New research suggests that eating fish is indeed good for brain health. The long-term follow-up study found that older adults with normal cognitive function who enjoyed fried or grilled fish on a weekly basis had significantly larger gray matter volumes in the hippocampus, precuneus, posterior cingulate and orbitofrontal cortex. The study, published July 29 in Am J Prev Med, found that older adults who ate fried or baked fish (excluding fried fish) had increased volumes in areas of the brain related to memory and cognitive function, according to Professor Becker of the University of Pittsburgh. The study included 260 cognitively normal older adults whose daily diet was obtained by analyzing their diet frequency questionnaires from 1989/1990. The study included 260 older adults with normal cognitive function, whose daily diet was obtained by analyzing their diet frequency questionnaires in 1989/1990 and followed up with high-resolution brain MRI results in 1998/1999. It was found that older adults who ate grilled or fried fish at least once a week had significantly greater gray matter volume in brain areas responsible for memory and cognitive functions. In their article, Professor Cyrus Raji and colleagues highlight that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) affect synaptic function and cognition by enhancing synaptic cell membrane fluidity, which facilitates the passage of cations through the cell membrane and enhances neurotrophic factor activity, thereby promoting neuronal growth and metabolism in areas such as the hippocampus. Although the increased volume of these functional brain regions was associated with fish consumption, there was no significant correlation with their serum omega-3 fatty acid levels. This is very surprising and suggests that it is the lifestyle of including fish in our diet that affects brain function, rather than having to rely on biological factors such as the level of a substance in the body. Professor Mozaffarian of Tufts University said that these findings are consistent with previous studies. For example, Medscape reported on a study showing that eating tuna or other fish was associated with a lower incidence of subclinical infarcts and white matter abnormalities in the brain. Professor Cyrus Raji of the University of California has shown that this study builds on previous research to demonstrate an optimal brain-healthy lifestyle, which includes eating fried or baked fish, maintaining a healthy weight, and participating in physical activity.