Eating more seafood is an easy and effective way of improving our diets and overall health. Many types of seafood, in particular oily types, contain omega-3 fats – which has an impressive range of health benefits. The recommendation is that we eat at least two portions of fish a week – one of which should be oil-rich, yet only 1 in 4 people in the UK do so.
Seafish, the body responsible for promoting seafood consumption, and ISSFAL, an international organisation of scientists who research the health impacts of fats like omega-3, will be presenting research at the British Dietetic Association’s Annual Conference to promote increasing the amount of fish and other seafood we eat. The latest information on the role of long chain omega-3’s in the prevention and treatment of heart disease, one of the UK’s major killers will be addressed at the conference.
Sue Baic, registered dietitian and British Dietetic Association spokesperson, said: “Most of us in the UK eat far too little omega 3. Eating more seafood especially oily fish such as salmon, sardines, pilchards, trout mackerel or herrings is a delicious and economical way to boost essential omega-3 intakes.”
Dr Jon Harman, development director of Seafish, said: “We decided to target health professionals as part of our current health awareness campaign because they are ideally placed to promote the importance of eating seafood as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Seafood has an abundance of health benefits, not least the fact that omega-rich seafood can help combat heart disease. For most people, eating more sustainably sourced seafood is an easy step towards improving overall health.“
On Tuesday 17 June ISSFAL’s Dr Ray Rice will be giving a clear and understandable overview of the biochemistry and effectiveness of the long chain omega-3’s, discussing the changes in omega-3 intake in the UK over the past 150 years. Also presenting will be Professor Clemens von Schacky, a consultant cardiologist from the University of Munich, who will explore the current use of long chain omega-3’s in the treatment of heart disease.
Professor Philip Calder from the School of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Southampton will examine the immune boosting effect of omega-3, while Professor Bruce Griffin from the University of Surrey will add to the evidence that dietary cholesterol found in food like shellfish and eggs is of little clinical significance to the vast majority of people.
