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# Eating fish linked to lower risk of stroke
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/fish_and_stroke_1006120540/
- Published: 2012-10-06T18:38:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:09:25.000Z
- Description: A meta-analysis of 16 cohort studies covering 402,127 people and 10,568 strokes found those eating fish five times a week had 13 percent lower stroke risk than those eating it less than monthly. The inverse association was stronger for ischemic than hemorrhagic stroke.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Food, Nutrition, #vivvo-import

By Jimmy Downs

Saturday Oct 6, 2012 ([foodconsumer.org](http://www.foodconsumer.org/)) -- Eating fish from time to time may reduce risk of stroke, particularly ischemic stroke, according to a new study in European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

 P Xun of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, NC and colleagues conducted the study and found people eating fish 5 times a week, compared with those eating fish less than once a month was associated with 13 percent reduced risk of stroke.

Included in the study were 16 cohort studies, found in databases MEDLINE and EMBASE, of 402,127 individuals with 10,568 incident cases of stroke who were followed up for an average of 12.8 years.

Compared with those who never ate or ate fish less than once per month, those who ate 1 to 3 times per month, once per week, 2 to 4 times per wee, and 5 times per week were at 3 percent, 14 percent, 9 percent and 13 percent reduced risk for stroke, respectively.

The association varied from location to location. An inverse association between fish consumption and stroke incidence was found in studies conducted only in North America. The modest inverse associations were stronger for ischemic stroke than hemorrhagic stroke.

The researchers concluded "Accumulated evidence generated from this meta-analysis suggests that fish intake may have a protective effect against the risk of stroke, particularly ischemic stroke."

Stroke can be ischemic stroke or hemorrhagic stroke with the former caused by the blockage of a blood vessel induced by a clot and the latter caused by the breakage of a blood vessel in the brain. Both types are risky and in many cases leading to death.

It is believed that omega-3 fatty acids found in fish may contribute to the reduction in the risk of stroke.