Fish in the Mediterranean diet

Fish consumption is very high in the European Mediterranean nations since fish is an important component of the Mediterranean diet. Many health benefits have been shown for fish. Amino acids present in fish proteins have been observed to have positive effects, especially on blood pressure and lipid profile. In addition, fish contains minerals such as iodine, calcium, iron, zinc, selenium, or phosphorus and vitamins B, D, A, and K, which are very important for human health. However, the most studied components of fish are polyunsaturated fatty acids, mainly n-3 fatty acids including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), present in oily fish. EPA and DHA have been found to be beneficial in cardiovascular health, lipid profile, inflammation, insulin resistance, neurocognitive disorders, or cancer. Despite some risks that have been observed with fish consumption, they are widely outweighed by benefits.