Wetin be di health benefits of oily fish?

Fish

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    • Author, Nicola Shubrook
    • Role, Nutritionist

Oily fish na variety of fish wey get plenty polyunsaturated fats, also known as omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3 fatty acids dey very important sake of say di body no go fit make am by imself, na only from food we go fit get am.

E get two main omega-3 fatty acids wey dey inside oily fish:

  • EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)
  • DHA (docosahexaenoic acid)

Dem dey different from plant-based omega-3 fats, like di ones from flax and chia, bicos short-chain fats from plants suppose dey converted to omega-3 fatty acids by di body and this process no too dey efficient.

Health benefit of fatty fish:

1. E fit help protect against heart disease:

Plenty studies don show say omega-3 fatty acids dey help reduce high cholesterol and high blood pressure, wey be risk factors for heart disease.

2. Nerve protection

Omega-3 fatty acid, particularly DHA, dey very necessary for brain development and function and e fit provide neuroprotection against diseases such as Alzheimer's.

3. E fi help protect di joints:

Omega-3 fatty acid get anti-inflammatory action and studies don show say e dey protect joints and e even fit help prevent rheumatoid arthritis.

4. E dey help imrove mental health:

Research don show often say Omega-3 fatty acid get positive impact on mental health, including anxiety and depression.

5. E fit help reduce di risk of some kind cancers dem:

To dey chop fatty fish fit dey offer some protection against some kind cancers like colon, breast and prostate cancers.

Fish

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6. E dey promote cognitive and motor development:

To dey chop fatty fish for di last months of pregnancy, come dey follow dietary recommendations, e fit get positive effect on di baby sensory, cognitive and motor development.

7. E fit reduce risk of asthma for pikin dem:

To introduce fish early for infant diet (before 43 weeks) dey associated with lower risk of asthma for dat pikin.

8. E dey help with eyesight:

Researchers don demonstrate say e get link between dietary DHA and a lesser risk of vision loss for older adults.

9. E fit reduce di risk of dementia for some people:

A study on heart and brain health show say to dey chop fatty fish dey associated with lesser risk of dementia for pipo wey get APOE4 gene.

Dis fit be bicos di APOE protein dey help to carry cholesterol and oda fats through di bloodstream.

Recent research suggest say if di brain get problem wit im ability to process fat, e fit follow for wetin dey cause Alzheimer's disease and related conditions, including dementia.

10. E fit reduce di risk of autoimmune diseases:

To dey chop fatty fish don dey linked with lesser risk of type 1 diabetes and oda autoimmune diseases.

Fish

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Types of fatty fish

Here na some of di varieties wey dey popular:

  • Salmon
  • Mackerel
  • Anchovy
  • Sardines
  • Trout
  • Herring

For 2018, the UK bin change im advice on wetin pipo suppose to dey consider as oily fish, and dem remove fresh tuna as a source of omega-3 fatty acids.

Dis na bicos di level of omega-3 fatty acids for fresh tuna now dey more comparable to the one for oda white fish varieties.

Di advice about canned tuna neva change, e no follow for wetin dem dey consider as oily fish.

How much fatty fish we suppose dey chop?

Di UK National Health Servise (NHS) recommend at least two portions of fish for our diet every week, and one of di portion suppose be fatty fish. One portion na 140g cooked weight.

For many pipo, to dey chop more than one portion of fatty fish everi week dey acceptable, but e get some group of pipo wey e no dey recommended for. Dis na bicos fatty fish get low level of pollutants, like mercury, which fit accumulate for pesin bodi.

People wey suppose reduce how dem dey chop fatty fish include girls, women wey dey plan to get bele, women wey get bele, and woman we dey breastfeed pikin.

Fish

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You fit eat tuna when you get bele?

If you dey try to get bele or you don already get bele, e dey advisable make you no dey eat more dan four cans of tuna or more dan two tuna steaks for one week.

In fact, tuna get more mercury pas oda fish dem. If you dey breastfeed pikin, e no get limit to di tuna wey you fi take.

Dis figures dey based on a medium sized can of tuna wey get drained weight of approximately 140g, or tuna steak wey im cooked weight na 140g.

You suppose dey worried about di mercury wey dey for fatty fish?

Unfortunately, almost all fish and shellfish get traces of mercury, but large fish get am pass.

For many of pipo, small amounts of mercury no suppose pose any health problem, but for some pipo, such as women wey get belle or wey dey breastfeed pikin, dem suppose chop fatty fish within di limit recommended for dem.

Sardines and anchovies na variety of fish wey get low-mercury. Di ones wey pipo supose avoide kpatakpata na king mackerel or king fish.