eat fish frequently often lead healthier lives overall, maintaining better diets, staying physically active, smoking less, and securing better access to healthcare.
Researchers noted that those combined lifestyle and socioeconomic factors, rather than fish consumption itself, likely accounted for the reduced dementia risks observed in previous studies.
The Framingham Heart Study, established in 1948 in Framingham, Massachusetts, is a major long-term medical project tracking cardiovascular and neurological health across generations. The American Journal of Epidemiology, which published the findings, is a peer-reviewed academic journal dedicated to public health and disease patterns.
Nutritional role of fatty fish
Despite the results, scientists emphasized that the study does not mean fatty fish is harmful or useless. Fatty fish remains an important component of a healthy diet due to its high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential polyunsaturated fats that support cell structure and cardiovascular function.
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurological disorder that causes brain cells to degenerate, leading to memory loss and cognitive decline. It represents the most common cause of dementia in older adults globally.
However, the study authors cautioned that consumers should not expect any single food product to safeguard them against Alzheimer's disease.
