A study conducted by the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, compiled data from 15 studies suggesting that extra servings of fish each week reduces stroke risk.
Almost 400,000 people were asked about their diet, and particularly, how often they ate fish. These people were then followed for between 4–30 years to see how many suffered strokes. Those participants who ate the most fish were twelve per cent less likely to suffer a stroke than those who ate the least fish. The greatest impact appears to have been in people who ate little or no fish initially but increased their fish intake over the course of the study.
It is thought that the benefits of consuming fish come from their omega-3 fatty acids which have a positive effect on blood pressure and cholesterol. Other benefits include vitamin D, selenium and proteins with stroke-related benefits. The study is not conclusive however. Those participants who consumed a lot of fried fish were not seen to have any stroke benefit and those who did not eat fish but had healthy diets and exercised more also had a decreased risk of stroke.
