Home »  Nutrition »  To avoid stroke, have baked fish

To avoid stroke, have baked fish

For the elderly, eating tuna or fish that's been broiled or baked appears to lower the risk of stroke, but frying the catch of the day may increase it.

To avoid stroke, have baked fish

For the elderly, eating tuna or fish that's been broiled or baked appears to lower the risk of stroke while frying may increase it.Researchers from the Women's Hospital and Harvard University in Boston, USA, followed 4775 people aged 65 years and older for 12 years, noting what type of fish they ate and how frequently they ate it, and recording who experienced a stroke.It was found that people aged 65 years and older who ate frequent servings of tuna or other types of broiled or baked fish were up to 30 percent less likely than people who ate fish less than once per month to experience a stroke over a 12-year period. In contrast, people who ate fried fish more than once per week had a more than 40 percent higher risk of stroke over the same time period, compared with people who ate it less than once per month. It was found that eating fish at least 5 times per week did not appear to reduce stroke risk any more than 1 to 4 servings per week.

Based on the results of these and prior studies, intake of fatty (oily) fish 1 to 2 times per week is likely to be beneficial for cardiovascular health. The researchers explained that people who ate a lot of tuna and fish that's been broiled or baked may get more omega-3 fatty acids, which research shows can be good for the blood vessels, blood pressure and inflammation. Improving these factors can decrease stroke risk. In contrast, fish that is fried or put into fish sandwiches is typically white fish, which is low in fish oil and, therefore, low in omega-3 fatty acids.The higher risk of stroke seen with fried fish intake may be due to the fish itself (i.e., from contaminants such as mercury), the method of preparation, or other lifestyle habits associated with fried fish intake. However, further research is needed to identify which explanation is correct.

The researchers noted that tuna, in particular, may be protective of stroke because it is moderately high in omega-3 fatty acids. Other types of oily fish, such as salmon, herring, mackerel, or anchovies, have even higher omega-3 fatty acid content.
Archives of Internal Medicine,
January 2005

DoctorNDTV is the one stop site for all your health needs providing the most credible health information, health news and tips with expert advice on healthy living, diet plans, informative videos etc. You can get the most relevant and accurate info you need about health problems like diabetes, cancer, pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, weight loss and many other lifestyle diseases. We have a panel of over 350 experts who help us develop content by giving their valuable inputs and bringing to us the latest in the world of healthcare.

Was this Article Helpful Yes or No

................... Advertisement ...................

................... Advertisement ...................

................... Advertisement ...................

................... Advertisement ...................

--------------------------------Advertisement---------------------------------- -