Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Want to live longer? Consume more fish

July 21, 2018 08:00 IST

Eating fish may help prolong life says study.

Fish

 

Photograph: Courtesy Kirti Poddar/Creative Commons

Consuming fish and other foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids may lower the risk of early death from diseases like cancer, and heart disorders, a study has found.

In the study of 240,729 men and 180,580 women who were followed for 16 years, 54,230 men and 30,882 women died.

Higher fish and long-chain omega-3 fatty acid intakes were significantly associated with lower total mortality, according to the study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine.

Researchers from Zhejiang University in China found that men who had highest fish consumption had nine per cent lower total mortality, 10 per cent lower cardiovascular disease mortality.

They were also six per cent less likely to die of cancer, and had 20 per cent lower respiratory disease mortality.

Women had eight per cent lower total mortality, 10 per cent lower cardiovascular disease mortality, and 38 per cent lower Alzheimer's disease mortality.

Fried fish consumption was not related to mortality in men, whereas it was associated with increased risks of mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory disease in women.

Long-chain omega-3 fatty acid intake was associated with 15 per cent and 18 per cent lower cardiovascular disease mortality in men and women, respectively, when comparing the highest and lowest quintiles.

© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.