Adding Fish To Your Diet Could Help You Live Longer

Do you want to lose weight and potentially live longer? Add fish to your diet one to two times per week. Concerned about mercury exposure? Read more about the benefits of adding fish to your diet and how to avoid dangerous chemicals.

Why should you add fish to your diet?

Fish contains unsaturated fats known as omega-3 fatty acids. Getting plenty of omega-3s in your diet has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure, decrease triglycerides and reduce blood clotting. These essential fatty acids, which your body can’t manufacture on it’s own and must get from the foods in your diet, have also been shown to decrease inflammation, boost immune systems and reduce arthritis symptoms.

The best types of fish to add to your diet include salmon, herring, tuna and some varieties of trout. In general, you want fatty saltwater fish instead of freshwater fish.

What about the risk of mercury?

For most people, the health benefits outweigh the risk of of getting too much mercury from eating fish. To maximize your benefits while reducing your risk, make conscious decisions about how much fish is in your diet, what types of fish you eat, and where the fish in your diet comes from. The largest fish, such as shark, tilefish, swordfish and king mackerel, tend to have higher concentrations of toxins because they’re eating smaller fish that contain toxins.