Get Fishy!

I have added this section as this is a sensible addition to your diet if you don’t wish to live on fruit and vegetables alone!

I am leaving the question of fish stocks and polluted seas to another day but fish is actually very good for you and it is recommended that we eat at least 2-3 portions of it per week, one portion of which should be oily.

Oily fish contain Omega-3 fatty acids which are polyunsaturated fatty acids found in certain fish tissues.

They are an essential component of the human diet because our bodies can not make them. These fats are necessary for proper brain growth and development.

According to the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) Omega 3 fatty acids in oily fish can reduce the risk of cardiac disease, lower blood pressure, help keep joints supple, aid weight loss, help control diabetes, and help alleviate the symptoms of asthma in children.

By the way eating an excess of oily fish may be harmful as they can be high in dioxins and PCBs (and there’s me saying I would leave pollutants for another time). These do not have an immediate effect but can accumulate in your body over time and the experts are unsure what harm it can cause or indeed how much should be consumed per week.

My advice would be to eat 2/3 portions of oily fish per week but restrict shark, swordfish and marlin to one portion because these fish are the most likely to be contaminated by mercury (there I go again).

As a guide try to purchase fresh fish preferably wild not farmed. However, Food Certification (Scotland) Ltd provides organic certification for farmed salmon in the UK. While UK regulations permit local certification, EU regulations do not yet address organic fish farming.

Approximate Omega-3 (EPA/DHA) content in grams per 100 grams of fresh uncooked fish:

Tip: Trim the fatty bits off oily fish as this can help reduce your intake of PCBs, as can baking, grilling or steaming because frying seals them in.