EAT FISH TO ENJOY LONGER LIFE

No wonder Japan has the largest number of super

centenarians in the world! Fish is a staple in their diet.

Did you know that eating fish can add years to your life? That's what researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found out when they carried out a study involving 2,700 adults aged 65 or older. The study was based on data collected over a span of 16 years. None of the respondents had ever taken fish oil supplements prior to the study.

This is good news for folks like me who have replaced meat in our diet with fish in transiting to a vegetarian diet. Extending your life span by an average of 2.2 years may not seem like a big deal, but if you think in terms of being around to enjoy another 30 months of a good life and being able to spend more time with your loved ones, even an extra one year is something to cherish.

In Malaysia's hot weather, frozen fish keeps better. Not everyone can afford
to eat cod, salmon or mackerel twice a week given the high prices. 

A much cheaper alternative - canned sardines

Fish such as salmon, tuna, halibut, sardines, herring and mackerel, have the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids which help to lower the risk of heart disease by as much as 35 per cent. According to Dr Dariush Mozaffarian, an associate professor at the department of epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health who heads the study, a modest intake of two servings of fatty fish can make a difference in extending the remaining years of life. 

The study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine on Monday. You can read a write-up of it in the Harvard Gazette.

Other studies also recommend trout, cod and anchovies.

Despite the known benefits of fatty acids present in fish, many people avoid seafood because of the fear of mercury contamination and other toxins that may be found in fish.

To know more about the risks of eating fish and other seafood, do read this excellent article FISH: FRIEND OR FOE published in Harvard School of Public Health website.