Regularly eating small fish whole – such as whitebait – can prolong life expectancy in women, experts have discovered.
A research team from Nagoya University in Japan analysed data on 80,000 people aged between 35 and 69.
Participants’ frequency of the intake of small fish was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire at the start of the study.
They were followed for an average of nine years, with health records shared throughout the study period.
Analysis revealed that women who ate small fish just one to three times a month were 32 per cent less likely to die over the nine years compared to those who rarely ate them.
Fried whitebait. Analysis revealed that women who ate small fish just one to three times a month were 32 per cent less likely to die over the nine years compared to those who rarely ate them
Marinated anchovies. The researchers said their findings suggest that incorporating small fish into their daily diet could be a simple but effective strategy to prolong the lives of women
A similar trend was seen for men, the team said, but the difference was not enough to be statistically significant.
Writing in the journal Public Health Nutrition, the researchers said their findings suggest that incorporating small fish into their daily diet could be a simple but effective strategy to prolong the lives of women.
Dr Chinatsu Kasahara, one of the study’s authors, said: ‘Previous studies have revealed the protective effect of fish intake on health outcomes, including mortality risks.
‘However, few studies have focused on the effect of the intake of small fish specifically on health outcomes.
‘Small fish are easy for everyone to eat, and they can be consumed whole, including the head, bones, and organs.
‘Nutrients and physiologically active substances unique to small fish could contribute to maintaining good health.
Grilled sardines. ‘The habit of eating small fish is usually limited to several coastal or maritime countries, such as Japan,’ co-author Professor Takashi Tamura said
‘The inverse relationship between the intake of small fish and the mortality risk in women underscores the importance of these nutrient-dense foods in people’s diets.’
Whitebait are tiny, immature, silvery members of the herring group that are usually sold frozen and typically deep-fried to serve alongside lemon wedges, bread and butter.
Other small fish regularly eaten whole in the UK include anchovies and dried sardines.
‘The habit of eating small fish is usually limited to several coastal or maritime countries, such as Japan,’ co-author Professor Takashi Tamura said.
‘However, we suspect that the intake of small fish anywhere may be revealed as a way to prolong life expectancy.’
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