I thoroughly enjoyed lots of fresh fish and seafood this past summer. In fact, I love making a big seafood boil when entertaining friends and family!
And I hope that you, too, were able to enjoy these delicious, traditional, summer dishes.
But the truth is—you should aim to eat fish and seafood all year long. Because it’s one of the very best, all-natural ways to fight heart disease.
In fact, in a massive, new study conducted in 58 countries and on six continents worldwide, researchers found that people who regularly eat fish and seafood SMASH their risks of suffering a major cardiac event…and even dying from ANY cause.
Here’s what you need to know…
Regular fish consumption slashes heart attack and death risk
This new meta-analysis of 34 previously published studies included data on nearly 200,000 men and women worldwide, with an average age of 54 years. All the participants filled out food frequency surveys to determine how much fish they regularly consumed during the week.
At the study’s outset, about 25 percent of the participants had a history of heart disease or were at high risk of heart disease. And during the study period, 6 percent of people without heart disease and 13 percent of those with heart disease died from any cause. In addition, major cardiovascular events occurred among 5 percent and 17 percent of those two subgroups, respectively.
Now, here’s the kicker (for your ticker)…
Those who consumed at least two servings of fish weekly, on average, had an impressive 16 percent lower rate of MAJOR cardiovascular events (such as heart attack, stroke, or onset of congestive heart failure) during a median follow-up period of 7.5 years, compared to those who ate lesser amounts. They also had an 18 percent lower all-cause mortality rate (death from any cause).
In my view, those are quite exciting—and impressive—findings for enjoying something as delicious as fresh fish!
I should also mention that these results were in men and women already at risk for developing (or who already had) heart disease. But, of course, numerous previously published studies have also found that eating fish lowers risk in healthy men and women, too!
Some reminders when picking your fish
In the end, this study adds to the wealth of evidence suggesting that everyone, no matter their health status, should try to eat fish and seafood as often as possible. Oily, darker fishes—such as salmon, mackerel, herring, and sardines—contain the highest levels of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
You should also remember to only choose wild-caught fish and seafood, as these varieties contain up to 10 times more fatty acids than farmed fish. (Wild-caught is basically the original, “organic” equivalent version of seafood.)
Of course, unless you’re like the old man in the sea and eat fish or seafood every single day, you probably STILL need to supplement daily to get optimal protection. (Remember the amount of fish oil you should take daily depends ENTIRELY on how much fish and seafood you regularly eat. There is no “one-size-fits-all” dosage recommendation, which the “heart experts” never seem to understand!)
Find a brand of fish oil you can trust…because the quality is imperative. (You only get safe and effective products when the fish are properly sourced and prepared.)
You can learn more about supplementing with fish oil in the April 2021 issue of my monthly newsletter, Insiders’ Cures (“Getting to the heart of the omega-3 ‘controversy’”). Not yet a subscriber? Click here to become one!
Source:
“Associations of Fish Consumption With Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality Among Individuals With or Without Vascular Disease From 58 Countries.” JAMA Intern Med 2021 May 1;181(5):631-649. doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2021.0036.