Anchovies are a delicacy with a distinct taste. These tiny fish are part of the herring family, and swim in mildly warm saltwater. Anchovies are nutritious when eaten occasionally in small amounts, yet can increase certain health risks when eaten frequently or in large quantities. Consult your nutritionist about including anchovies in your diet.
Cuisine
Food lovers add anchovies to all sorts of dishes and cuisines, including Italian, French, Spanish, Russian, Turkish and Korean. Anchovies are salted and packaged in cans or bottles with water or oil. Cooks add them to salads, dips, pasta sauces and pizza.
Benefits
Anchovies are a good source of protein, niacin, calcium and selenium. The fish are low in calories. One 2 oz. can of anchovies, canned in oil with drained solids, contains 13 g of protein, 94 calories, 9 mg of niacin, 104 mg of calcium and 31 mg of selenium. Anchovies also contain among the highest concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids of any food. Omega-3 fatty acids may reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer; lower your blood pressure and cholesterol; lessen menstrual pain; and decrease inflammation and symptoms associated with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and inflammatory bowel disease.
Risks
Despite their health benefits, anchovies also have health risks. Anchovies are extraordinarily high in sodium, a risk factor for high blood pressure and stroke. A 2 oz. can of anchovies contain 1,651 mg of sodium. The CDC recommends that young adults consume less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day, and middle-aged and older adults and those with high blood pressure to consume less than 1,500 mg per day. Anchovies may also increase your risk of heavy metal toxicity and bacterial and parasitic infections. These risks come from fish that swim in polluted waters and are contaminated during processing.
Considerations
If you choose to add anchovies to foods you prepare or eat at restaurants, consider the high amount of sodium and potential health risks. Minimize your risks by limiting the quantity of anchovies you add to foods and eating them infrequently. Although anchovies are high in omega-3 fatty acid content, there are alternative food sources that contain much less sodium.
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