Health benefits of eating oily fish

The traditional Mediterranean and Atlantic diets are the best options for maintaining our health, with fish playing an important role in both.

Oily fish are defined as fish that contain more than 5-6% of their muscle mass. The most famous examples are sardines, longfin tuna, mackerel, and horse mackerel.

Experts recommend including oily fish in the diet because of its benefits to public health, including warding off the risk of heart disease by improving arterial function and lowering blood pressure, in addition to reducing the risk of some types of cancer, dementia, vision problems, and others.

The nutritional importance of oily fish lies in three important components:

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which can help protect against cardiovascular disease and other diseases.

-Peptides, which are protein molecules made up of two or more amino acids, which have various health benefits such as preventing or treating conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.

-High content of vitamins (especially vitamins A, D and E) and other micronutrients such as magnesium, selenium and iodine.

The benefits of this combination of nutrients have been proven by the GALIAT (Galician Atlantic Diet) project, led by the University Hospital of Santiago de Compostela.

The project consists of a series of clinical trials to determine the effects of the traditional Atlantic diet on the general population.

The results show a reduction in metabolic syndrome, a group of conditions that increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

It is noteworthy that the fishing season for sardines and mackerel extends with varying intensity from May to October, and during this time of the year, the plankton that these fish eat is more abundant, which gives the fish a higher percentage of fat and a better flavor.