Dr. Carmen Lilí Rodríguez, a researcher at the International Ibero-American University (UNIB), is participating in an international study that examines the relationship between fish consumption and cognitive function in adults and older adults. The research, published in the scientific journal GeroScience, reviews the available observational evidence and concludes that regular fish consumption—typically one to two servings per week or more—is associated with better preservation of various cognitive abilities as people age.
Cognitive decline and dementia represent one of the major health challenges of the 21st century. As the global population ages, the need to identify modifiable factors that help maintain brain health and delay the loss of functions such as memory, attention, or processing speed also increases. In this context, diet has gained growing interest as a key component of prevention.
In recent years, various healthy dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet, and the MIND diet, have been associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Within these dietary patterns, fish has been considered a food of particular interest due to its high-quality protein content, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, selenium, iodine, and B vitamins—nutrients involved in processes related to brain structure and function.
However, although previous studies had already linked fish consumption to a lower incidence of cognitive decline and dementia, a significant gap remained: there was a lack of a review specifically focused on how this relationship manifested across specific cognitive domains. In this context, this study addresses precisely that need by systematically synthesizing the observational scientific literature on fish and cognitive performance in older adults.
Key findings of the study
One of the most significant aspects of the study is that it offers a more detailed and nuanced view of the available evidence. The results show that the most consistent associations between fish consumption and better cognitive function were observed in processing speed, executive function, semantic memory, and overall cognitive ability. These domains are particularly relevant, as they are often affected in both neurodegenerative processes and forms of cognitive decline linked to vascular factors.
The review also found positive associations for verbal memory and general memory, although in these cases the results were less consistent and, in some studies, weakened after adjusting for multiple variables. In contrast, the evidence was more inconsistent for variables such as reaction time, verbal-numerical reasoning, and some broad composite cognitive scores, where several fully adjusted models found no significant associations.
Overall, the study suggests that regular fish consumption could be part of a dietary strategy beneficial for brain health in older adults. However, it also emphasizes that the evidence is not entirely unambiguous, due to heterogeneity among studies in terms of design, geographic location, sample size, and cognitive assessment tools. Therefore, it is important to continue exploring this line of inquiry with future research that allows for a more precise understanding of the effects based on fish type, frequency of consumption, and population profile.
If you want to learn more about this study, click here.
To read more research, check out the UNIB repository.
In line with this topic, UNIB offers the Master’s in Public Health, an academic program designed to train professionals capable of addressing public health issues with a global perspective that enables them to deliver quality health services.