The best dietary source of long chain omega-3 fatty acids is fish, especially dark-meat fish like tuna or swordfish. And while a high intake of these deep-water fish presents the problem of ingesting too much mercury, the importance of omega-3 to our overall health (both cancer and heart disease particularly) can’t be emphasized enough.
How you prepare your fish makes a difference
Now a University of Washington study reports that how you prepare your fish also makes a difference. The study examined the diets of almost 4,000 adults over the age of 65 who showed no signs of cardiovascular disease. Researchers followed up nine years later. The study results showed that those who ate grilled, baked or steamed fish 3 or more times per week had a significantly lower risk of heart disease than those who ate it less frequently. BUT. Those who regularly ate fried fish, however, had a higher risk of heart attack. That’s the fish and chip shop in trouble then!