Replacing red meat with certain types of fish could save hundreds of thousands of lives each year, scientists say. However, not all fish are the same when it comes to nutrition and price.

The World Health Organization classifies processed meat as carcinogenic to humans, meaning that it can cause cancer, especially colorectal cancer, while red meat is classified as “probably carcinogenic to humans.” It is believed that there is a certain gender. But experts also warn that these foods contain relatively high saturated fat content, which can raise blood cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease.

On the other hand, marine feed fish, such as mackerel, sardines, and herring, which are eaten by larger fish, are rich in omega-3 long-chain fatty acids, which are actually associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease. Masu. It’s also rich in calcium and vitamin B12, and has the lowest carbon footprint of any animal protein source.

However, three-quarters of the feed fish caught today is ground into fishmeal or fish oil for farmed fish such as salmon, which are higher up the fish food chain.

In a recent study published in the journal BMJ Global Health, researchers from Japan and Australia set out to quantify the value of this overlooked protein source. The researchers used historical records of forage fish catches and projections of future red meat consumption to create a series of mathematical models that predict how forage fish consumption will impact public health in the future. .

From their analysis, they found that widespread adoption of edible forage fish could prevent 500,000 to 750,000 deaths from diet-related diseases by 2050, particularly deaths from coronary heart disease. It is estimated that there is, and that the greatest effect is seen in people in low to mid-life. income country.

The research team acknowledges that the limited supply of forage fish is insufficient to completely replace red meat consumption worldwide. “Despite the theoretical potential of forage fish, several barriers such as processing of fishmeal and oil, overfishing, climate change, and cultural acceptance may prevent the realization of the health benefits of forage fish. “There is,” the researchers wrote.

It added that simply increasing your daily fish intake by about 40 calories could reduce deaths from coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and colorectal cancer by as much as 2 percent by 2050.

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