When it comes to healthy foods, research can often be confusing and conflicting. Suddenly, a health food can be on top of the world with dozens of features in articles and talk shows. While the following year, a fall from grace occurs with recalls or contradictory evidence. The sad truth is that not all science these days is unbiased and can cause confusion.
When we think about scientific research, isn’t the very purpose of it to test something objectively? Unfortunately, this is rare in the realm of modern science. Instead, it is used to manipulate data for the purpose of sales and other reasons. Much of the research done is biased, forged, and manipulated to see a certain outcome. This is all done before the testing even begins because of investments and an agenda.
The health merits of seafood have been studied for many years. Furthermore, we know from research of diets such as the Mediterranean diet that eating seafood has many benefits. This is the one of the best ways to gauge the legitimacy of anything. It requires different types of research to have a true understanding on the human body.
It’s important to understand that not all seafood will positively impact the body. Unfortunately, many types of seafood are saturated with toxicity and heavy metals. For more information on which forms are safer to consume, feel free to check out this article. Here are some of the most well-researched benefits associated with higher seafood consumption.
Healthier & Bigger Brain
Although it seems a bit embellished to claim that eating more seafood leads to a bigger brain, this is what research actually shows. According to a study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, consuming higher amounts of fish led to a greater amount of gray matter. Moreover, the increase was prevalent in areas that govern memory and cognition. In addition, there is evidence that eating more fish may help slow mental decline.
May Decrease Stroke & Heart Disease Risk
While eating more fish or seafood certainly isn’t any type of guarantee against heart disease, it certainly appears to be helpful. The greatest benefits of seafood seem to be for the heart and brain. A study with over 40,000 men showed that eating fish several times per week caused a moderate, but significant decrease in heart disease risk. Furthermore, similar results have been seen for heart disease and atherosclerosis in many other studies. This shows a consistent theme in many different types of research.
Protection of Vision
Macular degeneration is one of the most prevalent causes of vision loss around the world. Oftentimes, the degeneration that occurs is age-related. Several pieces of research have shown the potential of seafood for this condition. One study found an over 40% less risk of age-related macular degeneration in women. Another study showed an over 50% reduction of what is called “wet” macular degeneration. The amount needed to obtain these benefits were around 1-3 servings of fish per week.
Other smaller studies have shown possible benefits for latent autoimmune adult diabetes, arthritis, depression, child development, and much more. The benefits really seem to be consistent and only requiring around 2-3 servings per week. Since most fish is relatively inexpensive, anyone can potentially enjoy the benefits of seafood. Purchasing wild-caught is almost always superior to farm-raised. The level of nutrients is higher and the overall toxicity is lower in the majority of research. It’s critical to understand the types of fish to avoid and those to consume to maximize benefits and minimize risks.
