Eating fish may offer many health benefits, from improving heart health to boosting brain function. Incorporating fish into your diet may contribute to long-term wellness.

Fish is among the healthiest foods on the planet. It’s loaded with important nutrients, such as protein and vitamin D.

Fish is also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are incredibly important for your body and brain.

Here are 9 health benefits of eating fish that are supported by research.

1. High in important nutrients

Fish is packed with many nutrients. This includes high quality protein, iodine, and various vitamins and minerals.

Fatty species are sometimes considered the healthiest. That’s because fatty fish, including salmon, trout, sardines, tuna, and mackerel, are higher in fat-based nutrients.

This includes vitamin D, a fat-soluble nutrient that many people are deficient in.

Fatty fish also boast omega-3 fatty acids, which are crucial for optimal body and brain function and strongly linkedTrusted Source to a reduced risk of many diseases.

To meet your omega-3 requirements, eating fatty fish twice a weekTrusted Source is recommended. If you are a vegan, opt for omega-3 supplements made from microalgae.

2. May lower your risk of heart attacks and strokes

Fish is considered one of the most heart-healthy foods you can eat.

Researchers believe that fatty types of fish are even more beneficial for heart health due to their high omega-3 fatty acid content. In a 2020 review study, researchers concluded that fish consumption is associated with a lower incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) and mortality.

3. Growth and development nutrients

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for growth and development.

The omega-3 fat docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is especially important for brain and eye development. Another omega-3 fat, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), is important to take during pregnancy, as it supportsTrusted Source a healthy heart and immune response during fetal development.

For this reason, it’s often recommended that pregnant and breastfeeding women eat enough omega-3 fatty acids.

However, some fish are high in mercury, which is linked to brain developmental problems.

Thus, pregnant peopleTrusted Source are advised to only eat fish with low mercury levels, such as salmon, sardines, and trout, and no more than 12 ounces (340 grams) per week.

Experts also advise that pregnant people avoid raw and uncooked fish due to the increased risk of severe food poisoning as pregnancy is an immunocompromised state. Severe food poisoning can harm both the fetus and pregnant parent.

4. May boost brain health

Your brain function often declines with aging.

While mild mental decline is normal, neurodegenerative ailments such as Alzheimer’s disease also exist.

A 2024 meta-analysisTrusted Source showed that people who ate more fish were linked to slower rates of mental decline.

Studies also reveal that people who eat fish twice per week are more likely to have more gray matter compared to people who eat fish less than once weekly.

5. May help alleviate depression symptoms

Numerous studies reveal that omega-3 fatty acids may help defend against depression and significantly increase the effectiveness of antidepressant medications.

Fish and omega-3 fatty acids may also aid other mental health conditions, such as bipolar disorder.

6. A good dietary source of vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency remains prevalent worldwide, affecting up to 1 billion peopleTrusted Source in both developed and developing countries.

Fish and fish products are among the best dietary sources of vitamin D. Fatty fish like salmon and herring contain the highest amounts.

A single 4-ounce (113-gram) serving of cooked salmon contains 127% of the recommended intake of vitamin D for adults younger than 70 years, and 95% of the recommended intake for adults older than 70 years.

Some fish oils, such as cod liver oilTrusted Source, are also very high in vitamin D, which provides 170% of the Daily Value (DV) in a single tablespoon (15 mL).

If you don’t get much sun and don’t eat fatty fish regularly, you may want to consider taking a vitamin D supplement. Before starting, you may want to talk to your doctor about taking vitamins and supplements.

7. May help prevent asthma in children

Asthma ratesTrusted Source have increased dramatically over the past few decades.

A 2018 meta-analysisTrusted Source suggests that introducing fish early in life (ages 6 to 9 months) and regularly consuming all fish (once weekly) may reduce asthma and wheezing in children up to 4.5 years old, while fatty fish intake may be beneficial in older children.

A 2019 studyTrusted Source suggests that a higher consumption of fish and seaweed may lower the prevalence of asthma in children.

8. May protect your vision as an older adult

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision impairment and blindness in older adults.

Some evidence suggests that fish and omega-3 fatty acids may protect against this disease.

9. Fish may improve sleep quality

Sleep disorders have become incredibly common worldwide.

Increased exposure to blue light may play a role, but some researchers believe that vitamin D deficiency may also be involved.

A 2024 review and meta-analysis on the effect of omega-3 fatty acids on sleep suggests that omega-3s may improve sleep quality.

A 2017 studyTrusted Source indicated that fish consumption may improve neurodevelopmental outcomes not only by directly affecting cognitive processes but also by improving sleep.

The researchers speculated that this may have been caused by the omega-3 content of fish.

The takeaway

Fish is a wonderful source of high quality protein. Fatty species also pack heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

What’s more, it has numerous benefits, including vision protection and improved mental health.

What’s more, fish is easy to prepare, so you can add it to your dietary plan today. (BBC)

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