BEIJING, Aug. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- Regularly eating baked or broiled tuna and other types of fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids may help older adults prevent memory loss and ward off stroke, Finnish researchers said.

    According to a study in Tuesday's Neurology, older adults whose diets include three or more weekly helpings of baked or broiled tuna and other fish high in omega-3 fatty acids are less likely to develop "silent" brain lesions that can lead to cognitive decline and vascular stroke.

    A brain lesion, or infarct, is an area of damaged brain tissue. The lesion is dubbed "silent" if it developed in someone who has not had a recognized stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), also called a mini-stroke.

    Silent brain lesions are very common, especially as a person grows older. The lesions can cause thinking problems, memory loss, and stroke.

    "Previous findings have shown that fish and fish oil can help prevent stroke, but this is one of the only studies that looks at fish's effect on silent brain infarcts in healthy, older people," Jyrki Virtanen with the University of Kuopio in Finland, said.

    Finnish researchers studied 3,600 adults aged 65 and older who had no history of cerebrovascular disease.

    The study also found people who regularly ate these types of fish had fewer changes in the white matter in their brains.

    Fried fish for some reason did not appear to have the same benefits, the researchers added.

    Omega-3 fatty acids are also found in salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, and in other foods such as walnuts.

(Agencies)