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Intake of fish and long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and risk of diseases in a Japanese population: a narrative review

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 75, pages 902–920 (2021)Cite this article

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Abstract

Since the 1970s, the potential benefit of fish intake in terms of noncommunicable diseases has been one of the most important themes in disease prevention. Epidemiological studies have revealed the extent to which fish consumption affects the incidence of and mortality from diseases. Meta-analyses summarized the effect of fish and long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake on noncommunicable diseases, especially cardiovascular diseases in Western countries. However, few reviews have spotlighted the effect of fish intake in East-Asian countries that have high population levels of fish intake such as Japan. We narratively reviewed the epidemiological studies concerned with the associations of fish and long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake with risk of noncommunicable diseases, mainly of cardiovascular disease, among Japanese, whose fish intake has been twice or more than that of most Westerners. Overall, fish or long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake may be beneficial for prevention of noncommunicable diseases, especially coronary heart disease and heart failure in Japanese as well as in Westerners. However, the beneficial effects of their intakes seemed to be nonlinear and varied according to disease severity and culture. Studies on other noncommunicable disease were also narratively reviewed.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Ms Flaminia Miyamasu, Medical English Communications Center, University of Tsukuba, for editorial assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dokkyo Medical University School of Medicine, Mibu, Japan

    Mitsumasa Umesawa

  2. Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, and Health Services Research and Development Center, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan

    Mitsumasa Umesawa, Kazumasa Yamagishi & Hiroyasu Iso

  3. Ibaraki Western Medical Center, Chikusei, Japan

    Kazumasa Yamagishi

  4. Public Health, Department of Social Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan

    Hiroyasu Iso

Authors
  1. Mitsumasa Umesawa
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  2. Kazumasa Yamagishi
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  3. Hiroyasu Iso
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MU and KY designed the review; MU wrote the first draft; and KY and HI revised the draft.

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Correspondence to Kazumasa Yamagishi.

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Umesawa, M., Yamagishi, K. & Iso, H. Intake of fish and long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and risk of diseases in a Japanese population: a narrative review. Eur J Clin Nutr 75, 902–920 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-020-00751-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-020-00751-y

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