Whole, natural, and unprocessed foods are obviously the best and healthiest food sources one can consume. However, even within this category, there are some foods that I like to call “powerhouses”. These foods stand out because of their fantastic nutritional profiles and the number of benefits they provide to human health and functioning. As I’m sure you’ve guessed from the title, one category of powerhouse foods is seafood.
Nutritional Profile: Omega-3 Fatty Acids
The first reason I call seafood a powerhouse food is because of all of the beneficial nutrients seafood provides. First of all, seafood is one of the best sources of omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (from here on, referred to as omega-3 fatty acids or omega-3’s) (Lund, 2013). This is arguably the greatest benefit of seafood because omega-3 fatty acids have been associated with increased brain and cognitive development, mental health improvement, decreased risk of coronary heart disease, improved immunity, and inflammation reduction (McManus & Newton, 2011).
Yet, many Americans do not consume nearly enough omega-3’s, especially EPA and DHA, and they also have an excessively high omega-3 to omega-6 ratio, which can cause a number of problems (Sheppard & Chentham, 2018). Thus, consuming more seafood is one of the best ways to increase omega-3 intake and reap the health benefits. Furthermore, while all seafood has beneficial omega-3’s, your best bet is to consume wild-caught, fatty and oily fish because these foods have the highest levels of omega-3’s (McManus & Newton 2011).
Great Source of Many Vitamins
In addition to omega-3 benefits, seafood also provides a number of essential vitamins and minerals. For example, seafood is the best dietary source of vitamin D, and a great source of vitamin E, vitamin A, and all B-vitamins, especially vitamin B12 (McManus & Newton, 2011). In regard to vitamin D, it is still important to remember that sunlight is the best source, and vitamin D from food alone is not enough to reach adequate levels. Regardless, seafood provides many vitamins that are important for many bodily processes. For example, vitamin E is vital for healthy skin, nervous system functioning, and a healthy heart among others. Also, vitamin A plays a large role in vision, reproduction, and immunity. Lastly, vitamin B12 is necessary for healthy neurological function, and a deficiency has been associated with memory impairment, depression, and other mental issues.
Correcting Vitamin Inadequacies with Seafood
Unfortunately, when analyzing the above four nutrients, 95 percent of U.S. adults have inadequate vitamin D intake, 94 percent have inadequate vitamin E intake, and 51 percent have inadequate vitamin A intake (Drake & Frei, 2018). Thus, given that these inadequacies are so prevalent in America, seafood can be a powerful way to increase these vitamins back to adequate levels (except for vitamin D, which still requires sunlight exposure). With this in mind, it is also beneficial to understand what seafoods are the best sources of these vitamins. Firstly, vitamins D, E, and A, are all fat-soluble vitamins, so fatty and oily fish are the best sources of these vitamins. Such fish include salmon, sardines, mackerel, and so forth. In regard to vitamin B12, the best sources are oysters, clams, octopus, and fish.
Excellent Source of Key Minerals
Seafood is also a great source of a few key minerals too. Mainly, seafood is a great source of selenium, zinc, calcium, iodine, and iron (European Food Safety Authority, 2014). This is fantastic because all of these minerals are important for a variety of bodily functions. For example, selenium is necessary for thyroid function and reducing oxidative stress, and calcium benefits the muscles, nerves, and heart and is important for bone density. Also, iodine is essential for the thyroid gland and thyroid hormone production. Additionally, both zinc and iron are vital for a healthy immune system, among many other benefits, such as iron’s role in the injury healing process.
Seafood Helps to Correct Mineral Inadequacies
Yet, just like some of the vitamins mentioned earlier, many Americans lack in these minerals. Specifically, 49 percent of U.S. adults have inadequate calcium intake, 12 percent have inadequate zinc intake, and 8 percent have inadequate iron intake (Drake & Frei, 2018). Now, except for calcium, these numbers aren’t as high as some of the vitamin inadequacies, but it still shows that a decent amount of the population is lacking in critical minerals. And, since seafood provides many of these minerals, consuming seafood is a potentially beneficial way to reverse those inadequacies. Also, while many people do have adequate iodine status, pregnant women should make sure to consume even more iodine because they are at the greatest risk for a deficiency (McManus & Newton, 2011).
