Europeans might improve their mental health by eating more fish, according to a new analysis today.
Researchers found the benefits of extra fish in the diet only seemed to apply in Europe.
The Chinese researchers published their findings in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
They analysed 16 suitable articles, involving more than 150,000 people, to study their findings relating fish consumption to depression.
The articles included 26 studies, of which ten were cohort studies and the other 16 cross-sectional. Ten studies took place in Europe and seven in North America. Others were conducted in Asia, Oceania and South America.
They found a 20% reduced risk of depression among men with high fish consumption – and a 16% reduced risk among women.
One of the researchers, Dr Fang Li, of the Medical College of Qingdao University, Shandong, China, said last night: "We found a significant inverse association between fish consumption and risk of depression. Considering the variation of continents?the significant association was only found in Europe. This might because a smaller number of participants cannot reach statistical significance easily.
"Fish, rich in multiple beneficial nutrients, including omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, high-quality protein, vitamins and minerals, was associated with decreased risk of depression from our study.
"Furthermore, fish have been hypothesised to protect against chronic diseases generally, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. Therefore we suggest people should eat more fish."
Fish consumption and risk of depression: a meta-analysis Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 11 September 2015; doi 10.1136/jech-2015-206278 [abstract]
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