Whole mackerel!
Women who eat small fish whole, head and bones, may have a lower risk of dying from cancer and other causes. According to a new study from Japan.
“Previous studies have shown that fish consumption has protective effects on health, including mortality risk. However, there have been few studies that have focused specifically on the effects of small fish consumption on health,” lead researcher Dr Chinatsu Kasahara of the Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine said in a statement.
A total of 80,802 people aged 35 to 69 were divided into four groups based on how often they ate small fish: rarely, 1-3 times a month, 1-2 times a week, and 3 or more times a week. Examples of small fish include whitebait, Atlantic capelin, smelt, and small dried sardines.
During the nine-year follow-up period, 2,482 participants died, of which 1,495 died of cancer.
The study authors found that women who ate small fish at least one to three times a month were less likely to die from cancer and other causes than women who ate little or no aquatic animals.
“Small fish can be a component of a healthy diet,” the researchers wrote in their findings. Published last month in the journal Public Health Nutrition“They are a good source of micronutrients such as: [calcium]When consumed together with bones and organ meats, they provide a rich source of vitamins and fatty acids.”
The researchers specifically evaluated “the anti-tumor effects of vitamins A and D” and the presence of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation and support brain function.
The researchers noted a similar potential effect in men, but concluded that the trend was “not statistically significant,” which they speculated could be due to the limited number of men in the study (34,555 men and 46,247 women) and the fact that other factors, such as small fish intake, were not measured.
The authors pointed out other limitations of the study, including that they were unaware of changes in many participants’ dietary habits and lifestyle factors during the follow-up period, that participants may not have accurately reported their small fish intake, and that the study area was limited to Japan.
Still, Kasahara is excited about the results.
“Small fish are easy for anyone to eat, and can be eaten whole, including the head, bones and organs,” Kasahara said. “The inverse association between small fish intake and risk of mortality in women highlights how important these nutrient-dense foods are in people’s diets.”
