WHICH fish is the wisest catch for your health?
We should all eat two portions a week, one of which should be oily.
Here’s our guide to netting the best
Mackerel
Per 100g smoked fillet: 334 cals, 28.4g fat (9.2g saturates), 2g salt
The oiliest fish and richest in omega-3 fats, which improve blood flow and help keep brain and heart healthy. Just one small serving (fresh, smoked or canned) provides all the omega-3 you need for a week but don’t overdo it because it is quite high in saturated fat. The fish is also a rich source of bone-building vitamin D with two days’ supply in an average portion.
9/10
Oily fish
Salmon
Per 150g grilled fillet: 322 cals, 9.5g fat (3.6g saturates), 0.2g salt
A tasty oily fish that’s good for you either canned or fresh. Canned salmon may be slightly better because it is nearly always the wild type from the Pacific. Canning also softens the bones, which make the fish richer in vitamin D and calcium. Either type will give you your recommended oily fish intake if you eat just one generous portion a week.
8/10
Tuna
Per 100g canned in brine: 99 cals, 0.6g fat (0.2g saturates), 0.8g salt
A great source of protein to curb hunger and help repair and renew muscles and tissues. A 100g serving supplies your recommended daily allowance (RDA) of the antioxidant selenium, needed for the immune system and 90 per cent of the RDA of niacin, needed for releasing energy from food. Only fresh tuna counts as an oil-rich fish.
Sardines
Per 120g canned in tomato sauce: 234 cals, 15.5g
fat (5.1g saturates), 1.1g salt
An omega-3 rich oily fish. Weight for weight, canned sardines contain about four times more bone-strengthening calcium than milk. Unlike milk, however, they are also very rich in vitamin D, which is needed to absorb calcium. Avoid skinless, boneless sardines because it’s the dissolved bones that make the vitamin D content so high.
8/10
Battered cod
Per 250g chip-shop fillet: 593 cals, 31.5g fat (7.2g saturates), 3g salt
Besides being bad for your waistline fried fish from the chippy can harbour trans fats, thought to be even worse for your heart than saturated fats, which form when cooking oil is reused many times. The batter is also salty so don’t add more. On the plus side cod (and haddock) are rich in protein, plus the mineral iodine, which is needed for a healthy metabolism.
2/10
Fish fingers
Per three, grilled: 184 cals, 7.6g fat (0.8g saturates), 0.6g salt
A good source of protein for growing children and low in saturated fat. With peas and oven chips, or in a sandwich, they make a relatively balanced meal so don’t feel guilty if you’re craving this comfort food.
5/10
Pollock
Per 150g grilled fillet: 142 cals, 2g fat (0.6g saturates), 0.3g salt
More eco-friendly than overfished cod and an equally good source of protein, vitamin B12 (for a healthy nervous system) and iodine. Pollock has more omega-3 than most other white fish. A good choice if you like white fish but never eat oily.
7/10
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A recent study has shown that postmenopausal women who ate more baked or broiled fish were at a lower risk of developing a heart failure compared to those who ate more fried fish.
Researchers have found that women who ate baked/broiled fish (five or more servings/week) had a 30 pc lower risk of heart failure compared to women who seldom ate it (less than one serving/month).
The study further suggests that the type of fish and cooking method may affect heart failure risk. Dark fish (salmon, mackerel and bluefish) significantly reduce heart failure risk than either tuna or white fish (sole, snapper and cod).
On the other hand, eating fried fish hikes the risk of a heart failure. Even one serving a week was associated with a 48 pc higher heart failure risk.
“Not all fish are equal, and how you prepare it really matters,” said Donald Lloyd-Jones, senior author of the study.
“When you fry fish, you not only lose a lot of the benefits, you likely add some things related to the cooking process that are harmful,” he added.
A team led by Lloyd-Jones examined self-reported dietary data from 84,493 postmenopausal women in the Women”s Health Initiative Observational Study.
They divided the participants based on the frequency and type of fish consumption. The baked/broiled fish group consisted of canned tuna, tuna salad, tuna casserole, white fish (broiled or baked), dark fish (broiled or baked) and shellfish (not fried). Whereas, the fried fish group consisted of fried fish, fish sandwich and fried shellfish.
The result showed that participants who ate more baked/broiled fish tended to be healthier and younger than their counterparts who ate fried fish.
They were more physically active and fit, more educated and less likely to smoke, have diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease (irregular heartbeat and coronary artery disease).
The study appears in the journal Circulation: Heart Failure.
Researchers are suggesting that high levels of Omega-3s, while good for the heart, may present a higher risk for developing prostate cancer.
Analyzing data from a nationwide study involving more than 3,400 men, Theodore M. Brasky, and colleagues at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center found that men with the highest blood percentages of docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, an inflammation-lowering omega-3 fatty acid commonly found in fatty fish, have two-and-a-half-times the risk of developing aggressive, high-grade prostate cancer compared to men with the lowest DHA levels.
Conversely, the study also found that men with the highest blood ratios of trans-fatty acids – which are linked to inflammation and heart disease and abundant in processed foods that contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils – had a 50 percent reduction in the risk of high-grade prostate cancer.
The researchers also found that omega-6 fatty acids, which are found in most vegetable oils and are linked to inflammation and heart disease, were not associated with prostate cancer risk.
They also found that none of the fats were associated with the risk of low-grade prostate cancer.
The study was recently published online in the American Journal of Epidemiology.