Eating oily fish can help protect you from motor neurone disease

HEALTHY fats found in oily fish can play a vital role in protecting against motor neurone disease and a type of dementia, research suggests.

- Callum Hoare

Previous studies have linked a high consumption of omega-3 fatty acids with a lower risk of developing MND and a longer lifespan for those with the condition.

However, until now researchers have not understood why this occurs. In the new research, experts increased the levels of healthy fats in the brain cells of fruit flies carrying a genetic mutation called C9orf72, while also examining human brain cells.

The mutation is the most common genetic cause of MND and a rarer form of dementia known as fronto-temporal dementia (FTD), which tends to affect younger people.

Survival