US dietary magazine lists fish of longevity

2021-10-11T17:02:00.280Z

The prestigious US magazine Well and Good, specializing in dietetics, publishes the study that links the consumption of SMASH fish (salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines and herring) to longevity. In the areas with the highest consumption of these fish, many people are over 100 years old. On the globe there are five geographical areas with the greatest consumption of these fish species and where a part of the population lives up to 100 years of age, enjoying excellent health. They are many inhabitants of Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia (Italy), Nicoya (Costa Rica), Ikaria (Greece) and Loma Linda in California (USA). One reason is that SMASH fish are extremely rich in nutrients and omega-3s that support longevity. "Our body cannot make omega-3 fatty acids, so we have to get them from food,"explains nutritionist Maya Feller, interviewed by the magazine. "The reason omega-3s are linked to longevity is because they are involved in many systems within the body, including brain health, central nervous system and heart health." The connection between omega-3 fatty acids and heart health is particularly noteworthy as heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Eating SMASH fish twice a week is directly linked to reducing this risk. In addition to omega-3 fatty acids, Feller says SMASH fish are a lean protein source and have a long list of other nutrients including selenium (linked to reducing heart disease risk, slowing mental decline related toage and the protection of the body from stress oxidation) and vitamin D (linked to the reduction of cancer risk). Feller says that another main reason SMASH fish are unsurpassed in terms of the best fish for longevity is because they contain all of this nutritional value while having low mercury levels. "Mercury [a neurotoxin] is caused by pollution and can have a negative impact on the brain and nervous system and, unfortunately, it really is present in all fish," explains Feller. And the bigger the fish, the more likely it is to have a higher mercury level. "This is because the big fish eat the smaller fish, absorbing the mercury from those fish," he says. Fish that tend to have higher mercury levels include tuna, oily fish, grouper, marlin,king mackerel, shark and swordfish. The fact that SMASH fish pack a lot of nutrient densities while having lower mercury levels than other fish is exactly what makes them a winner in terms of longevity.