Fish and cardiovascular disease prevention: time for a closer collaboration between basic science and clinical research

Fish and shellfish (hereafter referred to as fish) remain one of the most investigated food groups in dietetics and prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases, with cardiovascular disease (CVD) being at or near the top of the list.1 The Seven Countries Study stands as the very first that revealed the cardioprotective effects of fish consumption.2 Since then fish and their relation with vascular health have been the subject of considerable interest in many observational and interventional studies either separately examined or as a part of a healthy dietary pattern, like the Mediterranean diet. Even if results are still in some cases inconclusive, there is an established relation between frequent fish consumption and lower CVD risk.3 The beneficial effects of fish are mainly attributed to their high content in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), represented by eicosapentaenoic (EPA) (20:5n –3) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) (22:6n–3) acids, without excluding the positive impact of other fish nutrients such as vitamin D, riboflavin, iodine, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and iron.1 To this issue, dietary guidelines in CVD prevention strongly recommend the consumption of fish one to two times per week, with one of which being an oily fish (e.g. salmon, sardines, tuna, mackerel)4 which may in turn provide 1.5 –2 g of EPA and DHA as a preventive step towards CVD.5 Despite the recognition of fish as an indispensable part of cardioprotective dietary pattern...
Source: Cardiovascular Research - Category: Cardiology Source Type: research