Fish Linked to Lower Risk of Depression - Essay Example

Fish Linked to Lower Risk of DepressionAn article published in LiveScience claims that people who regularly consume large amounts of fish may have a lower risk of suffering from depression. This conclusion was arrived at by a careful study of past studies that have tried to understand the relationship between depression and the fish consumption. In doing this, the researchers analyzed twenty six different studies that involved a total of 150,278 people (Blaszczak-Boxe, 2015). The studies were conducted in Europe, North America, Asia, Oceania and South America.

According to the author, the link between lowered depression risk and fish consumption was found only in the studies done in Europe. This link was not present in studies conducted outside of Europe. To explain this, the writer quotes the study author Fang Li of Qingdao University in China who points out that this could be caused by the low number of participants in the study. This statement casts a serious doubt on the credibility of these studies. Scientific studies are perceived to be more accurate if they have a large amount of participants under study.

The author of the article also points out the observational nature of the studies. It is noted that the studies did not discriminate on the types of fish consumed. Moreover, the studies could not draw a conclusion on the cause-and-effect relationship between fish consumption and the risk of depression. The amount of fish intake under study is not quantified; a lot of fish could mean different things to different people. To their credit, the researchers admit that more research must be undertaken in order to clearly understand the link between fish consumption and depression.

It is common for articles on health issues to carry a strong prejudice arising from the author’s personal opinion. Fortunately, the author of this article has ensured that they convey information as it is, despite the glaring loopholes in the actual studies and has made no attempt in persuading the reader in accepting any particular health ideations from the study. The author also makes it known that the study was published in a reputable journal; The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Overall, this article makes for an excellent, well balanced take on health issues.ReferencesBlaszczak-Boxe, A. (2015, September). Eating More Fish Linked to Lower Risk of Depression. Retrieved from http://www.livescience.com/52143-eating-fish-depression-risk.html