Reducing red meat consumption and opting instead for small fish such as sardines, herring or anchovies could prevent up to 750,000 premature deaths by 2050, according to a study published in BMJ Global Health. Unlike red meat, these fish are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and reduce the possibility of suffering from heart problems and other pathologies associated with meat consumption. This change in diet not only provides nutritional benefits, but is also more sustainable, since fish are the animals with the lowest environmental impact in relation to their nutritional value.
The majority of sardines, herrings and mackerel on the market are destined, according to researcher and professor Jesús Francisco García-Gavilán, for animal feed and not for direct human consumption. “Continuous intake of these fish favors the development of cardiovascular diseases and some types of cancer, the two pathologies that cause greater mortality and health expenditure at the national level,” explains García-Gavilán.
Taking advantage of the nutritional benefits of these species could be crucial in lower-income countries, where diseases associated with poor diet have increased, as has the impact this has on their economy. According to the World Health Organization, “malnutrition increases health care costs, reduces productivity and slows economic growth, which can perpetuate the cycle of poverty and poor health.”
The study estimates that sardines, herring and anchovies could replace, without exceeding their supply limit, up to 8% of the world’s red meat. The increase would serve to bring the amount of fish consumed globally closer to recommended levels. “The application of food policies at the national level that favor the consumption of fish would not only produce an improvement in the health of the Spanish population, but would also reduce health expenditure and enhance the following of the Mediterranean diet and the Atlantic diet, two patterns foodstuffs in danger of extinction despite being recognized worldwide as effective in preventing pathologies,” explains García-Gavilán.
Red meat comes mainly from cattle. Several studies have shown that continued consumption favors the development of cardiovascular diseases and some types of cancer, the two pathologies that cause the highest mortality and health expenditure at the national level. There are also studies that show that some of the livestock practices associated with this type of food seriously harm the environment.
