Eating cod, herring and red snapper may ward off Parkinson’s disease, study finds

Eating cod, herring and red snapper may ward off Parkinson’s disease, new research suggests.

These fish contain high levels of the protein parvalbumin, which prevents the formation of protein structures associated with the tremor disorder, a study found.

Parvalbumin, which is also abundant in red snapper, carp and sockeye salmon, uses up the ‘Parkinson’s protein’ alpha-synuclein, preventing it from being used to form harmful protein plaques in the brain, the research adds.

Lead author Professor Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede, from Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, said: ‘Parvalbumin collects up the “Parkinson’s protein” and actually prevents it from aggregating, simply by aggregating itself first.’ 

Around one in 500 people in the UK suffer from Parkinson’s disease. 

When should fish be eaten?

Study researcher Nathalie Scheers said: ‘Fish is normally a lot more nutritious at the end of the summer, because of increased metabolic activity. 

‘Levels of parvalbumin are much higher in fish after they have had a lot of sun, so it could be worthwhile increasing consumption during autumn.’ 

Although parvalbumin is higher in the aforementioned fish, it is common in many types of seafood.

Findings may benefit Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s  

Due to other conditions also being linked to protein formations in the brain, the researchers plan to investigate parvalbumin’s potential in disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s.

Professor Wittung-Stafshede added: ‘These diseases come with age, and people are living longer and longer. There’s going to be an explosion of these diseases in the future – and the scary part is that we currently have no cures.

‘So we need to follow up on anything that looks promising.’ 

The researchers also plan to assess how parvalbumin from herring is transported in human tissues later this year.

Protein parvalbumin, also in herring, ‘uses up’ amyloid before it leads to Parkinson’s (stock)

Children who eat fish just once a week have higher IQs and sleep better 

This comes after research released last December suggested children who eat fish just once a week have higher IQs and sleep better.

Consuming seafood at least once every seven days improves youngsters’ IQ scores by 4.8 points compared to those who never eat it, a study found.

Frequently eating fish also makes children less likely to wake in the night, be tired during the day and resist going to bed, the research adds.

Study author Professor Adrian Raine, from the University of Pennsylvania, said: ‘If fish improves sleep, great. If it also improves cognitive performance – like we’ve seen here – even better. It’s a double hit.’

Previous research suggests certain types of fish contain omega-3 fatty acids, which play a role in the growth and development of nerve tissue, and may therefore boost intelligence.

These fatty acids also play a role in the production of the hormone melatonin, which regulates sleep and wakefulness.

WHAT DIET AND LIFESTYLE TIPS MAINTAIN BRAIN HEALTH IN OLD AGE?

Scientists have unveiled diet and lifestyle tips that maintain brain health in old age. 

According to researchers from around the world ‘what’s good for the heart is good for the brain’.

They add that no single food acts as a ‘silver bullet’ for improving or maintaining brain health.

The experts have put together the following diet and lifestyle advice to help people preserve their brain health as they age.

Eating plenty of berries helps maintain people’s brain health as they get older

Eat plenty of:

• Berries
• Fresh vegetables, particularly leafy greens
• Healthy fats, such as extra-virgin olive oil
• Nuts
• Fish and seafood

Include the following in your diet:

• Beans and other legumes
• Fruit
• Low-fat dairy
• Poultry
• Grains

Red meat consumption should be limited

Limit intakes of:

• Fried food
• Pastries
• Processed foods
• Red meat
• Full-fat dairy
• Salt

Other tips:

• Stay active
• Avoid overeating
• Eat at least one meal a week with fish that is not deep fried
• Watch out for salt levels in pre-made food
• Use lemon, vinegar, herbs and spices to flavour food over salt
• Snack on raw, plain, unsalted nuts
• Eat vegetables with a range of different colours
• Prepare meals from scratch 

Eleven researchers from the Global Council on Brain Health, including experts from the University of Exeter, met on September 12-to-13 2017 to discuss the impact of diet on the brain health of adults over 50. 

Their recommendations are based on the evaluation of studies investigating the impact of nutrients on the cognitive function of older adults.