So, in regard to specific kinds of seafood that provide certain micronutrients, pretty much all fish are a great source of selenium, all seafood sources are a great source of iron and calcium, and oysters are the best source of zinc, by far. In fact, oysters are the best food source of zinc, regardless of land or sea origin. Lastly, shellfish is the best seafood source of iodine, and shellfish and fish are the best sources of iodine among all commonly eaten foods.
Many Benefits: Physical Health
With the nutritional composition of seafood in mind, it is not surprising that seafood offers many benefits to human health. For example, seafood intake has been associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease, and omega-3 fatty acids are likely the factor in reducing this risk (Del Gobbo, et al., 2016). There are also other cardiovascular benefits of seafood intake, such as that seafood consumption is associated with lower blood triglyceride levels and decreased blood pressure (Gustafsson, Ohrvall, Ekstrand, & Vessby, 1996).
Also, consuming at least one serving of fish per week has been associated with a decreased risk of diabetes, when compared to consuming less than one serving per week (Patel, et al., 2009). Seafood consumption also appears to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in obese individuals (Nkondjock & Receveur, 2003). Moreover, seafood protein consumption is related to increased insulin sensitivity in diabetics (McManus & Newton, 2011).
Lastly, seafood intake is likely a great way to reduce inflammation. This mainly due to the omega-3 content of seafood because it helps to balance out the omega-3: omega-6 ratio. Many people consume too many omega-6’s and not enough omega-3’s, so consuming omega-3-rich seafood can help restore the balance in that ratio and reduce inflammation. Indeed, seafood consumption has been related with a decrease in a number of markers of inflammation (He, et al., 2009) and, in one study, fatty fish was found to be especially beneficial in reducing inflammation (Ramel, Martinez, Kiely, Bandarra, & Thorsdottir, 2010).
Mental Health Benefits
Omega-3’s and other seafood-derived nutrients are also vital for brain and cognitive function, so it is unsurprising that seafood intake is with many mental health benefits, too. Consuming omega-3’s from seafood or dark, oily fish one to three times per week has been associated with reduced likelihood in experiencing high levels of anxiety, when compared to consuming no seafood or dark, oily fish (Vaz, et al., 2013). In addition, studies have shown that those who consume the lowest amount of fatty and lean fish have the highest scores in depressive symptoms, whereas moderate consumption of fish is associated with lower depression (Sanchez-Villegas, et al., 2000).
Furthermore, consuming seafood one to two times per week and three to four times per week during pregnancy has been associated with better neurodevelopment in children compared to mothers who consumed no seafood (European Food Safety Authority, 2014). Lastly, fish and seafood, in part because of their omega-3 content, are positively linked with reduced risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (McManus & Newton, 2011).
Finally, while the specific vitamins and minerals in seafood don’t get as much attention as the omega-3’s in seafood, it is very likely that these also contribute to the positive health outcomes. Given that seafood has many vitamins and minerals important for a number of functions, and many people show inadequacies in these micronutrients, it is likely that consuming seafood also leads to better health outcomes because individuals are correcting their micronutrient inadequacies.
Consumption Considerations
Taken together, seafood is obviously a very healthy food to consume. However, there are some important considerations to look at. First, I’m sure you’re aware of the mercury content concerns when consuming seafood. In addition, some seafood has the potential to contain a variety of pollutants. Now, I’ll be the first to admit I don’t understand everything as it relates to mercury and other pollutant-related concerns in seafood, but there are some very helpful guides that have helped me understand the best seafood to consume. In the hope that you’ll find these beneficial, I have listed a few guides that cover smart and safe seafood eating practices:
–Natural Resources Defense Council: The Smart Seafood Buying Guide
–The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program
–Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources: Eat Your Catch- Making Healthy Choices
–Food and Water Watch: Seafood Guide
I know there are more resources too, so you can always research more on your own if you feel you still need to learn more, or are still unsure.
Working Seafood into Your Diet
Nevertheless, it is evident that seafood provides many valuable nutrients and offers a number of health benefits. So, if you’re looking for an easy way to bump up your nutrient intake, especially of micronutrients that you may be lacking in, and are also looking to improve many aspects of physical and mental health, you should start consuming seafood on a regular basis.
