Fish: The perfect diet during the Covid pandemic

Bidyasagar Sanjenbam / Yumnam Bedajit *

Ningol Chakouba : Fish Fair at NCC Ground Thangmeiband in October 2019 :: Pix - Shankar Khangembam

It is crucial for every one of us to stay safe from this unprecedented Covid pandemic with Strict adherence to the Government guidelines and maintenance of good health. Boosting immunity by choosing the right nutritious diet is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Fish is one of the most preferred dishes consumed by the Manipuris from time immemorial. Fish is among the healthiest food on the planet as it has a good amount of essential nutrients required for normal physiological functioning.

Nutritional components present in fish

Fish contains a wide range of nutritional components like high-quality protein, vitamins D & B2, and the important essential fatty acids. Fish meat has a unique source of fatty acids (oil), primarily Omega-3 fatty acids mainly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) which is called good fats which makes a perfect diet to meet the nutritional requirements.

Unlike plants and other animal source fatty acid, they have long-chain fatty acids required by the human body for the production of certain vital fatty acids. Fish also contains a good amount of calcium and phosphorus and it is a great source of minerals, such as iron, zinc, iodine, magnesium, and potassium.

Health Benefit

Many scientific studies on the benefit of the consumption of fish have already been conducted all over the world. A small quantity of fish oil is required for cellular metabolism, normal physiological functioning and healing of inflammation. Some of the benefits of eating fish evident by research are:

Cardiovascular disease: Fish meat contains high-density lipoprotein like Omega-3 fatty acids which help to reduce atheroma development, decrease platelet aggregation and also reduces serum triglyceride concentration by 30% with the increase in High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) called good cholesterol. So, consumption of fish increases the level of HDL ultimately reducing the risk of heart disease.

Cancer: Particularly breast cancer, colon and prostate cancer can be prevented with! the consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids by reducing the tumour growth and slowing down the histopathological progression.

Inflammatory disease: Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a gastrointestinal tract disease that includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Omega-3 of fish has an antiinflammatory effect against IBD. Regular intake of Omega-3 and Omega-6 helps to reduce chances of Crohn’s disease by 21%.

Neurological disorders: Omega-3 fatty acids help to improve brain cells by enhancing the fortification of the myelin sheath and repair brain damage by promoting neural growth. Clinical studies revealed consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids help to decrease depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Alzheimer’s disease, migraine and dementia.

Sleep quality: Consumption of fish improves the sleep quality as it contains a good amount of vitamin D. In a 6- month study in 95 middle-aged men, a meal with salmon 3 times per week led to improvements in both sleep and daily functioning.

Foetal development: Supplement of Omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy and breastfeeding, a mother’s diet could extend the gestation period that control premature birth and also protect against allergies as fish oil decreases the level of body cells associated with inflammation and immune response.

Skincare: Dietary intake of fish oil would be a beneficial treatment to counteract the exaggerated inflammation in psoriasis as Omega-3 fatty acids help to adjust the balance of lipid inflammatory mediators.

Eye disease: High dietary intake of Omega 3-fatty acids reduces the risk of late Age-related Muscular Degeneration (ADM) by 38%. Fish intake at least twice a week will help to reduce the risk of both early ADM and late ADM. The incidence of dry eye syndrome was less common among women who consume higher amounts of Omega-3 fatty acid.

Autoimmune disease: Studies show that getting enough Omega-3 during our first year of life is linked to a reduced risk of many auto-immune diseases, including type 1 diabetes, auto-immune diabetes and multiple sclerosis

The recommended dose of daily intake of Omega 3 fatty acids

Different organisations recommend different doses of fish oil consumption. US National Institute of Health published “Recommended Daily Intake if Fatty Acids”. They recommended a total daily intake of 650 mg of EPA and DHA, 2.22 g/day of alpha-linolenic acid and 4.44 g/day of linoleic acid.

WHO and North Atlantic Treaty Organisations with a number of other countries like Canada, Sweden, UK, Australia and Japan have made a recommendation of intake of 0.3-0.5 g/day of EPA and DHA.


For further details, please contact Public Relations and Media Management Cell, CAU Imphal, by email to [email protected].