If your heart health is a concern, eating at least two servings of fish each week might lower your risk of heart disease. The American Heart Association has advocated eating fish rich in unsaturated fats at least twice a week for many years. Omega-3 fatty acids are unsaturated fats found in fish. Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients that may help to improve heart health and lessen the chance of dying from heart disease.
Mercury and other pollutants in seafood are a source of worry for certain individuals. However, the health advantages of eating fish as part of a balanced diet typically exceed the dangers of contamination. Learn how to strike a good balance between these issues by include a reasonable quantity of fish in your diet.
What exactly are omega-3 fatty acids and why are they beneficial to your heart?
Omega-3 fatty acids are an unsaturated fatty acid that has been shown to lessen inflammation in the body. Inflammation in the body may cause blood vessel damage, which can lead to heart disease and stroke.
Omega-3 fatty acids may help your heart by doing the following:
- Decreasing triglycerides
- Slightly lowering blood pressure
- Reduce your risk of strokes and heart failure by reducing blood clotting.
- Getting rid of irregular heartbeats
Fish consumption of at least two meals per week, especially omega-3-rich fish, seems to lower the risk of heart disease, particularly sudden cardiac death.
Is it important what kind of fish you eat?
Despite the fact that many forms of seafood contain tiny levels of omega-3 fatty acids, fatty fish have the most and seem to be the most helpful to heart health.
Fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids include:
- Salmon
- Sardine
- Atlantic mackerel
- Cod
- Herring
- Lake trout
- Canned, light tuna
How much fish should you consume on a daily basis?
Fish is recommended as part of a healthy diet by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for most individuals. Women who are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding, as well as small children, should avoid eating fish that have high amounts of mercury.
- Adults should consume at least 8 ounces of omega-3-rich fish each week, or two meals. 4 ounces, or roughly the size of a deck of cards, is a serving size.
- Women who are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding should consume up to 12 ounces of mercury-free fish each week.
- Once or twice a week, children should consume fish from mercury-free options. For children under the age of two, a serving size of one ounce is recommended, which rises with age.
Pay attention to how fish is cooked if you want to gain the greatest health advantages from it. Grilling, broiling, or baking fish, for example, is a healthier alternative than deep-frying.
Do the health advantages of eating fish outweigh the risks of mercury contamination?
For most individuals, the health advantages of omega-3 fatty acids exceed the danger of consuming too much mercury or other pollutants from fish. Mercury, dioxins, and polychlorinated biphenyls are the most common forms of toxins found in fish (PCBs). Toxin levels vary depending on the kind of fish and where it is caught.
Mercury is found in modest concentrations in the natural environment. However, industrial pollution may result in mercury buildup in lakes, rivers, and seas, which then shows up in the food fish consume. Mercury builds up in the bodies of fish that consume this meal.
Larger fish at the top of the food chain consume smaller fish, resulting in greater mercury concentrations. The longer a fish lives, the bigger it becomes and the more mercury it accumulates. The following fish may have higher amounts of mercury:
- Shark
- Tilefish
- Swordfish
- King mackerel
Should anybody avoid eating fish due to mercury or other contamination concerns?
The poison may build up in your body if you consume enough mercury-containing seafood. Although most individuals are unlikely to be affected by mercury, it is especially damaging to the development of the brain and nervous system in unborn children and young children.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) propose that the following groups reduce their fish consumption:
- Women who are pregnant or are attempting to conceive
- Mothers who are breastfeeding
- Children in their early years
Pregnant or trying-to-be-pregnant women, breast-feeding moms, and toddlers may still obtain the heart-healthy benefits of fish by eating a range of seafood and fish that are normally low in mercury, such as salmon and shrimp, and limiting their intake to:
- A total of 12 ounces (340 grammes) of fish and seafood each week is allowed.
- A week's worth of Albacore tuna is no more than 4 ounces (113 grammes).
- There is no way to know how much mercury is in any fish (shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish)
Is there anything else to be concerned about when it comes to eating fish?
High amounts of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood have been related to an increased risk of prostate cancer in recent research. Other research, on the other hand, suggests that omega-3 fatty acids may help to prevent prostate cancer.
Because none of these trials were definitive, additional study is needed. In the meanwhile, speak to your doctor about the implications of this possible danger for you.
Because of the antibiotics, insecticides, and other chemicals used in farmed fish production, some experts are worried about eating farmed fish rather than wild-caught fish. The FDA, on the other hand, has determined that the levels of pollutants in commercial fish do not seem to be hazardous to human health.
Is it possible to achieve the same heart-healthy advantages by eating other omega-3 fatty acid-rich foods or taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements?
Eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients seems to provide greater heart-healthy effects than supplementing with them. Other non-fish dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids include:
- Flaxseed and flaxseed oil
- Walnuts
- Canola oil
- Soybeans and soybean oil
- Chia seeds
- Green leafy vegetables
- Cereals, pasta, dairy and other food products fortified with omega-3 fatty acids
However, unlike supplements, the proof of heart-healthy advantages from these foods isn't as solid as it is from fish.
