We have all come to understand the importance of omega-3’s to our health……but are we really giving it the importance it deserves?
By Lisa Murray, RDN
Traveling around the globe has exposed me to a wide variety of cultural cuisines and as a “bonafide foodie”, I can find something wonderful about each and every one. Still, I am truly happy to live in America where we have so many advantages, and such a high quality of life in comparison to many other parts of the world.
But as a nutritionist, I know that one of our very own cultural disadvantages is the Standard American Diet, which is truly “SAD” indeed. What makes it so sad, is that our cultural cuisine does not support healthy aging, and in fact, as most of us are aware, it has created a wide variety of health concerns instead. It’s interesting to note that current sources for world ranking of life expectancy rank the USA between 40-50th. Being one of the wealthiest nations in the world, how can that be? Well, I have a theory.
Most of the countries ranking in the top 10, have something interesting in common…..and that something is the ocean, coastal proximity and….you guessed it…..FISH! Is fish the secret to healthy longevity? Countries in the top 10 ranking for life expectancy include Japan, Singapore, Macau (China), Hong Kong, Italy and Spain which are coastal or island countries, with fish and seafood featuring prominently in their diets. We have all come to understand the importance of omega-3’s to our health……but are we really giving it the importance it deserves?
Research suggests that fish is one of the most powerful therapeutic and anti-aging foods. A diet rich in fish, vegetables and berries is highly anti-inflammatory, immune supporting, lipid balancing and supports healthy aging in a wide variety of ways that we know about, and probably many more we don’t know yet.
Several studies were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, November 2007 edition, which all concluded that in the elderly, a diet high in fish and fish products is associated with better cognitive performance in a dose-dependent manner. Maximum effect was observed at an average intake of ≈75 g/d (or 2.5 oz/day). And newer studies show the same results. In a 2017 study, higher fish intake was associated with slower decline in both global cognition and memory. Consuming ≥4 servings/week versus <1 serving/week of fish was associated with a lower rate of memory decline.
Advancements in our studies of antioxidants, flavonoids, polyphenols, anthocyanidins and all the other beneficial phytochemicals still doesn’t change the basic fact that fish is one of nature’s premier anti-aging foods.
Each ounce of salmon contains roughly 500 mg of omega-3. Most of us would consume a 4 oz portion yielding about 2000 mg of omega-3, ideally at least 3 times a week. In fact, the current “Dietary Guidelines for Americans” published in 2020 underscores this by recommending 15 oz. of seafood per week in the “Healthy Mediterranean-Style Dietary Pattern for Ages 2 and Older”. They also offer low mercury fish recommendations at https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/advice-about-eating-fish.
The Environmental Working Group website is also a good source for up to date information on fish safety. You can’t really go wrong with salmon, rainbow trout, mackerel and sardines which top the list for being the highest in omega-3s and lowest in mercury, and even our beloved tuna can be consumed once a week.
When eating that much fish may be impractical, we can still help get the Omega-3s we need every single day from supplements. So whether or not you like fish, whether you live in Alaska or Iowa, are Paleo or Vegan, we all have the opportunity to reap health supporting benefits of omega-3s, even if we don’t buy fresh fish and cook it at home!
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