A study shows that people who eat fish in a small amount each week, are to some extent less prone to suffer a stroke in comparison to those who only a few or none at all. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health carried out a study analysis including fifteen studies.
Each study asked study participants how often they ate fish. The study participants were followed for between four and thirty years to observe who suffered a stroke. Omega-3 fatty acids in fish might lower risk of stroke through their positive effects on blood pressure and cholesterol. Vitamin D, selenium and certain types of proteins in fish may also have stroke-related benefits.
Consuming three extra portions of fish each week was associated with a six-percent fall in stroke risk, which transforms to one less stroke among a hundred people consuming additional fish over a life span. The participants in each study who consumed the most fish were twelve percent less prone to have stroke than those who ate the smallest amount.
According to Dr Dariush Mozaffarian, co-researchers of the analysis, several of the evidence comes together suggesting that about two to three servings per week is adequate to acquire the benefit. Other factors such as smoking, drinking, being overweight and having high blood pressure and cholesterol all are associated with a higher risk of stroke.
However, the study cannot prove that accumulating more non-fried fish to your diet will keep you away from having a stroke. Most studies have tried to take those other health and nutrition aspects into account to separate the effects of fish as much as possible and they suggest a cause-and-effect connection, added Dr Mozaffarian.
Fatty fish such as salmon and herring are particularly the high in omega-3 fatty acids. The American Heart Association recommends as a minimum two servings of fatty fish particularly each week. The study findings were reported the journal Stroke. But, people who ate more fried fish and fish sandwiches did not get any stroke benefit.