The U.S. population isn’t exactly known for the large amounts of fish we eat in a given year. The average person consumes about 16lbs of fish per year. Did you know that it’s not uncommon for an average Japanese person to consume close to 145lbs per year?! Did you also know that the average Japanese life expectancy is almost 5 years higher than ours?! From research over the years, this is due to the Japanese having lower levels of stress and depression. So, how are they controlling their levels of stress and depression? One of these reasons would most likely be fish.

The average American diet is much higher in omega 6 fats than it is in omega 3 fats. This is because so many oils, seeds, nuts, etc… we use in our every day diets are loaded with omega 6. Omega 3 is much more uncommon and mostly found in fish and fish oils. Too much omega 6 in the diet has been found to cause joint inflammation, hypertension, depression, and heart problems. Omega 3 is known to counteract these issues that omega 6 causes, so it’s important that you’re getting enough omega 3 in your diet.

Balance of omega 3 and omega 6 is crucial for a healthy diet. With the average American diet, this is more easily obtained by decreasing your omega 6 intake and increasing your omega 3 intake. Add more fish to your diet. The benefits far outweigh the negatives of eating fish on a daily basis. If you choose to eat fish daily, the quality of the fish becomes much more important to avoid mercury poisoning issues. Try to stay away from farm-raised fish and look for wild fish. The cost of wild fish is more expensive, but how much would you pay if you knew you were adding years onto your life?

-Tom