The medical benefits of eating fish have been widely studied – and new research today says eating oil fish can cut the risk of stroke.
Only people who eat fish rather than taking fish oil supplements benefit, according to the analysis published by the British Medical Journal.
The research shows that people eating two or more servings of oily fish a week reduced stroke risk by just 6%. Eating five or more servings a week cut risk by 12%.
Researchers say the way fish is cooked may be responsible for the benefits of oily fish. White fish is often battered and deep fried.
Researchers Dr Rajiv Chowdhury, of Cambridge University, UK, and Professor Oscar Franco, of Erasmus MC Rotterdam, the Netherlands, analysed some 38 studies involving nearly 800,000 people in 15 countries.
Some 34,000 people suffered stroke.
The researchers say their findings are in line with current advice to encourage eating of fish – adding that future guidance should be "food-based", rather than supporting supplements.
Writing in the journal, Jannette de Goede, of Wageningen University, Amsterdam, Netherlands, warns that the benefits of eating a diet high in the omega 3 fatty acids found in fish may be "small".
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