Fish is among some of the healthiest foods in the world, so if you want to improve your diet, adding more fresh fish and seafood is the way forward. Fish is packed with important nutrients such as vitamin D and high-quality protein. Along with this, it’s also an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which significantly improve your overall body and brain health. If you’re wondering why getting enough fish in your diet is so important, here are some science-backed health benefits to explore.
Reduce Your Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke
Visiting a London fishmongers regularly to get your favourite fresh fish won’t just get you a tasty meal. In fact, eating more fish may be able to reduce your risk of serious health conditions such as stroke, heart disease and heart attack. There have been several large studies which have found that people who regularly consume fish are less likely to suffer from strokes and heart attacks or die from heart disease.
May Improve Your Brain Health
As we get older, our brain function will naturally decline. While some mild mental decline is quite normal, there’s also the risk of more serious neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. Several studies have found that people who eat more fish tend to be at a lower risk of serious mental decline, and that their brain health declines more slowly as they age. Further studies have also found that people who eat fish on a weekly basis have more grey matter in the parts of the brain that regulate memory and emotions.
Get Enough Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an essential vitamin, yet most of us aren’t getting enough of it from the sun. However, eating more fish could help you deal with any vitamin D deficiencies you might be suffering, as fish and fish products are some of the best dietary sources of this vitamin. Along with this, fish oils such as cod liver oil, which can be taken in supplement form, are also quite high in vitamin D. You might want to consider taking a vitamin D supplement if you don’t get outside very often and don’t eat a lot of fatty fish.
Improve Your Sleep Quality
Today, sleep disorders are becoming more and more common, with researchers suggesting many potential causes including vitamin D deficiency and increased exposure to blue light. However, adding more fish to your diet might be just what you need to help you sleep better at night. Studies have found that eating a meal with a fatty fish such as salmon three times per week helped participants with not only better sleep, but also improved daily functioning. According to the researchers, these positive effects came about as a result of the vitamin D content in the fish.
Whether you want to live a healthier lifestyle or have a specific complaint you’d like to address through your diet, there are lots of great health and wellbeing related reasons to start eating more fresh fish and seafood.