Consuming more small fish such as herring, anchovies and sardines instead of red meat could have a big impact on preventing premature deaths worldwide.
“While red meat consumption is associated with an increased risk of death from non-communicable diseases, forage fish may prevent these diet-related diseases, including conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and colon cancer,” says Shujuan Xia, lead author of the research team. In partnership with the National Institute of Environmental Research in Tsukuba, Japan.
In the case of the United States, Xia notes that replacing 16 percent of red meat with forage fish by 2050 could reduce deaths from coronary artery disease by about 15 percent and deaths from stroke, diabetes and colorectal cancer by 2 to 3 percent.
Why Are Small Fish a Good Alternative to Meat?
“There have been numerous studies showing the heart health benefits of omega-3-rich foods like herring and sardines,” says Kate Donelan, RD, a registered dietitian at Stanford Healthcare in California. “Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce inflammation, improve cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease. “Similarly, reducing red meat has been associated with a reduced risk of heart disease and other chronic conditions.”
Why Small Fish May Be Healthier Than Big Fish
Xia and his colleagues decided to study these tiny forage fish because they are highly nutritious, environmentally friendly, generally low-cost, and the most abundant fish species in the ocean.
Additionally, Christine Ryan, RDN, a registered dietitian-nutritionist in Seattle, emphasizes that larger fish may be less healthy than smaller fish because they accumulate more contaminants, such as mercury, which can accumulate in the body over time, leading to death. health problems.
“One reason to focus on small fish is that they are safer than larger fish,” says Ryan, who was not involved in the research. “They don’t live that long, so they don’t have enough time to absorb heavy metals from the environment, making them safer to eat.”
One Way to Help the Environment
Replacing red meat consumption with this type of fish also benefits the environment. The study authors explain that livestock farming produces significant emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, which contribute to global warming.
The Monterey Bay Seafood Watch program also notes that forage fish have a low carbon footprint compared to other sources of animal feed. “However, it is important to note that not all feed types have the same environmental impact,” says a spokesperson for Seafood Watch.
Check out Seafood Watch’s recommendations and buying guides to learn about the latest environmentally sustainable seafood options. The organization says canned forage fish is readily available in grocery stores, or fresh varieties are sold at fish markets in some places.
Projecting the Impact of the Switch to Forage Fish
For this analysis, scientists looked at red meat projections and forage fish catch datasets in 2050 for 137 countries. They then replaced red meat consumption in each country with forage fish from marine habitats, without exceeding the potential forage fish supply.
Their assessment found that forage fish could replace only 8 percent of the world’s red meat due to limited supply. Their calculations found that such a replacement could prevent as many as 750,000 deaths from diet-related diseases and 8 to 15 million years of disabled life, most of which are concentrated in low- and middle-income countries.
This food shift could also reduce global deaths from coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and bowel cancer by 2 percent in 2050, according to Xia and his team.
Obstacles to be overcome
Researchers are aware that changes in food production, including the diversion of forage fish to fishmeal and oil processing and climate change, may prevent the full health benefits of forage fish from being enjoyed.
Donelan, who was not involved in the research, warns that greater worldwide reliance on these fish as a food source could contribute to overfishing and worsen food insecurity in regions where these fish are essential to local diets.
The study’s authors recognize that it may be difficult to get people to eat more fish in some cultures that are not used to eating this type of seafood.
“Forage fish such as herring and sardines may not be as popular in the United States compared to other seafood options such as salmon or tuna, but some potential avenues such as health initiatives, nutrition education and recipe development may help encourage consumption of these types of fish.” ” ” says Xia.
Ryan acknowledges that a beef-centric population like America’s may find it difficult to eat more fish, but he urges people to try and experiment with different ways to incorporate such fish into their diets.
“It’s hard to get everyone to love fish,” he says, “but if you can get more small fish into your diet, they really are one of the best sources of increasing omega-3 fats to reduce cardiovascular risks.”