Health benefits of eating fish
Most varieties of fish and other
seafood are an excellent source of Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Magnesium and Omega 3
fatty acids. A lot of studies have been done, providing evidence that
individuals who regularly include fish in their diet have a lower risk of
unwanted weight gain. Fish has also been linked to weight loss.
The
Omega-3 fatty acids from fish are a very important factor in a healthy diet.
Omega 3 fatty acids are linked to a substantial decrease in the symptoms of
inflammatory diseases like arthritis and colitis. According to the American
Heart Association, they significantly reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke
and some forms of cancer. Better yet, rich Omega 3 foods like fish have been
tightly linked to positive mood changes. So, fish can even be of therapeutic
value in the treatment of a mild depression or the “winter blues”!
More
good news, there is evidence of a lower risk of developing Alzheimer disease as
well as a reduction in the probability of developing type 2 diabetic diseases.
There are still many unanswered questions, but fish and seafood are a major part
of the Mediterranean Diet. People in the countries that are eating fish and
using olive oil are known to have less cancer and heart problems than we have in
America.
And the list goes
on. It seems that fish and seafood are very beneficial for pregnant women as
well. The Omega 3 fatty acids seem to have a positive effect on fetal brain
development and may reduce the risk of premature birth. There are positive
effects on the growth and health of the fetus. Consumption of the different
varieties of fish and amounts does need to be done in moderation for pregnant
& nursing women due to the mercury levels in fish.
All of these very
positive effects seem to be linked to the Omega 3 fatty acids, but there is now
more and more information coming in about the importance of other nutrients in
fish and other seafood. Proteins, vitamins and amino acids may all play a part
in the health benefits of eating fish. It’s a case of the sum is more than the
total of the parts.
The benefits of eating fish and seafood are so
obvious that the American Heart Association recommends that adults eat fish at
least twice a week and if you have heart disease, they recommend a diet that
contains as many Omega 3 fatty acids as one “fatty fish” meal a day. So fish is
beneficial for the health of people with heart problems as well as it prevents
getting those problems in the first place.
We've heard that
salmon, anchovies, sardines are all high in the healthy Omega-3 fatty acids.
Have you ever wondered about the Omega-3 levels in other fish? Here's a link to
a nice, comprehensive list I found.
Visit
the USDA Website on Food & Nutrition
They have a lot
of useful information.
Depression:
Cure's In Your Diet?
Novelist
Sukie Mirzoeff-Craig has fought depression for decades, beginning when she was
21 years old. She's been in and out of hospitals and therapists' chairs,
on and off anti-depressants, and now she's come to London's Brain Bio Center for
an alternative therapy: food.
Phony
Fish at the Market
This is about as fresh as seafood gets, a first-hand
look most Americans never get. But, as CBS News Correspondent Cynthia Bowers
reports, a new study finds once a fish is filleted, many consumers are getting
taken hook, line and sinker.
Fish
Benefits Lost In Mercury Flap
Fish are heart-healthy, and most Americans should eat
more. But fish also can contain mercury, and too much mercury can harm brain
cells, especially in the very young. So what are the best choices for
both the heart and the brain?
Report: Seafood
Benefits Outweigh Risks
Eating
seafood twice a week is good for your heart and generally outweighs the risk of
exposure to mercury and other dangerous contaminants, the Institute of Medicine
said Tuesday. Even so,
the government needs to help consumers figure out which seafood is safer, an
Institute report said,"The
confusion may have scared people out of eating something that is beneficial for
them....
FDA Draft Report Says
Benefits Of Fish Outweigh Mercury Risk For Pregnant, Breastfeeding
Women
FDA is urging the White House to approve revised
recommendations that would encourage greater seafood intake for pregnant women,
women of childbearing age, women who are breastfeeding, infants and children,
saying that the benefits of eating seafood outweigh the risk of mercury exposure
from fish....
Mercury
Dangers For Unborn
Doctors and nutritionists have expressed concern about
the potential hazards of mercury consumption contained in certain fish,
specifically for pregnant women.
A new study, conducted in part by the
Harvard School of Public Health, suggests that in addition to the hazards facing
a pregnant mother, mercury consumption more seriously affects her unborn baby,
and can cause irreversible brain damage in children as they age.
Seafood
Improves Brain of Unborn Baby
Eating plenty of seafood during
pregnancy boosts your child’s brain development, according to new
research.
Seafood is
the primary source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for optimum
foetal brain development. However, women are often advised to limit their
seafood intake during pregnancy to avoid foetal exposure to trace contaminants
of neurotoxins.
Seafood
and Your Health
Nutritionists
have known for decades that seafood is a low-fat source of top-quality protein,
and that the health benefits of eating seafood make it one of the best choices
for growing children, active adults, and the elderly. Recent studies show that
eating seafood can decrease your risk of heart attack, stroke, obesity, and
hypertension.
Diet: Sounds
Fishy
Is there a healthy, risk-free alternative to beef? The
virtues of seafood may be simply too good to be true.
Jan. 12 issue - For healthy eaters, the choice between
beef and fish can seem like a no-brainer—one is linked to heart disease, and the
other is linked to its prevention. Over the past decade, the pro-fish chorus has
only grown louder as scientists have discovered that the omega-3 fatty acids
found in many fish may ward off heart attacks, strokes and possibly cancer. And
salmon, rich in omega-3s, is even promoted as a skin treatment.
More
Mediterranean Diet Benefits
A Mediterranean diet rich in vegetable oil, nuts and
fish may help fend off more than heart disease and diabetes: it appears to
prevent gallstones, too.
