Amazing benefits of Fish.(continued)

5. Fish May Help Prevent and Treat Depression, Making You a Happier Person Depression is a serious and incredibly common mental disorder. It is characterized by low mood, sadness, decreased energy and loss of interest in life and activities. Although it doesn’t get talked about nearly as much as heart disease or obesity, depressionis currently one of the world’sbiggesthealth problems. Studies have found that people who eat fish regularly are much less likely to become depressed ( 13). Numerous controlled trials have also found that omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial against depression, and significantly increase the effectiveness of antidepressant medications ( 14, 15, 16). What this means, is that fish can quite literally make you a happier person, and improve your quality of life. Fish and omega-3 fatty acids may also help with other mental disorders, such as bipolar disorder ( 17). Bottom Line:Omega-3 fatty acids can be beneficial against depression, both on their own and when taken with antidepressant medications. 6. Fish is The Only Good Dietary Source of Vitamin D Vitamin D has received a lot of mainstream attention in recent years. This important vitamin actually functions like a steroid hormone in the body, and a whopping 41.6% of the US population is deficient in it ( 18). Fish and fish products are the best dietary sources of vitamin D, by far. Fatty fish like salmon and herring contain the highest amounts ( 19). A single 4 ounce (113 gram) serving of cooked salmon contains around 100% of the recommended intake of vitamin D ( 20). Some fish oils, such as cod liver oil, are also very high in vitamin D, providing more than 200% of the recommended intake in a single tablespoon ( 21). If you don’t get much sun and don’t eat fatty fish regularly, then you may want to consider taking a vitamin D supplement. Bottom Line:Fatty fish is an excellent source of vitamin D, an important nutrient that over 40% of people may be deficient in. 7. Fish Consumption is Linked to Reduced Risk of Autoimmune Diseases, Including Type 1 Diabetes Autoimmune disease occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys healthy body tissues. A key example is type 1 diabetes, which involves the immune system attacking the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Several studies have found that omega-3 or fish oil consumption is linked to reduced risk of type 1 diabetes in children, as well as a form of autoimmune diabetes in adults ( 22, 23, 24). The results are preliminary, but researchers believe that this may be caused by the omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D in fish and fish oils. Some believe that fish consumption may also lower the risk of rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, but the current evidence is weak at best ( 25, 26). Bottom Line:Eating fish has been linked to reduced risk of type 1 diabetes and several other autoimmune diseases. 8. Fish May Help Prevent Asthma in Children Asthmais a common disease that is characterized by chronic inflammation in the airways. Unfortunately, rates of asthma have increased dramatically over the past few decades ( 27). Studies show that regular fish consumption is linked to a 24% lower risk of asthma in children, but no significant effect in adults ( 28). Bottom Line:Some studies show that children who eat more fish have a lower risk of developing asthma. 9. Fish May Protect Your Vision in Old Age A disease called macular degenerationis a leading cause of vision impairment and blindness, and mostly affects older individuals ( 29). There is some evidence that fish and omega-3 fatty acids may provide protection against this disease. In one study, regular consumption of fish was linked to a 42% lower risk of macular degeneration in women ( 30). Another study found that eating fatty fish once per week was linked to a 53% decreased risk of neovascular (“wet”) macular degeneration ( 31). Bottom Line:People who eat more fish have a much lower risk of developing macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision impairment and blindness. 10. Fish May Improve Sleep Quality Sleep disorders have become incredibly common worldwide. There are many different reasons for this (such as increased exposure to blue light), but some researchers believe that vitamin D deficiency can also play a role ( 32). In a 6-month study of 95 middle-aged men, a meal with salmon three times per week led to improvements in both sleepand daily functioning ( 33). The researchers speculated that this was caused by the vitamin D in the salmon. Bottom Line:There is preliminary evidence that eating fatty fish like salmon can lead to improved sleep.