1. Rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids

2. Great Source of Protein

3. High in B Vitamins

4. Good Source of Potassium

5. Loaded With Selenium

6. Contains the Antioxidant Astaxanthin

7. May Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease

8. May Benefit Weight Control

9. Can Help Fight Inflammation

10. May Protect Brain Health

Eating lots of fish and shellfish makes for a delicious way to live—and to live longer. The health benefits of seafood make it an easy, great-tasting way to change your diet to something that’s way better for your body. Move the meat out of the way, change up the chips, and learn just how superior seafood health benefits are from other proteins on the plate.

By adding more nutrient-rich foods like cod, tuna, clams, salmon, crab, and more to your diet, you can lessen your cholesterol intake, eat fewer calories, strengthen your muscles,  and help prevent or mitigate some chronic diseases. Get to know the many seafood health benefits, from your head to your heart with a few of our favorite seafood health facts.

Seafood health benefits start with the overall calories: seafood is mostly high in protein, but low in calories. That means one of the biggest health benefits of seafood is that you can get plenty of protein without cramming on calories. Lean fish like cod have less than 100 calories per three-ounce portion, and even fattier fish like salmon is only about 200. To get the most health benefits of seafood, you’ll want to then poach or bake it, so you don’t have to add more fat in the form of butter or oil.

Even the fish that we consider fatty, like king salmon is less than 15 percent fat, and what fat most fish do have is the best kind: polyunsaturated. The fats in shellfish and fish, like Omega-3 fatty acids, are important for developing babies’ brains and vision, and for older children and adults help to reduce risk of heart disease. And for people worried about their cholesterol, one of the most important health benefits of seafood is that almost all types have under 100mg per three-ounce serving.

But seafood health benefits don’t just give you less of the bad stuff, it also gives you more of the good. Eating lots of fish and shellfish will fill you up with lots of vitamin A for healthy vision and skin, vitamin D for bone development, and B-complex vitamins that are associated with the nervous system. On top of that, you’ll get good minerals in varying amounts from different types of fish, like zinc, iron, and potassium—which is super important for strengthening muscles. It’s hard to believe so much great stuff can be packed into such a tasty food!