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Why eating seafood is healthy

Humans and our ancestors have always, where possible, consumed seafood as a part of a varied diet. There are even studies that show that eating seafood has been vitally important for us to develop our highly advanced brains. There is enough scientific consensus in the health benefits of marine foods that we can state that:

“We should all eat more fish & seafood” — scientific consensus

It should therefore be important to provide humans with seafood to increase their quality of life. Lets go though some of the main nutritional benefits of seafood.

Omega-3

Us humans can’t synthesize our own omega-3, that means that we have to get it from food. The omega-3’s (especially DHA and EPA) are a family of polyunsaturated fatty acids that are commonly found in seafood. You might have heard that omega-3 can also be found in terrestial plant oils, which is true! The problem is that in plants the omega-3 is in a less bioavaliable form called ALA, because ALA has to be converted to DHA to become useful. There has also been studies done that has concluded that the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio is more beneficial the closer it gets to 1:1. A normal western diet on the other hand, is close to 1:22, or a whopping 22 times less omega-3 than omega-6. A typical western person would thus benefit from eating at least 10 times more omega-3.

Vitamin D

This vitamin has been linked to benefits ranging from increased cognition, bone health, decreased mortality in elders and general well being. Deficiency in vitamin D can lead to immune system suppression, softening of the bones and decreased calcium uptake because of Vitamin D’s key role in the calcium absorption.

The body can either produce Vitamin D from sun exposure, or it has to be obtained from dietary sources. Seafood, particularly fatty fishes (salmon, mackerel, sardines etc.) are a very good sources of Vitamin D. If you live close to the poles during winter or spend too much time inside, you likely are not getting enough sun and should eat more seafood.

Proteins

Red meat and processed meat products have been shown to be a major cause of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Another main source of protein are protein rich plants such as beans. Although these plants might not cause cancer, their proteins are of lower quality. Eating fish is a good source of proteins without the risks associated with meat.

A summary of why eating seafood is healthy: