July 22, 2013 — “Fish is brain food” is regarded as “an old wives’ tale” in the U.K.; it is one of those sayings that has been handed down over generations with no one quite knowing how it originated. It has since been shown scientifically that eating fish is good for the development of the brain in unborn babies and, indeed, on slowing down the onset of dementia in older people.
But, fish is more than just brain food.
The results of two scientific studies recently reported in the U.K. show that fish fed to babies reduces their risk of developing allergies in later life, while women who eat fish during pregnancy are less likely to feel anxious ahead of giving birth than those who don’t. The earlier study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, while the later one appeared in Plos One, an open access peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the Public Library of Science.
While both studies have been reported on, neither is likely to come to the attention of the general public. And this is a problem that the seafood industry faces. Most people have a general feeling that eating fish is good for them, but don’t know why.
Omega-3 logos are appearing on cans of oily fish and slogans such as “high in omega-3s” are appearing on fish packs, but most people don’t know what omega-3s actually are.
Meanwhile the U.K. government has drawn up official guidelines that recommend eating two portions of fish a week. But there is nothing about the health benefits of eating seafood in the mass media to catch the attention of the person in the street. Indeed, there is virtually nothing in the mass media promoting fish consumption at all.
The situation in other sectors of the food industry is very different. The exhortation to eat five portions of fruit or vegetables a day in the U.K. is now well known, although very few people actually know what a portion consists of. Going back in time, older people can remember slogans such as “Drinka pinta milk a day” and “Go to work on an egg.”
Read the full story at SeafoodSource.com