SEAFOOD—ALL ITS BENEFITS
We keep hearing that we should be eating more fish and other seafood—especially as we age. But why? Well, it’s loaded with good stuff important for healthy aging. The most important is it’s the best source of omega-3 fatty acids. But it also has loads of high-quality protein, minerals and vitamins B-12 and D for our brain, bone & muscle health.
The American Heart Association tells us that eating seafood can not only help prevent heart disease, but also stroke, heart failure, sudden cardiac death and congestive heart failure. To get the health benefits of omega-3s, the AHA recommends eating two 3.5- ounce servings of non-fried fish every week.
Some folks—especially those who hate fish—will say they can get the same benefits from fish oil supplements. Probably not: a March 2018 article in the medical journal JAMA Cardiology found, in a meta-analysis of a total of 77,000 men & women, that supplements had no significant association with reduction in coronary heart disease or any major vascular events.
Best & Worst Seafood Choices
Many people are also concerned about how eating fish might increase our mercury intake. It’s true that high levels of mercury in our bodies can cause serious neurological problems. Larger and long-lived fish are especially worrisome because these have eaten many smaller fish, which contain small amounts of mercury and the overall level can accumulate over time. These include shark, swordfish, king mackerel, orange roughy, bigeye tuna, tilefish, marlin and northern pike.
But this leaves plenty of other choices. If you want to focus on seafood with high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, the AHA advises eating wild and Alaskan salmon, sardines, anchovies, herring, lake trout, albacore tuna, Atlantic & Pacific chub mackerel and oysters.
Even seafood that’s lower in omega-3s is still healthy and is better than not eating fish or shellfish at all. These include canned light tuna, crab, lobster, scallops, halibut, flounder and sole.
However, many fish and other seafood are in danger due to destructive fishing and farming practices. The best way I know of to make responsible seafood choices is using the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch consumer guide. You can download a handy wallet-sized one for your region at www.seafoodwatch.org
What if You Hate Fish?
All the recommendations don’t mean much if you just don’t care for fish. Still, maybe you can try finding a way to prepare it that might be appealing? You could start with a less “fishy-tasting” variety like halibut or flounder or sole. Halibut, for instance, is highly suitable for grilling, baking or pan searing. You can season it with olive oil or squeeze lemon on top. Or you might enjoy a good-old tuna salad sandwich. Here, the bread, mayo, celery, and onions—you can even add tomato and avocado—will blend in nicely with the canned light tuna.
Hopefully, you’ll soon begin eating those two servings of seafood a week!