Tag Archives: Fatty acids

Eat more Herring

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Herring is enjoyed by our northern European neighbours enjoy as it comes – is it time we skipped the kipper?

Herring used to be a staple fish in these isles, but it has long since been sidelined by more demure species that are less full-on fishy. That’s not the case elsewhere. Scandinavians and Germans are positively obsessed with herring.

Same story in Holland, where the silver darling crowds out all else on the fishmonger’s slab. Stroll alongside Amsterdam’s canals, and you’ll catch the distinctive whiff from the city’s famous stalls selling snack-size portions of succulent herring with onion pickle – a bargain at €3 a shot.

Herring

Herring

The upside of Britain’s cold-shouldering of this fine species, with its creamy, firm flesh and dependable flavour, is that stocks are relatively buoyant. Don’t be wimpy about bones and pungent fish oil. Provided herring is sparkling-fresh and properly filleted, you’re in for a treat, whether you eat it fried, chargrilled, baked or even raw.


Herring is one of the very best food sources of vitamin D. Our bodies make this vitamin in sunlight, but in our climate, it’s easy not to get enough. There seems to be more to vitamin D than strong teeth and bones. It’s now thought that vitamin D deficiency might be a factor in many diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and diabetes.

Herring is loaded with EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). These fatty acids help prevent heart disease and keep the brain functioning properly. They also seem to be effective in reducing inflammatory conditions, such as Crohn’s disease and arthritis.

Know your fats

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Fat is made up of different types of fatty acids, “building blocks” which are classified as “saturated”, “monounsaturated” or “polyunsaturated” according to their chemical structure.

All foods and oils contain a mixture of fatty acids but they tend to be categorised by the fatty acids they contain in significant quantities. Unsaturated fatty acids (which comprise monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids) are found mostly in plant-derived foods and fish.

One type of polyunsaturated fat – omega-3 fatty acids – has been shown to have several health benefits, for example helping to keep blood vessels flexible, reduce excess blood clotting and lower risk of heart disease as well as reduce inflammation (which can be helpful for those suffering from inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis). Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids can also lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol when used in place of saturated fat.

Trans fats

Trans fats

Foods rich in these “good” unsaturated fats are oily fish, rapeseed oil, flaxseeds and walnuts (omega 3 fatty acids); vegetable oils (such as sunflower, corn, safflower), walnuts, seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, sesame) (omega-6 fatty acids) and vegetable oils (olive, peanut), nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts, pecans, pistachios) and avocados (monounsaturated fatty acids).


The fats with negative health effects are saturated fats and trans fats. Saturated fats are found primarily in fatty cuts of meat, full-fat dairy foods, tropical oils (coconut, palm oil), lard and in some cakes and biscuits.

Trans fats are present in foods that contain “partially hydrogenated” vegetable oils: these have largely been removed from the UK food supply in recent years but may still be present in some fried foods, especially if the oil is extensively reused.

Studies have shown that both saturated fats and trans fats can raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and make the blood vessels less flexible, increasing risk of heart disease.