Are Seafood and Fish Good for Your Brain?

Rumor has it that one of the oldest known recipes in the Mediterranean is the recipe for fish (grilled fish sprinkled with grated cheese) found in the “Deipnosophistae” of the ancient Greek Athenaeus. For thousands of years, seafood has played an important role in Mediterranean cuisine, health and culture. In fact, nutritional research over the past 20 years has revealed an increasing importance of including fish and seafood in an overall healthy diet. This was evident in 2008 when a nutritional science panel convened to update Oldways’ original Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.

“One of the most notable updates was to make fish and seafood more prominent in the Mediterranean food pyramid,” explains Oldways President Sara Baer-Sinnott.

Today, nutrition researchers recognize seafood as a key food group in brain-healthy diets such as the MIND diet and the Mediterranean diet. So exactly what research tells us about the connection between seafood, cognition, mood, and brain structure?

DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid, is an omega-3 fatty acid that is the building block of our brain. In other words, DHA is to our brains what calcium is to our bones.

D., an omega-3 expert, psychiatrist and Benjamin Meeker Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. “The food we eat reveals who we are by changing the composition of our brain,” explains Joseph Hibbeln.

Seafood is the main source of DHA in the diet, so it’s no surprise that scientists are noting links between eating seafood and brain health. Seafood also contains protein, essential vitamins and minerals, and EPA, or eicosapentaenoic acid, another type of omega-3 fatty acid that supports brain health.

A number of studies have found that EPA and DHA reduce small proteins in the brain that promote inflammation and are associated with depression, Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline. Another study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that people who regularly ate fish had larger brains than those who didn’t. This study found that eating baked or grilled fish was associated with larger gray matter volumes in brain regions responsible for memory and cognition in healthy older people.

Eating fish at least twice a week may protect delicate blood vessels in the brain from mild damage that could lead to mild cognitive impairment, dementia or stroke, according to research published in the journal Neurology in 2021, adding to growing evidence that seafood supports brain health.

Omega-3 levels can be measured in the body as a marker of how much seafood and/or omega-3 supplements people consume.

“Higher levels of omega-3 measured in plasma or red blood cells are associated with a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia,” explains William Harris, director of the Fatty Acid Research Institute. His research measures these relationships in large cohort studies. While there are no large, randomized controlled trials yet measuring seafood intake or omega-3 fatty acid intake as a way to prevent dementia, Harris explains that at this point, given the consistency of the evidence, “restricting omega-3 is warranted.” fatty acids would be unethical in a randomized controlled trial.”

“The most pressing and urgent things in people’s lives are the behaviors and emotions that occur when the brain is deficient in critical nutrients,” says Hibbeln. So nourishing our brain is as important for our mental health as it is for our cognitive health.

An analysis of double-blind, randomized controlled trials involving more than 10,000 patients across 35 studies found that giving patients EPA-dominant omega-3 fatty acids can produce significant clinical effects, in some cases larger than what you see. antidepressant drugs.

Nearly 20 years ago, the American Psychiatric Association concluded that the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA had a protective effect on mood disorders such as major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. And yet, Hibbeln says, still today in the medical community, “the mental health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids are underrecognized, underutilized, and underpractised.”

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults eat at least 8 ounces of seafood per week, but emphasize that pregnant or breastfeeding individuals should not exceed 12 ounces per week of a variety of seafood that is lower in methylmercury. However, in the more than 20 years since cautionary advisories on mercury and seafood were first issued in the United States, dozens of studies have begun to paint a more nuanced picture of this relationship.

Methylmercury was recognized as a neurotoxin after dangerously high levels from industrial contamination events in the 20th century were associated with clear, damaging effects on the brain and nervous system, especially in young children. Although clear harm from overexposure has never been reported again, significant research has since been conducted to better understand the relationship between seafood consumption during pregnancy, exposure to normal background levels of methylmercury in those seafood, and neurodevelopment in children.

More than 30 such studies have now analyzed data from more than 200,000 mother-child pairs. Studies have found little evidence that this consumption harms neurodevelopment. Instead, the research indicates that compared to children whose mothers ate less or no seafood during pregnancy, women’s seafood consumption provided more than 50 benefits to children’s neurological development, including improvements in IQ.

In other words, the benefits of eating seafood outweigh the possible risks.

“What we see consistently in these studies is that over 12 ounces per week is better than under 12 (ounces per week),” said Philip Spiller, former director of the United States Food and Drug Administration’s then-Office of Seafood. says. and lead author of a recently published study analyzing research results. “The evidence is strong enough that messages sent to pregnant women should emphasize the possibility of benefiting their child’s neurological development, emphasize that more is better than less, and no longer emphasize cautionary behaviors to avoid risk, which studies have not found.”

Currently, nearly 90% of Americans say they fall short of the recommended amounts of seafood according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

“If you’re obsessed with mercury, you’re missing the big picture,” says Tom Brenna, PhD, professor of pediatrics, chemistry and nutrition at the University of Texas School of Natural Sciences and Dell Medical School at Austin. and Professor Emeritus of Cornell University. “Studies show great benefit overall, so the risk is not eating enough seafood.”

Seafood cooks faster than chicken, yet this brain-healthy food group is surprisingly underutilized in home kitchens. At the supermarket, seafood can be found in fresh, frozen and canned forms, all of which can be used in delicious and nutritious dishes. For those new to seafood or any food, remember that taste preferences are not set in stone. Trying seafood often and in different ways is a great way to develop your palate for this popular source of protein.

When choosing seafood options with higher omega-3 content, Harris recommends remembering the acronym SMASH, which stands for salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines and herring. “Dine with one of these twice a week,” advises Harris, noting that salmon is one of the most preferred options.

Baer-Sinnott suggests taking a cue from traditional diets, such as the Mediterranean diet, to experience how seafood fits into healthy eating patterns rooted in tradition and culture. “Eating fish and seafood twice a week is good for your health, and it’s easy and delicious,” says Baer-Sinnott. “With all this evidence, why not?”

“Pick a fillet, throw a little olive oil in the pan and cook it a little on both sides. “Don’t overthink it,” Brenna assures. A sea of ​​culinary possibilities awaits you.