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You’ve heard that the omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish is good for your brain. But it turns out the fish may also hold other substances beneficial to brain health, namely Vitamin D.
A new study published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry found that higher vitamin D levels are associated with improved cognitive function in middle-aged and older men.
The study compared the cognitive performance of more than 3,000 men aged 40 to 79 years at eight test centres across Europe.
Researchers found that those men with higher levels of vitamin D performed significantly better in a neuropsychological test that assesses an individual’s attention and speed of information processing.
One of the researchers involved in the study, Dr. David Lee from Manchester’s School of Translational Medicine had this to say: “Previous studies exploring the relationship between vitamin D and cognitive performance in adults have produced inconsistent findings but we observed a significant, independent association between a slower information processing speed and lower levels of vitamin D.”
(Note: vitamin D is also synthesized by your body following sun exposure so it’s important to get at least 20 minutes of direct sun exposure daily. And if you think that you should listen to the common advice to stay out of the sun, think again! Read this for more information on sun exposure: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2002/06/19/sun.aspx
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/01/26/scientists-admit-sun-exposure-benefits-outweigh-risks.aspx)
This, in addition to the omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish, which have thousands of studies documenting benefits from everything from anxiety to depression and ADHD make fish a true “brain food.”
As I mentioned above, fish is also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have their own benefits. Studies have found that a diet high in fish and fish products is associated with better cognitive performance and that higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids were associated with less decline in the speed-related cognitive domains. (http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2007/11/29/newest-thoughts-on-brain-food.aspx)
But before you run off to buy some fish for dinner tonight, be aware that there are some caveats to be aware of when incorporating more fish into your diet.
First, the vast majority of store-bought fish is farmed fish, which I do not recommend for several reasons. These fish are not raised the way that nature designed them to be: they are raised in filthy overcrowded holding areas and they’re fed unhealthy garbage foods unlike what they eat in the wild so they have much poorer nutritional profiles than wild-caught fish. They tend to be much lower in the all-important omega-3s and too high in omega-6s, which most people are already getting too much of. And they can be filled with toxic compounds like mercury and even PCBs.
Moreover, these farming operations cause a huge amount of pollution in our oceans, and have caused a great deal of damage to indigenous fish populations because the farms are often breeding grounds for nasty fish parasites.
I do however recommend eating wild-caught fish, especially wild Alaskan salmon, which is one of the last predatory fish on earth that are not contaminated with mercury. (Note: Wild Alaskan salmon can be found at health food stores like Trader Joe’s and Jimbo’s). Also, smaller fish like sardines and anchovies do not accumulate nearly as much mercury as larger predatory fish, as mercury bioaccumulates more and more the higher you go up on the food chain.
If you don’t like eating fish, or you find wild Alaskan salmon too expensive, another great option is fish oil or krill oil, which is a highly concentrated source of omega-3 fatty acids. Quality is important here, and I recommend Carlson’s brand for fish oil, and Neptune Krill Oil., which has a powerful naturally occurring antioxidant in it called astaxanthin (which protects the fragile omega-3s from oxidation).
Bottom line: For optimal mental health and preventing cognitive decline, start getting 20 minutes of sun everyday, and eat foods rich in vitamin D like wild Alaskan salmon or supplement with fish oil/krill oil
http://www.forskning.no/artikler/2008/juli/187622
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