Eating fish can offer powerful benefits for both the brain and heart. However, Americans consume less than half of the 26 pounds each year, experts are recommending.
By contrast, Americans are buying beef and chicken seven times every year compared to fish. The reason Americans are not eating more fish has been thought about for quite some time now by health experts, fishers, and fish farmers.
One way of considering the question is production. Consumers can purchase a product if it is available. In theory, the more they buy, the more these products are produced. In this case, according to reports, a "greater demand for fish" would be stimulated if more of these items were offered for sale.
A study that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries recently conducted specified that "more seafood could be made available for American consumers" from worldwide ocean sources given that at least 60 percent of seafood in the United States is imported.
The US aquaculture has the capacity to increase considerably. The said study also showed slightly more domestic wild-caught fish could be collected.
Importance of Eating Fish
Fish is known for its richness in lean protein "and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. It also provides strong nutritional benefits that can contribute to warding off chronic illness, improving immunity, and reducing inflammation in the body.
Seafood, on the other hand, provides the food with essential omega-3 fats and minerals such as zinc, iodine, selenium, and iron. More so, it provides essential vitamins such as vitamin B12 and D that ward off heart ailment, among other health benefits.
Aside from the aforementioned, fish provides other benefits for the body, too, that current USDA Dietary Guidelines provide guidance particularly to pregnant women and children according to the finding that consuming seafood results in cognitive improvement in children.
Study shows that incorporating seafood into the diet as a way of preventing heart disease can result in potential savings of US$12.7 billion in annual health care.
Furthermore, research specified, too, that as a protein, seafood has a fairly "low greenhouse gas production." This benefit is amplified when assessing the many species offering both a high density of nutrients and low production of greenhouse gas.
Fish Over Shrimp, Other Seafood Products
As recommended by the 2015-2020 USDA Dietary Guidelines, Americans should consider eating 26 pounds of seafood every year.
The recommended amount, as specified in the guidelines, would ideally "provide 250 milligrams each day for the essential omega-3 fats."
However, due to the manner American consumers are buying seafood, this would offer them, averagely, just 38 percent of the recommended consumption of omega-3's daily.
A lot of the most popular seafood consumers purchase are said to be relatively low in omega-3's like shrimp, the most popular seafood product in the US, encompassing almost 30 percent of annual sales of fish.
There are many different species of fish that are rich n omega-3's and not regularly bought or consumed. Among these include sardines, herring, and anchovies.
According to reports, people can replace consuming fish by taking supplements or eating other foods with the same Omega-3 content like eggs, to help them deal with such a deficiency.
Nonetheless, the study shows that "eating fish itself is better" compared to taking supplements, given that, specifically, a fish fillet contains a complete complement of vitamins, minerals, and fats over other helpful molecules.
Finally, as indicated in this latest finding, the health and environmental benefits of fish are reasons enough for American consumers to purchase and eat it.
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