Does replacing beef with fish like sardines prevent early death?

Considerable evidence has shown that red meat, especially processed red meat, is associated with increased risks of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in humans. NCDs accounted for approximately 70% of all deaths globally in 2019. Previous studies have shown that seafood not only provides higher concentrations of essential nutrients than terrestrial animal-source foods but also prevents diet-related NCDs, as it is rich in omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids.

In the study, researchers based their study on datasets of red meat projections in 2050 for 137 countries and forage fish catches. They replaced the red meat consumption in each country with forage fish (from marine habitats), without exceeding the potential supply of forage fish and further used a comparative risk assessment framework to investigate how such substitutions could reduce the global burden of diet-related NCDs in adults.

The results showed that forage fish may replace only a fraction (approximately 8%) of the world’s red meat due to its limited supply. Such a substitution could avoid 0.5–0.75 million deaths and 8–15 million disability-adjusted life years. Forage fish as an alternative to red meat could double (or more) the number of deaths that could be avoided by simply reducing red meat consumption.

“Forage fish provides essential nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids which are known to reduce inflammation, blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and triglyceride levels,” said Thomas M. Holland, MD, physician-scientist at the RUSH Institute for Healthy Aging, Rush University System for Health.

“Beyond their fatty acid profile, these small fish are rich in other health-promoting essential nutrients, too, including vitamins D and B12, and minerals such as calcium, iron, and zinc,” concluded Eliza Whitaker, MS, RDN, a registered dietitian and medical nutrition advisor at Dietitian Insights.

Reference: Xia S, Takakura J, Tsuchiya K, et al; Unlocking the potential of forage fish to reduce the global burden of disease; BMJ Global Health; 2024;9:e013511.