A delicacy that reduces depression and balances emotions, and many people don’t eat enough

Question: How often do you eat fish?

Presumably, most people’s answer is that they only eat it occasionally. According to the data from the Chinese Residents’ Dietary Survey, most residents in my country do not consume enough fish and shrimp.

According to the Chinese Dietary Guidelines, it is best to eat fish twice a week or 300-500g of fish. In fact, most people only consume an average of 24.3g of fish and shrimp per day, which is less than 200g per week, which is quite different from the recommended intake.

Why do we have to eat fish?

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Sub-heading: Fish, a treasure food rich in Omega-3

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids that humans cannot synthesize on their own and must be supplemented from food. There are many types of omega-3 fatty acids, among which the main ones that are beneficial to human health are alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).

α-linolenic acid is mainly found in plant foods, such as flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, etc. Processed products made from these plant foods, such as flaxseed oil, are also a good way to supplement. α-linolenic acid can also be converted into other more active Omega-3 fatty acids in the body, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

Both EPA and DHA mainly come from deep-sea fish oil, such as salmon, sardines, tuna, etc. But their health benefits to the human body are slightly different. EPA has anti-inflammatory effects and can reduce the production of inflammatory mediators in the human body. Therefore, it is helpful in preventing and alleviating inflammation-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease and arthritis.

DHA is an important component of the brain and retina, and plays a vital role in the brain development and vision development of fetuses and infants. In addition, DHA helps maintain the normal function of the adult brain and improves cognitive ability and memory.

In general, Omega-3 fatty acids are a very important nutrient for health. They are beneficial for regulating blood lipids, maintaining the brain, keeping eyes and skin healthy, and sleeping. Supplementing them is very good for our physical health.

Eating more fish is the simplest and most direct way to supplement Omega-3 fatty acids.

Eating fish is especially important for people over 65. For example, a paper published this year in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that for most middle-aged people, being vegetarian is associated with a lower risk of disease, but for people over 65, if they eat too much vegetarian food, especially giving up fish and shrimp, they will increase the risk of stroke, dementia and Parkinson's disease. Researchers believe that this may be due to the lack of key nutrients for the brain such as Omega-3 caused by not eating fish.

Sub-title: Taking fish oil is really not as good as eating fish.

Some people may ask, I don’t like eating fish, can I supplement it with fish oil?

When you don't eat enough fish, you can supplement it with fish oil. This is because the concentration of fish oil is very high, which is much more efficient than eating fish. One pill is better than several meals. Moreover, because the production process of fish oil is pure extraction, it can avoid the mercury pollution problem that may exist in deep-sea fish.

But it should be noted that there is currently no evidence that fish oil supplements can completely replace eating fish.

Current research mainly focuses on the benefits of eating fish directly. For example, many studies have proven that eating fish is related to reducing the incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, Alzheimer's disease, and improving cognitive function. However, there is currently no reliable evidence that fish oil can achieve the same effect.

Moreover, due to its high concentration, fish oil also has a fishy smell, which can cause gastrointestinal discomfort in some sensitive people.

Therefore, if you want to supplement Omega-3 fatty acids, the best way is to eat fish, especially cold-water fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel, herring, and capelin, which are beneficial ways to supplement Omega-3 fatty acids. These fish need more fat to supplement energy, so they have a high fat content.

Eating fish regularly not only supplements omega-3 fatty acids, but also provides high-quality protein, vitamins and minerals, which is very beneficial to our health. Deep-sea fish also has a relatively high content of vitamin D, which is also a good way to supplement vitamin D for people who are deficient in it.

Author: Hydra

Reviewer: Zhang Yu, researcher/PhD, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, national health science expert