Fish and Fish Oil
There are numerous scientific studies that show the health benefits of eating fish.
Hunger Turns Off
In one study, it was found that obese people have a type of resistance to hunger being turned off. The chemical Leptin is secreted from fat cells and goes to the hypothalamus to turn off hunger. Obese people actually have lots of Leptin, but the hunger message isn't getting there. There is some sort of resistance.
Eating fish has shown to make obese individuals more sensitive to Leptin and that means that hunger pains will go away and satiety can more easily be achieved.
The leanest countries in the world all eat diets rich in rice, fish, and vegetables.
Depression
Part of being obese is being depressed. There is a strong correlation. Happily, fish has been proven scientifically to reduce depression. According to M.D. Andrew Stoll, "There are a lot of reasons to believe it works. In countries where the average fish consumption is high we see lower rates of depression."
Scientists think that the reason may be that obese people do not have enough omega 3 vitamins. The Western diet has been reducing many omega 3 foods like eggs and beef. In addition, most commercial farmers use corn and soybean as the main food source. These foods have reduced the beneficial omega 3s from the diet.
Cardiovascular Health, Stroke, and Dementia
Eating fish twice per week is known to reduce your risk of heart disease by 40% and has been proven to reduce stroke and metal health decline.
Mercury
Nearly the entire fish supply is tainted with mercury. This is due to man dumping the toxic chemical into the oceans. For this reason, people caution against eating too much fish. They are finding that the larger and/or older fish have more mercury. You should check to see what the mercury levels are for the type of fish you plan on consuming. It varies a lot.
Supplements
Many people take fish oil supplements to get the health benefits of the fish. This makes it so even people that don't like fish can get the benefits. Many of the fish oils are tested and claim to not have contaminants in them. You will want to research your supplement prior to taking it.
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