5 Benefits Of Eating Seafood For Good Health

There is no doubt that fish is generally good for you. It contains a great source of vitamin D, protein, and omega 3 fatty acids, which protect against heart disease, stroke, dementia, and some types of cancers. Fish should be a part of your regular weekly diet and is preferable to eating meat products.

Here are 5 benefits of eating seafood:

Fish contain many vital nutrients for the body. All kinds of fish are considered healthy for you because they contain nutrients that aren’t usually gotten from other sources, including essential amino acids, minerals, and vitamins. Fatty fish are considered healthiest because they contain more omega 3 fatty acids. Common fatty fish include sardines, trout, mackerel, tuna, and salmon. Vitamin D can be found in fish, which is an important bodily nutrient. You need to eat about 1-2 servings of fish per week in order to get enough omega 3 fatty acids.
Fish can decrease your chances of getting a stroke or heart attack. Heart attacks and strokes kill many people in the US every year. Fish is considered a heart-healthy food. Research tells us that people who consume fish on a regular basis have a decreased risk of developing a heart attack, stroke, or other form of heart disease. In one study out of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2008, 40,000 men in the US who ate greater than 1 serving of fish weekly had a decreased risk of heart disease by 15 percent. Fatty fish are the best because of their high levels of omega 3 fatty acids, which are beneficial to the heart.
Fish has nutrients that are vital to proper development. The omega 3 fatty acids in seafood are necessary for proper growth and development in children. The omega 3 fatty acid known as docosahexaenoic acid or DHA builds up in the eye and brain during development, aiding in the adequate development of these organs. This is why fish is recommended in pregnancy and among breastfeeding mothers. The trick is to eat fish that doesn’t contain a high amount of mercury, such as sardines, trout, and salmon. The limit for fish in pregnancy is about 12 ounces of fish per week. If you are pregnant, you should only eat cooked fish and should avoid raw fish that is high in microorganisms that can be dangerous to an unborn baby.
Fish might increase the brain’s grey matter and can protect it from age-related brain deterioration. The brain naturally deteriorates as a person ages. This is also known as age-related cognitive decline. People also have a greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia as they age. People who eat seafood as part of a healthy diet have a decreased rate of cognitive decline that occurs with aging. It may be a function of increasing grey matter in the brain. Grey matter is the main functional tissue within the brain, containing the bodies of the nerve cells within the brain. Nerve cells are responsible for memory storage and information processing in the brain. Research out of the American Journal of Preventative Medicine in 2014 shows that those who eat fish weekly have more grey matter in their brains when compared to people who don’t eat fish.
Fish may be preventative against depression and other mental disorders. Depression is extremely common and is a serious mental disorder. People who are depressed have a decreased interest in activities of daily living, low mood states, sadness, and suicidal ideation. Research out of the journal Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity from 2014 showed that those individuals who ate a lot of fish were less likely to develop depression when compared to those who didn’t eat fish. It is believed to be because seafood is high in omega 3 fatty acids that have been found to be protective against depression and to improve the effectiveness of antidepressants. This means that eating fish can potentially increase your happiness. Bipolar disorder has also been found to be improved by taking in omega 3 fatty acids through eating seafood.