The Sardine Secret: Why This Tiny Fish Is Finally Going Viral!

Sardines. They're small, they're cheap, and they might be one of the most underrated foods on the planet. Today, we're talking sardines. Why your gut and your brain will thank you for them. Now, there's a reason sardines just went viral, and it's not necessarily the taste. I know, I know. You either like sardines or you don't like sardines. That reminds me of one of my favorite lines from Groundhog Day when Bill Murray says, "There are two kinds of people in this world. Those who like Neil Diamond and those who don't." And there are those who like sardines and those who don't. You probably noticed that there's a Tik Tok Instagram trend. Sardines eaten and even used topically for the skin. Now, some are calling it the true looks acting product. So, how does that work? Well, there's actually several mechanisms. First of all, sardines, like other small fish, are loaded with longchain omega-3 fats. These are great for reducing inflammation and supporting the skin barrier, aiding in moisture retention. Now, trend aside, here's actually why sardines deserve such a hype. They're really high in protein. And interestingly enough, fish protein in general is a lot better and has a better constituent of amino acids than beef or pork or lamb proteins. That's good thing. They're loaded with these short chain and longchain omega-3 fats. They're also great for iron, zinc, and B12. and they're sustainable and they're very very low in contaminants. For instance, there are 900 mg of omega-3s per 3 o. Now, that's on par with wild Atlantic salmon, which has got 938 mg, but behind mackerel, 1,600 milligrams, and tuna, which has 1,200 milligrams. But it's far more consistent. And remember, tuna, particularly big tuna, can have a lot of mercury. Now, here's another great thing. You and I have a sugar molecule that lines our gut, lines our blood vessels, lines our joints, lines our bloodb brain barrier called new 5 AC. Beef, lamb, pork, and milk have a different sugar molecule called new 5GC. Every study that's ever been done shows that ingesting new 5GC containing foods increases arthritis, increases cancer, increases diabetes, increases dementia. And I've spent chapters in my books explaining why this happens. And I won't do that today. The good news is sardines have no new 5GC. Here's an interesting fact. Recently a village south of Naples in Italy that I visited at Chiroli has been discovered and studied. These are the longest living centinarians in Italy. In fact, 30% of this tiny fishing village population is over aundred years old. And what's striking is they eat anchovies, which are basically sardines, almost breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They're always eating anchovies and small fish. And the evidence is that this is a big part of why they're so smart for so long. The Katavans, this fascinating island in Pepe and New Guinea, also have extreme longevity. And they've never had a case of coronary artery disease or a stroke that's been documented. And they've been studied extensively. And they've never had a case of cancer. Why? Because they eat these small fish daily. There's been a 400,000 person study for 16 years. People who had the highest fish in omega-3 intake had the lowest cardiovascular and respiratory mortality and 40% less Alzheimer's mortality in women. Now, fried fish don't count. All these benefits go straight into your brain. So, why is that? As you'll read in the new book, Feed Your Brain, this longchain omega-3 fat in sardines is DHA. Now, DHA is half of the fat in your brain. In your brain is about 60 to 70% fat. Now, as I've written before, we can do a blood test which is called the omega-3 index, and it looks at how much DHA and EPA have been in you for the two months prior to the test. The higher the omega-3 index equals a bigger brain volume and a bigger hippocampus, that's the memory center. Now, only patients who hit a high omega-3 index without supplements, believe it or not, are daily sardine and herring eaters. Even my salmon eating Seattle Vancouver patients rarely get there. It's striking to me it's the sardine and herring eaters that get enough omega-3 fats in them. Now, most of us really need to supplement DHA, but eat your sardines, you don't have to worry about it. Another great thing, sardines and small fish have bones. They're soft, they're edible, and they're packed right in. And eating these small bones, that's where the calcium and vitamin D come from. Now, the same goes for canned salmon with the bones and skin. Don't don't scrape these off. And remember, with these sorts of fish, there is no fear of mercury. The great thing about sardines is they're small and they're low on the food chain, and there's no time for them to accumulate heavy metals. Now, there's a proviso, and I do see this. If you eat too much fish and shellfish in general, they can raise a chemical in your blood called uric acid and trigger gout. Now, that's a moderation issue and not a mercury level issue. All right, so let me give you a quick buying guide. First of all, if you're new to sardines, what I recommend is get boneless, skinless sardines, preferably in olive oil or waterpacked. You won't have that really, I don't know, fishy smell. You won't have the bones. You won't have the little tail, and you'll actually enjoy it. Please skip anything that's been packed in soybean oil or sunflower oil. Now, organic onfarmed fish just means organic feed and it's not a natural diet. So, just because it says organic doesn't mean what you think. Now, there's a number of great brands. Fishwife, King Oscar, Wild Planet, Patagonia Provisions, Bella, even Trader Joe's. You can also check seafoodwatch.org for other sourcing. Now, if you're still on the fence, start with boneless, skinless sardines. Disguise it in avocado or guacamole and put it in a lettuce wrap. Make a sardine taco. Mash your sardines with avocado. Sprinkle on some coconut aminos, mustard, put it in lettuce or a cassava tortilla. Pesto sardines. Now you take a few tins, mix it with homemade pesto, put it on kelp or shiritakei noodles, and you'll find you're enjoying that. How about sorghum pasta with sardines? You mix the tins with arugula, basil, parmesan, you really will start liking them. You still hate them? Well, the other ways to get more omega-3s exist. It's just a whole lot more work. So, a daily can of sardines is one of the simplest longevity habits you can adopt. They're cheap, they're shelf stable, and they're backed by some of the longest living people on Earth. Now, if you want me to do a sardine taste test right here on the podcast, drop a comment and tell me. I'll rank the brands I love most on the podcast, and nobody's paying me to do it. Okay, that's all for today. Get your sardines,