Fish For Health

Fish for health - salmon is the 'king' 

In this article, we're focusing on fish for health.  From heart health to glowing skin, we've got the lowdown on why fish is one of the superfoods you shouldn't miss out on.

High-Quality Protein: Fish and seafood are excellent sources of high-quality protein that our bodies need to repair and build muscle tissues. 

There are so many varieties as well - if you have chicken or beef, well, that's your choice isn't it - the only variation you can make is what cut to buy and how to cook it - choose fish and you have a wide variety of tastes and flavours - cow is cow, fish is anything from anchovies to yellow fin tuna - anyone know of an edible fish beginning with z? Then, you can go on to cook it in different ways. So much variety. 

Rich in Vitamins and Minerals:  Fish is practically a treasure trove of essential vitamins and minerals.  These include (amongst others) vitamins D and B2 (riboflavin), which are critical for energy production and bone health. Additionally, there's calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, iodine, magnesium, and potassium. This wide nutrient profile supports various functions, from maintaining strong bones to regulating your metabolism. 

Low in Saturated Fats: Unlike red meat, most fish have little saturated fat, making them a much heart-healthier option. Saturated fats can clog your arteries and lead to heart disease, so swapping red meat for fish could be a move towards maintaining good health. One or two fish days, one or two veggie days and the rest chicken or red meat is a good goal.

Improves Mental Health:  Fish might be just the mood booster you need. Studies have shown that regular fish consumption can lower rates of depression and improve cognitive function alongside overall mental health.   

A study of 22,000 people in Norway linked eating oily fish with a reduction in depression. This linked study is an extensive one based on similar research, focussing on the Nordic countries, where they eat a lot of fish. It touches on many different alleged benefits - all are supported, but some they classify as 'weak' evidence. It's interesting, but long... 

Supports Eye Health: Oily fish contain nutrients that promote good vision. Ingredients like omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E can help maintain eye health and might even stave off age-related macular degeneration.

Fish for health - Oily Fish

Oily fish provides essential fatty acids - it's not too hard to incorporate in your diet either - take a look at the canned fish section and ask yourself - how hard is it to open a can of salmon and make sandwiches, a quiche, fishcakes or a salad? That's an easy once a week serving. 

Heart Health:  Omega-3s can reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering blood pressure, reducing triglycerides, slowing plaque development in your arteries, and cutting down the chances of heart rhythm abnormalities.  Fish is also a source of 'taurine', an amino acid which helps maintain elasticity in the blood vessels, allowing them to dilate more easily. Wider blood vessels mean blood will flow through more easily.  Countless studies have proven oily fish to be beneficial for heart and circulatory system health. Every country's cardiovascular bodies recommend increasing oily fish consumption.  Linked here is BHF (British Heart Foundation) advice regarding oily fish and a Mediterranean diet - a great combination. 

Anti-Inflammatory: Omega 3s have anti-inflammatory properties that can help manage conditions like arthritis and reduce overall inflammation in your body by inhibiting the COX-2 enzymes. 

Brain Health: Omega 3s are beneficial to brain health too - they help improve neurotransmitter signalling and binding (in a nutshell,  it's quite complex, but this is the way your brain communicates within itself and to the rest of the body). Indications are, that they have a positive effect on cognition (cognitive decline, think dementia...), intelligence, mood, memory and so on.

Bone Density: Omega-3s contribute to better bone density, which is crucial to prevent conditions like osteoporosis. The form of Vitamin D in oily fish enables your body to absorb calcium, increasing the formation of new bone. 

Eye Health:  Age-related macular degeneration and dry eye syndrome can be real concerns as we get older. Omega-3s help prevent these issues, ensuring that your vision stays clearer for longer.

Skin Health: Want to keep your skin looking youthful and radiant? Omega-3 fatty acids help maintain skin elasticity and hydration, potentially preventing premature aging. They're such a beneficial addition to a skincare routine!

Prenatal Development:  If you're expecting, Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for the healthy development of your baby’s brain and eyes. Even after birth, these nutrients continue to be important in early childhood development. 

List of Oily Fish for health

Oily fish are the ones that give you the beneficial oils.  

• Mackerel
• Kippers
• Pilchards
• Tuna (fresh or frozen, some canning processes removes omega-3)
• Trout
• Sprats
• Salmon
• Herring
• Sardines
• Whitebait
• Swordfish
• Shark
• Marlin

Studies into Fish for Health - supplement or food?

It's recommended that you get your omega 3s from your diet - unless you're in a group of people who don't eat so well due to living alone or being elderly, in which case use a supplement. 

However, trials exploring the benefits of fish oils as supplements have been carried out involving children with some remarkable results. 

A trial involving children in County Durham, UK involved some of the most persistently disruptive children (mid teens). They were put on a course of fish oil supplements for three months.The youngsters were suffering from moderate to severe ADHD, had short attention spans and were highly impulsive – they were all running the risk of exclusion from school due to their behaviour.

At the end of the trial, the senior educational psychologist, Dr Madeleine Portwood, described the results as ‘stunning’.

Only three of them were classified as severely inattentive and six as highly impulsive. After 12 weeks, that's 55% of them were out of the 'danger' zone of being excluded! 

The supplement used in this case was ‘eye q smooth’ made by Equazen – another product is known as Efalex.

A similar trial with younger children who were classified with ‘poor’ to ‘very poor’ behaviour showed 90% improved to ‘moderate’ or ‘good’ ratings. There is a fuller explanation of the study here at the BBC website - it's very readable, so far as 'studies' go ;-) It dates from the early 2000s, but is a valid study. 

 Fish is beneficial to us in many ways. The Mediterranean diet is considered to be one of the healthiest in the World. 

They have a low consumption of meat and higher of fish, healthy oil and vegetables. 

Research is ongoing and our grannies were right - fish is good for you ;-)

If you have any queries on the benefits of fish in your diet, or indeed have any contribution to make in this then please get in touch via my contact page.

Please look at the recipes on this site - there's a whole section on Freshwater Fish which is where I've put the salmon and trout recipes - link below and check out the Canned Fish Recipes also below for some quick meal ideas. 

You may also like these recipes

Canned Sardines Recipe

Freshwater Fish Recipes 

Canned Fish Recipes

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