The study indicates that the essential ingredient is omega-3 fatty acids which were linked to a lower risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes by about one sixth in high-risk people who ate two servings of omega-3 rich fish each week.
“Eating fish has a significant protective benefit in people with cardiovascular disease,” said co-lead author Andrew Mente, associate professor at McMaster University.
“This indicates that increasing the consumption of fish and especially oily fish in vascular patients may produce modest cardiovascular benefit,” Mente added.
For the study, published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, the team involved nearly 1.92,000 people in four studies, including about 52,000 with CVD.
This analysis is based on data from several studies conducted by the IRPH over the past 25 years.
The team suggested that no benefit was seen with eating fish in people without heart disease or stroke.
The researcher said people at low risk for cardiovascular disease could still have modest protection against cardiovascular disease by eating fish rich in omega-3s, but the health benefits were less pronounced than those at high risk.