The role of diet in health is well documented, in particular the importance of adopting healthy, balanced eating habits to reduce the risk of developing certain diseases. Many studies point the finger at junk food or ultra-processed foods, while others praise the merits of certain diets such as the Mediterranean diet.
Researchers in Japan now support the idea that certain foods can have a positive or negative impact on health. Their work suggests that regular consumption of whole small fish – such as whitebait, Atlantic capelin, smelt and small dried sardines – could be beneficial in prolonging life expectancy.
The scientists specifically based their work on a potential association between the consumption of small fish – even those often served deep-fried – and mortality risk in Japanese adults. No fewer than 80,802 people aged between 35 and 69, including 34,555 men and 46,247 women, were included in the study.
The researchers not only assessed the frequency of their consumption of small fish but also followed them for nine years. They noted the deaths of 2,482 participants, more than half from cancer.
Published in the journal Public Health Nutrition, their findings showed a reduction in all-cause and cancer mortality among participants who regularly consumed whole small fish.
But this association was much more significant in women, even though the results do not indicate a proportional link with consumption frequency. In other words, there was no significant difference in reduction of mortality risk between women who ate whole small fish one to three times a month, or three or more times a week.
“The risk of all-cause and cancer mortality in men showed a similar trend to that in women, although it was not statistically significant. The reasons remain unclear, but the researchers posit that the limited number of male subjects or other factors not measured in the study, such as the portion size of small fish, may also matter,” the study press release states.
This is not the first time researchers have investigated the benefits of fish-based dishes, and their effects on health have already been demonstrated. In France, for example, the Programme National Nutrition Santé recommends drawing on the Mediterranean diet for its richness in omega-3, largely from oily fish.
Omega-3 is described as being essential “for the proper functioning of the body” as it “prevents cardiovascular disease and has a positive effect on maintaining mental health”.
While this Japanese study tends to confirm the beneficial effects of fish consumption, and especially of small fish that can be eaten whole, more in-depth research is needed on other populations. One issue with these findings is that this type of food is not widely accessible to all.
“The habit of eating small fish is usually limited to several coastal or maritime countries, such as Japan. However, we suspect that the intake of small fish anywhere may be revealed as a way to prolong life expectancy.
“Further evidence is necessary to elucidate the potential role of the intake of small fish in mortality risk,” study co-author Takashi Tamura concluded.