Mens Journal
The Most Nutritious Fish for Your Diet Aren’t the Ones You’d Expect, According to Harvard
Stacey Ritzen – June 28, 2023
The American Heart Association says that adding fish high in omega-3 fatty acids to your diet twice per week can lead to better cardiovascular health, lowering the risk of heart disease and stroke. But while tuna and salmon come to mind for most people as sources of omega-3s, experts are now saying that the most nutrient-rich seafood comes from smaller fish and bivalves such as clams and mussels.
Christopher Golden, professor of nutrition and planetary health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told MSNBC that incorporating smaller fish and bivalves to your seafood diet can help boost not just your intake of omega-3 fatty acids, but also micronutrients including zinc, iron, and vitamin B12 that many people are deficient in.
Another perk to eating smaller fish is that because you’re often consuming the entire fish—skin and bones included—they are also rich in calcium and vitamin D.
“Of all of the different equestrial and aquatic-based foods, small fish are the best source of nutrients for these types of things on a per-weight basis,” Golden explained. “So, although they are underutilized, they’re really good at delivering those sorts of nutrients.”
As such, Golden recommends eating “lower on the seafood chain,” with herring, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, clams, oysters, mussels, and scallops providing the biggest bang for your nutritional buck.
Experts have long-touted the health benefits of smaller fish including sardines, herring, and mackerel. However, another advantage is that these fish are less likely to have higher levels of mercury found in larger fish.
“Eating the smaller fish, you’re more likely to have a lesser mercury load than some of the larger carnivorous fish,” Golden continued. “Bivalves from healthy waters and small fish is really the direction to go.”
Many smaller fish and bivalves also come canned, which makes them convenient for pantry storage and less expensive than fresh fish. Of course, you’ll want to stick to fish like sardines which are packed in water or olive oil and avoid salt-cured canned fish such as anchovies, which are high in sodium and can actually raise blood pressure.
“You can’t go wrong with sardines,” registered dietitian Julia Zumpano likewise told Cleveland Clinic a few years back. “They’re a wonderful source of omega-3 fatty acids, they’re caught in the wild and they’re cheap.”