Written by Annie Duong
With the increasing rate of obesity and other relevant health problems arising in the United States and other parts of the world, many health fads and crazes have swept the food industry in an effort to combat these arising issues . Therefore, it is common to walk into your local grocery store and see every single item labeled “non-GMO,” “gluten free,” and “vegan.” The key to alleviating many of our health issues begins with modifying our lifestyle–mainly, what we consume in our diet.
In an attempt to strive for a healthier diet, crowds of people turn to vegetarianism but are quick to fall off the hook fairly quickly, unless they are motivated by either religious or moral reasons [1]. A less obvious choice compared to vegetarianism is pescetarianism, and it may be a preferred alternative to those who are trying to reduce the consumption of meat. Pescetarianism has no universal definition much like vegetarianism, but is generally described as those who omit meat but include the consumption of simply fish or fish and other seafoods [2].
Although pescetarianism has been around since the introduction of vegetarianism, it is becoming more recognized as people become more health conscious. The benefits of consuming fish instead of red and white meat are innumerous. Supplemented with a balanced diet of plenty of fruits and vegetables, a pescetarian lifestyle can radically change one’s health and also be environmentally friendly as well. The health benefits to be considered include the fact that fish contain a healthy amount of omega3 fatty acids, which has been proven by supporting data to show that it facilitates brain activity [3]. Certain types of these fatty acids have shown to have properties that promote neurite outgrowth, improving the brain’s plasticity. Experiments conducted on rats have shown that two types of these fatty acids helped promote the growth of neurites in the young early stages of development.
A prolonged cohort study by researchers in the Netherlands gathered data from self-reported pescetarians, vegetarians, and low-meat consumers comparing each diet to another, studying the potential risk for certain cancers [2]. The researchers discovered an association, after considering confounding variables that would affect the study, between a lower risk of lung and breast cancer. Pescetarians had overall lower risks compared to the other observed diets, with vegetarians close in percentage behind. One should keep in mind, however, that many of the individuals who followed the diet were nonsmokers and thus more proactive about their choices than the average human being [4]. Another prospective study demonstrated that fish eaters, along with other vegetarians, vegans, and low meat eaters, had lower mortality rates from ischemic heart disease compared to those who ate meat regularly [5].
In effect, many studies have been conducted that suggest positive relationships between pescetarianism and health. If becoming vegetarian or vegan is too daunting, pescetarianism is an ideal way to begin indulging in healthier food choices. Eating too much fish or seafood presents a risk for mercury poisoning [6], however, but there are myriad of other foods that are nutritious and palatable to even the most adamant of meat eaters that are vegetable-based.
References:
1. King, Cory T. 2014. Vegetarian, Vegan, and Pescetarian Consumers and Their Participation in the Green Movement. 132.
2. Gilsing et al: The Netherlands CohortStudy Meat Investigation Cohort; a populationbased cohort overrepresented with vegetarians, pescetarians and low meat consumers. Nutrition Journal. 12:113
3. Grosso, Giuseppe. Pajak, Andrzej. Marventano, Stefano. Castellano, Sabrina. Galvano, Fabio. Bucolo, Claudio. Drago, Filippo. Caraci, Filippo. 2014. Role of Omega3 Fatty Acids in the Treatment of Depressive Disorders: A Comprehensive MetaAnalysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. PLoS ONE. 9:118
4. Dyall, Simon C. 2015. Longchain omega3 fatty acids and the brain: a review of the independent and shared effects of EPA, DPA, and DHA. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. 7:52
5. Key, Timothy J. Fraser, Gary E. Thorogood, Margaret. Appleby, Paul N. Beral, Valerie. Reeves, Gillian. Burr, Michael L. ChangClaude, Jenny. FrentzelBeyme, Rainer. Kuzuma, Jan W. Mann, Jim. McPherson, Kim. 1999. Mortality in vegetarians and nonvegetarians: detailed findings from a collaborative analysis of 5 prospective studies. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 70:516s524s
6. Myers, Gary J. Davidson, Philip W. Strain, J.J. 2007. Nutrient and Methyl Mercury Exposure from Consuming Fish. The Journal of Nutrition. 137:28052808