Genius Food #9

Wild Salmon

The consumption of wild fish has been long associated with
reduced risk for cardiovascular disease, cancer, and even
all-cause mortality, but what about its impact on the brain?
I’m glad you asked, because consumers of wild fish exhibit
superior cognitive aging and better memory function, and

even possess bigger brains!^1 In a recent study, cognitively
normal older people who ate seafood (including fish,
shrimp, crab, or lobster) more than once per week had
reduced decline of verbal memory and slower rates of
decline in a test of perceptual speed over five years
compared to people who ate less than one serving per week.
The protective association of seafood was even stronger
among individuals with the common Alzheimer’s risk gene,
ApoE4.
The king of these fishes is wild salmon, which is low in
mercury and a rich source of both EPA and DHA omega-3
fats and a powerful carotenoid called astaxanthin. Derived
from krill (the main food supply of wild salmon), this
carotenoid is added into the diets of farm-raised salmon to
give the characteristic “pink” to their color, but it is far more
abundant in salmon that is wild (hence their richer color).
Astaxanthin is beneficial to your entire body and can help
do the following: