Get to know the Pescatarian Diet and its Health Benefits

Healthy - Pescatarian is a diet without eating meat. However, people who follow this diet still eat fish and other types of seafood, such as clams and shrimp, as well as eggs and milk. The pescatarian diet is also believed to provide many health benefits.

The term pescatarian comes from the word pesce which means fish in Italian, while the word dance is taken from vegetarian. Sometimes, this diet is also referred to as pesco-vegetarian or pescetarian.

Foods Consumed in a Pescatarian Diet

The pescatarian diet or diet is still classified as a type of vegetarian diet. People on the pescatarian diet avoid red meat and poultry, but can eat some of the following foods:

• Vegetable
• Fruits
• Grains
• Nuts and processed products, such as tofu and tempeh
• Mold
• Fish, both saltwater and freshwater fish, including tilapia
• Seafood, including shrimp, squid, scallops and octopus
• Egg
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Milk and its processed products, such as yogurt and cheese

However, there are also some people who follow the pescatarian diet and choose not to consume eggs and milk and their processed products at all. This diet is called lacto-ovo-pescatarian.

Some of the Benefits of the Pescatarian Diet

One of the reasons why many people are starting to adopt a vegetarian and pescatarian diet is out of concern for the environment.

This reason arises from the notion that consumption of animal meat originating from the animal and poultry farming industry can have a negative impact on the environment. This is because the industry can produce a lot of pollution and trigger global warming.

However, there are also those who choose to go on a pescatarian diet for health reasons. This is because the pescatarian diet is dominated by foods of high nutritional value, such as fish, seafood, vegetables and fruits.

The following are some of the benefits of the pescatarian diet for health:

1. Adequate protein needs

Protein is a very important nutritional intake for the body. Protein is needed to produce new cells and body tissues, support the process of wound or illness recovery, and produce various kinds of hormones.

One of the risks of being a vegetarian or vegan is not getting enough protein. This is because both types of diets require the culprit not to eat meat.

Therefore, now many people are switching to the pescatarian diet because this diet still allows people who live it to consume fish and seafood as well as milk and eggs. These foods are a good source of protein for the health of the body.

2. Get omega-3 intake

Several types of fish, such as milkfish, salmon, tuna, and cob, are rich in omega-3. These healthy fatty acids have many benefits, including maintaining heart health, supporting brain function and health, maintaining eye health, and reducing and controlling blood pressure.

3. Reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease

The pescatarian diet requires people who live it to eat more vegetables, fruit, nuts, and fish and seafood. By increasing the consumption of these healthy foods, the intake of important nutrients for the body such as protein, omega-3, as well as various vitamins and minerals, will be fulfilled.

Several studies have so far stated that the pescatarian diet can lower bad LDL cholesterol levels and increase the amount of good cholesterol in the body. This is good for preventing cardiovascular disease, such as heart disease and stroke.

4. Control weight

People on the pescatarian diet are required to consume more nutritious foods, such as vegetables, fruit, eggs and fish. Nutrient intake in the form of protein, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and fiber, which are mostly obtained from this diet, will make weight control easier.

Therefore, you can try to go on a pescatarian diet if you are losing weight or keeping it ideal. However, not only by following this healthy diet, you also need to exercise regularly and limit excess calorie intake.

The Risks of the Pescatarian Diet

Even though it is claimed to be healthier, the pescatarian diet also has drawbacks, which can increase the risk of certain health problems. The following are some of the risks of the pescatarian diet that are important for you to know:

High cholesterol

The pescatarian diet will make people who live it eat more seafood, such as squid, crab, octopus and lobster. These foods are known to contain a lot of cholesterol.

If consumed too much, it is feared that high-cholesterol foods can cause bad LDL cholesterol levels in the blood to increase so that it risks accumulating in the blood vessels.

To prevent this from happening ut, you are advised to exercise regularly and eat lots of fibrous foods, such as vegetables, fruit, nuts, and whole grains. To be healthier, it's best to process seafood or fish by baking, steaming, or boiling to limit the amount of oil in food.

Excessive mercury exposure

In addition, another risk of the pescatarian diet is excessive exposure to mercury from seafood. Several types of seafood, such as tuna, mackerel, and swordfish, contain high levels of mercury.

To avoid this, you can choose other types of fresh fish and seafood with lower mercury content, for example catfish, mackerel, goldfish, trevally, grouper, or shrimp.

Following a pescatarian diet can indeed provide benefits for the health of the body. In order to get maximum benefits, make sure your plate contains a balanced nutritious food menu.

Also pay attention to how to process the food consumed. Eating processed or fried foods is certainly not as healthy as eating boiled, steamed or baked foods.

If you still have questions about the pescatarian diet or are interested in trying this diet, you should first consult with a nutritionist, especially if you have certain medical conditions.