Is fish on your menu? Fish is one of the world’s healthiest foods, providing a host of health benefits that can’t be ignored. But while you may already know about the value of omega-3, there’s a lot more to fish than that group of fatty acids.
Why You Should Eat Fish
Discover now seven compelling reasons why you should eat fish more often. Some of the health benefits of fish may surprise you.
1. Fish Contains Nutrients You May Be Lacking
Fish is rich in calcium, phosphorus, Vitamin B2, and the minerals iodine, iron, zinc, magnesium, and potassium. Depending on your lifestyle and diet, you may not get enough of these essential nutrients from a regular Western diet. But when you add fish to the menu every week, you can take in all these important nutrients without having to take supplements.
2. It’s a Great Source of Vitamin D
Fatty fish is one of the best sources of Vitamin D, a nutrient that is rarely found in other foods. Vitamin D is important for bone health and helps keep your immune system healthy. If you eat fatty fish several times a week, you may not need a Vitamin D supplement – consult with your doctor to be sure.
3. Eating Fish Helps You Meet Your Omega-3 Requirements
Your body needs omega-3 fatty acids to function properly. Furthermore, these fatty acids can ward off heart disease. Eating at least two servings of salmon, mackerel, or sardines a week can help you maintain a healthy balance of omega-3 fatty acids.
4. Lowers Your Risk of Heart Disease
The unsaturated fats of fatty fish reduce blood clotting and decrease triglycerides. Studies have found that eating fish every week reduces your risk of suffering heart failure. People who eat two to four servings of fish each week are less likely to die from coronary heart disease.
5. Helps Prevent Depression and Improve Your Mood
If you eat fish regularly, you are less likely to become depressed. This is likely the effect of the omega-3 fatty acids in fish, which help to maintain brain health and are good for the central nervous system. A diet that includes fish wards off mental illness, and that’s yet another reason to eat fish.
6. Keeps Your Brain Sharper
Adding fish to your diet helps prevent the slow cognitive decline that occurs with age. This may also help to reduce the risk of developing more serious neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer’s.
7. Can Improve the Quality of Your Sleep
People living near fisheries may not entirely agree to this, but science brings good news to all others. A 6-month study found that middle-aged men who eat salmon three times a week saw improvements in the quality of their sleep. This has been associated with the high Vitamin D content of fatty fish.
Don’t Ignore the Health Benefits of Fish
From providing key nutrients and lowering your risk of heart disease to improving your sleep, fish has a host of benefits that can help you live a longer, healthier life. The best part is that to enjoy the health benefits of fish you don’t even have to eat fish every day – around 3 servings a week are enough.
