Dietary guidelines from governments and health organizations around the world agree: a healthy dietary pattern includes around two servings of fish a week. Most American adults get less than the recommended eight ounces per week. What makes fish such an important part of a healthy diet, and what are the best choices for health and the environment?
Fish and Health: A versatile, high-quality protein source that is relatively quick and easy to cook, fish have been studied in connection with numerous health benefits. Eating fish has been associated with lower blood pressure and lower risk of stroke and heart attack, and has also been studied for lowering risk of depression, cognitive decline, and other chronic conditions. In 2006, Dariush Mozaffarian, MD, DrPH, dean of Tufts’ Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and editor-in-chief of Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter, and colleagues published a study examining the impact of fish on heart disease. This study concluded eating approximately one to two three-ounce servings of fatty fish a week could reduce the risk of dying from heart disease by 36 percent.
