(Reuters Health) January 4, 2011

Women who eat more than three servings of fish per week are less
likely to experience a stroke, a new study suggests.Specifically,
fish-lovers in Sweden were 16 percent less likely to experience a
stroke over a 10-year-period, relative to women who ate fish less than
once a week.

"Fish consumption in many countries, including the U.S., is far too
low, and increased fish consumption would likely result in substantial
benefits in the population," said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian of the
Harvard School of Public Health, who reviewed the findings for Reuters
Health.

When choosing fish to eat, it's best to opt for fish that are rich in
omega-3 fatty acids, found most abundantly in fatty fish like salmon,
mackerel and albacore tuna. "But any fish is better than none,"
Mozaffarian noted.

Indeed, these fatty acids likely underlie the benefits of fish on
stroke risk, study author Dr. Susanna Larsson of the Karolinska
Institute in Stockholm told Reuters Health. "These fatty acids may
reduce the risk of stroke by reducing blood pressure and blood (fat)
concentrations."

This is not the first study to suggest that people who eat more fish
have a lower risk of stroke, and experts already recommend a fishy
diet to reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems, Mozaffarian added.
"This study supports current recommendations."

Earlier this year, for instance, a study showed that middle-aged and
older men who eat fish every day are less likely than infrequent fish
eaters to develop a suite of risk factors for heart disease, diabetes
and stroke.

Full story
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