Eating five portions of oily fish per week can cut the risk of having a stroke in half, according to a Harvard University study. Researchers at Harvard University's Brigham and Women's Hospital tracked the eating habits and medical records of 79,839 women for 14 years. After taking age and smoking into account, they found that women who ate five portions of oily fish each week cut their risk of having a stroke by 52 percent.
The study also found that eating only one portion of oily fish a week cuts the risk by 22 percent. According to National Marine Fisheries Service data, Americans eat only about 1.3 servings of any type of seafood each week, based on an average 3.5 oz. Per serving. The study reports that oily fish like mackerel, salmon and sardines contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to have a number of health benefits. Among the health benefits are slowing the growth of tumors, easing arthritis and asthma, promoting fetal brain development, and boosting the immune system. The study found that eating oily fish was particularly helpful in reducing thrombotic infarction, a type of stroke in which a blood clot blocks an artery in the brain, resulting in death of brain tissue.
The Harvard study is one of the first to provide definitive proof of oily fish like salmon in a protective role in cardiovascular disease. The results were published in the Journal of the
American Medical Association. JAMA, May 2001 |
