Eating Fish: The Pros and Cons

Today, the race for being healthy is stiff. Millions of people all over the world are trying their best to stay healthy. For others, it is an investment, and for the other half, it’s one way to look good.  Foods that promise healthy content have sprung out like sprouts. Every food product you see in the market says “fat-free”, or “0% cholesterol”. But are they really what they promise?

One of the best things that you can do to make sure you stay healthy is to cook your own food. This way you can filter what you put in it.  There are people who think this way: because this food is good for my health, I will double my dose of it every day. 

That should not be your case. The lesson here is moderation. If you’ve heard the maxim, too much of something is bad enough, that goes out true, up to this day. There’s always a limit for everything.

What About Fish?

A lot of people know that fish contains omega-3 acids. Yes, that is good for the heart, but what others don’t know is it is also good for the brain. The Omega 3 acids are present in whatever type of fish. However, these are especially high in fatty fish, like trout, sardines, canned light tuna, herring, salmon, and even oysters.

The Omega 3 is Good for:

• ü  The heart. It maintains a healthy heart by keeping the blood pressure low, which lowers the risks of heart attack, sudden death, strokes, and abnormal heart rhythms.
• ü  Omega 3 may also help in decreasing the risk of ADHD, depression, dementia, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.
• ü  It improves brain function, including the development of aid infant’s nerves and vision during pregnancy.
• ü  It also helps in preventing inflammation, including the risk of arthritis.

Photo source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fish_and_chips

Is There a Risk?

One of the risks of eating fish is its mercury content. High mercury absorption can disrupt development of the brain and nervous system of a developing child and, damage the nerves of adults.

For pregnant women, you cannot “not” eat fish just because of these mercury effects. It takes a high mercury content to get these bad effects. That’s why pregnant women are advised to eat two servings of fish a week.

This also hold true for the rest. There are studies that show that those who eat at least 2 servings of fatty fish per week are less likely to suffer from heart disease.

There are risks, but if you played your cards right, the risks don’t even count. If you’re pregnant, it is best to talk to your doctor about the amount of fish you consume in a week. But rest assured he will not advise against eating it.

We all know that people avoid fish because they’re a little too expensive in markets, including other sea foods like oysters, shrimps, etc. But you should not exclude them from your shopping list. You need your Omega 3s, unless you want to suffer from dementia, heart diseases, etc.

Fish up!