Consuming seafood from a wide variety of sources, such as fatty fish, lean fish, and shellfish (e.g. oysters) will give you the greatest variety and, therefore, the highest amount of nutrients. However, fatty fish is actually the most nutrient-dense, so make sure at least part (if not most) of your seafood intake is fatty fish. Aim to consume seafood at least once to twice per week, with two or three times per week being optimal. Don’t think that you need to go crazy in terms of the amount of seafood you consume. Moderate consumption of seafood is more than enough to experience the benefits, and excessive consumption may actually be detrimental.
The main thing is just that you DO eat it! Seafood is classified as a powerhouse food for a reason and, as long as you’re eating smart and safe seafood, you’ll be well on your way to experiencing the many benefits.
References
Del Gobbo, L. C., Imamura, F., Aslilbekyan, S., Marklund, M., Virtanen, J. K., Wennberg, M., … Mozaffarian, D. (2016). ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid biomarkers and coronary heart disease: Pooling project of 19 cohort studies. JAMA Internal Medicine, 176(8), 1155-1166. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.2925
Ramel, A., Martinez, J. A., Bandarra, N. M., & Thorsdottir, I. (2014). Effects of weight loss and seafood consumption on inflammation parameters in young, overweight and obese European men and women during 8 weeks of energy restriction. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 64(9), 987-993. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2010.99
Drake, V. J., & Frei, B. (2018). Micronutrient inadequacies in the US population: An overview. Oregon State University, Linus Pauling Institute, Micronutrient Information Center. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/micronutrient-inadequacies/overview
Sheppard, C. W., and Cheatham, C. L. (2018). Omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid intake of children and older adults in the U.S.: Dietary intake in comparison to current dietary recommendations and the Healthy Eating Index. Lipids in Health and Disease, 17(43), 12pp. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12944-018-0693-9
Nkondjock, A., & Receveur, O. (2003). Fish-seafood consumption, obesity, and risk of type 2 diabetes: An ecological study. Diabetes & Metabolism, 29(6), 635-642. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1262-3636(07)70080-0
Patel, P. S., Sharp, S. J., Luben, R. N., Khaw, K-T., Bingham, S. A., Wareham, N. J., Foroughi, N. G. (2009). Diabetes Care, 32(10), 1857-1863. https://doi.org/10.2337/dc09-0116
Vaz, JdS., Kac G., Emmett P., Davis J. M., Golding J., & Hibbeln, J. R. (2013) Dietary patterns, n-3 fatty acids intake from seafood and high levels of anxiety symptoms during pregnancy: Findings from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. PLoS ONE, 8(7): e67671. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0067671
Sanchez-Villegas, A., Alvarez-Perez, J., Toledo, E., Salas-Salvado, J., Ortega-Azorin, C., Zomeno, M. D., Vioque, J., … Serra-Majem, L. (2018). Nutrients, 10(12). doi:10.3390/nu10122000
He, K., Liu, K., Daviglus, M. L., Jenny, N. S., Mayer-Davis, E., Jiang, R., …Herrington, D. (2009). Associations of dietary long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and fish with biomarkers of inflammation and endothelial activation (from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis [MESA]). The American Journal of Cardiology, 103(9), 1238-1243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjcard.2009.01.016
Gustaffson, I-B., Ohrvall, M., Ekstrand, B., & Vessby, B. (1996). Moderate amounts of n‐3 fatty acid enriched seafood products are effective in lowering serum triglycerides and blood pressure in healthy subjects. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-277X.1996.00447.x
McManus A, Newton W. (2011). Seafood, nutrition and human health: A synopsis of the nutritional benefits of consuming seafood. Centre of Excellence Science, Seafood & Health, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University of Technology, Perth. https://espace.curtin.edu.au/bitstream/handle/20.500.11937/32912/185277_53343_Seafood__nutrition_and_human_health.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y
European Food Safety Authority. (2014). Scientific Opinion on health benefits of seafood (fish and shellfish) consumption in relation to health risks associated with exposure to methylmercury. EFSA Journal, 12(7):3761, 80pp. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2014.3761
Lund, E. K. (2013). Health benefits of seafood; Is it just the fatty acids? Food Chemistry, 140(3), 413-420. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.01.034
