The New Zealand Seafood Industry Council Ltd

The Role of Seafood in a Healthy Diet

A new report has reaffirmed seafood's place as an essential food in our diets.

The report, The Role of Seafood in Healthy Diet, by Registered Dietitian Amanda Johnson, includes a comprehensive review of the scientific literature relevant to seafood and health, and explains why and how including seafood in our diets can assist in a healthy lifestyle from birth to old age.

In children, the research suggests a link between eating seafood and brain development and in adults, eating seafood regularly may help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The report also looks into seafood's role in promoting health and preventing disease.

  • Cancer
  • Obesity
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Foetal, infant and child development
  • Adult mental health

You can download the report below.

The Role of Seafood in a Healthy Diet 23.0MB

 

Report summary

Seafood has played an important role in our evolutionary history, and its consumption should continue to be strongly encouraged today.

Fish and shellfish are a good source of high biological value protein and are low in fat and saturated fatty acids. Key micronutrients in fish include iron, zinc, iodine and selenium. Fish eaten with bones, such as salmon and sardines, are a source of calcium. Fish contains B vitamins. Oily fish, and the liver of white fish, are a source of the fat-soluble vitamins A and D.

There is increasing evidence for the beneficial role of fish in a number of different diseases. Fish is a rich source of the very long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCn-3PUFA) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which have been linked to health benefits, particularly in relation to the prevention of cardiovascular disease. The protein in fish may also be helpful in promoting satiety in people on weight-reducing diets. Further, LCn-3 fatty acids may be helpful for people with diabetes and may be protective against cancer, although there is a need for more research in these areas.

The anti-inflammatory effects of LCn-3PUFA have also been investigated, and fish and/or LCn-3PUFA supplementation may play a beneficial role in some inflammatory conditions.

In addition, research seems to indicate that including relatively high intakes of LCn-3PUFA in the diets of pregnant women may be associated with beneficial developmental effects among their babies. There is also some evidence of a positive effect of LCn-3PUFA on learning and behaviour in children. And there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that LCn-3PUFA might be important for the maintenance of good cognitive function later in life; as such, it has been suggested that older people may benefit from consuming oily fish.

There are limited data on intakes of LCn-3 fatty acids in the New Zealand population; however, intakes are thought to be modest. Given the evidence for beneficial effects on health, it has been suggested that it would be prudent to increase intakes to 610mg/day for men and 430mg/day for women.

In summary the consumption of fish can make a significant contribution to nutritional intakes, and may be beneficial in helping to prevent some chronic diseases. Fish may also have a role in promoting mental health and wellbeing among some population groups.

This report reviews the key nutrients in seafood, current intakes in New Zealand, and the role of seafood in health and disease.

 

Amanda’s Nutritionally Analysed Recipes

The below recipes have been nutritionally analysed by Amanda for specific health conditions.