5 reasons why you should eat more fish

Fish isn't the primary protein in many diets, but new research says it should be. Here's just five reasons why you should eat more fish, and how it can help you stay healthy.

• The average Western diet provides about twice as much protein as necessary.
• Our typical protein choices, however, are red meat and dairy products. These come packed with large quantities of saturated fats.
• Although some shellfish do contain cholesterol, they're low in saturated fats.
• The fats in fish are also particularly high in polyunsaturates.
• Fish and shellfish are rich in protein with fewer calories, and less fat per serving than most meats.
• Shellfish is no more likely to increase blood cholesterol than skinless poultry.

• Eating fish three times a week has been asso­ciated with a significant decrease in the rate of heart disease.
• Populations with high levels of fish protein in their diets, like Japanese fishermen, also have almost no instances of coronary artery disease.
• Studies show that men who eat fish regularly two or three times a week are much less likely to suffer heart attacks.

• In one study, men who ate fish at least once a week were 52 percent less likely to die of a heart attack than men who ate fish once a month or less.
• It's not yet known whether the effect is due to one factor or many, but evidence so far points to the beneficial action of fish oils.
• Fish oils are rich in a type of unsaturated fatty acid known as omega-3. These fatty acids decrease the stickiness of blood platelets, making it less likely that they'll clump together to form clots.
• Omega-3 fatty acids also increase the flexibility of red blood cells. This helps them to pass more readily through tiny vessels, reduce inflammation of the artery walls and lower levels of triglycerides in your blood.

• Studies have linked fish consumption to lower chances of having an ischemic stroke. These are the most common type of stroke and are caused by blood clots.
• Some studies suggest that those people who eat fish regularly are less likely to suffer from a decline in age-related thinking skills such as memory.
• Other studies link low levels of omega-3s to higher rates of depression.

A study from Australia found that eating fish just one to three times per month appeared to protect participants against age-related macular degeneration. This condition is the leading cause of blindness in older adults.

Although a forkful of fish is a gold mine of concentrated nutrients, we often favour other chicken and beef over fish. But there are im­portant health benefits to be gained from eating more fish and less meat.