Surprising Side Effects of Eating Fish, According to Science



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From salmon to sardines, from Atlantic herring to Atlantic mackerel, eating fish has many health benefits. Packed with protein, vitamins, and minerals, fish is also a low-calorie, carbohydrate-free food filled with polyunsaturated fatty acids, a type of healthy fat that falls under the essential nutrient category.

It is no wonder that fish consumption is on the rise. According to the latest statistics from the United States Fisheries Report, which was compiled by the United States Department of Commerce, Americans have appreciated an average of 16.1 pounds of seafood per person in 2018.

“Fish is definitely a superfood, which means it’s an ordinary food with extraordinary benefits,” says Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN, CSSD, author of The Superfood Swap: The 4 Week Plan To Eat What You Want Without The CRAP

Here, we’ve come up with five possible side effects of having fish on your meal, and then check out the 7 Healthiest Foods To Eat Right Now.

By eating fish, you can experience …

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Based on an analysis of four international cohort studies involving more than 191,000 adults from 56 countries, consuming at least two servings (175 grams or about 6 ounces) of an oily fish each week was associated with a lower risk of having a major cardiovascular disease event (such as a heart attack or stroke) among those who have ever been diagnosed with heart disease.

These results, which were recently published on March 8, 2021 in JAMA Internal Medicine, reveal that the omega-3 fatty acids found in this type of fish can reduce a person’s chances of having another cardiac episode, or even death, by almost 17%.

“Eating two servings of fatty fish per week has long been known to help improve heart health by reducing the risk of stroke and sudden cardiac events.” says Julie Upton, MS, RD, founding partner of nutrition marketing and communications company AFH Consulting.

She adds that the American Heart Association also recommends consuming two servings of fish per week (along with a 3.5-ounce serving), with their first choice being oily fish rich in omega-3s, such as salmon, sardines, etc. trout and white tuna. “However, most Americans fall short of this suggestion,” she says.

If your wallet – or palate – can’t stand a few servings of fish throughout the week, she advises considering supplementing DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), both types of. long chain fatty acids.

In fact, research published in a 2017 edition of Circulation (a scientific journal of the American Heart Association) states that patients with cardiovascular disease can extend their lifespan by adding an omega-3 fish oil supplement to their daily regimen.

“This decision should be made in consultation with a physician,” Upton adds.

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Omega-3s found in fatty fish can also help protect your brain. A 2020 study by researchers at Irving Medical Center at Columbia University in New York City found that older women (with an average age of 70) who had the highest levels of omega fatty acids -3 in their blood also had larger volumes of white matter in the blood. brain (the area made up of millions of nerve fibers).

Participants who ate one to two servings of baked or grilled fish or shellfish per week had healthier brain scans. The reason? Omega-3s probably promoted an anti-inflammatory response, and in turn, helped the brain fight damage caused by aging, as well as toxins found in air pollution.

“Eating fish as part of a healthy lifestyle can also help increase the amount of gray matter in the brain, which is associated with better memory and cognition,” says Blatner. “So every time I eat fish, I like to visualize my brain getting bigger and stronger!”

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Again, you are what you eat. The study authors from James Cook University in Australia analyzed the eating habits of residents of two islands – one where fast food is available and one where it is not. By screening volunteers for depression, learning about their food choices and testing their blood levels, the researchers found some interesting results, which were published in the journal. Nutritional neuroscience.

First, islanders who had access to fast food ate more prepared meals while those on the other island ate more seafood. Participants who were likely to be diagnosed with major depressive symptoms were fast food eaters. younger and more frequent. And, blood test results showed seafood lovers had high levels of anti-depression omega-3s.

“Growing evidence shows that some people with depression may not have enough omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA,” says Katherine Brooking, MS, RD, founding partner of the nutrition marketing and communications company AFH Consulting.

She notes that previous researchers explored the link between omega-3s and brain health by examining the association between people who ate fish regularly and rates of depression. “And in countries where fish consumption is high, such as Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong, depression rates were extremely low,” She adds.

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Salmon and sleep can go hand in hand. Research published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine examined the sleep patterns of men over a five-month period who ate Atlantic fish three times per week, as well as men who were asked to eat other types of protein, such as chicken or meat.

At the end of the study, the men in the fish group reported better quality of sleep, as well as better daily functioning. The authors wonder about the role that vitamin D could have played in this result.

“A growing body of evidence suggests that EPA and DHA are also important for improving the duration and quality of sleep,” says Upton. “It appears that omega-3s may have an impact on the release of melatonin, which may improve sleep.”

Now Don’t Miss Eating this type of fish could lower your risk of COVID, study suggests.

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Adding Sardines to Your Plate May Help Treat Stiff Knees, Journal Results Suggest Arthritis Care and Research. For almost a year, 176 adults filled out a questionnaire assessing their daily diet. Volunteers who lived with rheumatoid arthritis and reported eating fish at least twice a week had fewer symptoms (such as swollen or tender joints) compared to other volunteers with the same disease who ate fish once a week. months or less.

“If our results hold up in other studies, this suggests that eating fish may reduce inflammation linked to rheumatoid arthritis activity,” lead investigator Dr. Sara Tedeschi said in a press release. .

For more, be sure to check out Here’s How To Cook Fish Without Making Whole House Smell.

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