Link between vitamin D, dementia risk confirmed (sciencedaily)

[malaise]

16. Eat fish

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/01/22/fish-oil-brain-health/4719231/
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A diet rich in fish has been touted as a way to improve brain health, but research results on its effectiveness have been mixed.

A study out Wednesday found older women with the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish oil, had better preservation of their brain as they aged than those with the lowest levels, which might mean they would maintain better brain function for an extra year or two.

For the latest study, Pottala and colleagues looked at the omega-3 fatty acids levels in the red blood cells of 1,111 women who participated in the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study. The women had MRI scans eight years after the study began to measure their brain volume. They were an average of 78 years old. The study was supported by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

-- Those with the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their red blood cells had a 2.7% larger volume in the hippocampus portion of the brain compared with those with the lowest levels of omega-3 fatty acids. The hippocampus plays an important role in memory and is usually one of the areas affected early in the dementia process, Pottala says.

Ronald Petersen, director of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, says there have been conflicting reports on this topic but this latest research "would suggest there is a positive relationship between omega-3 fatty acid-rich diets and the preservation of brain volume in aging. The take-home message is to eat a heart-healthy diet that includes fish. I'd also recommend physical exercise and engagement in intellectual activity."