Eating salmon is more likely to boost a person's health than popping fish oil pills, according to new research.
While Massey's Institute of Food, Health and Human Nutrition researches found fish oil capsules and salmon were equally beneficial for increasing omega-3 levels, but eating salmon also significantly increased blood concentrations of a cancer-fighting antioxidant selenium.
The finding was particularly important for New Zealanders, who generally had lower selenium levels than other parts of the world, Associate Professor Welma Stonehouse said.
"Because soils in New Zealand are low in selenium, the selenium content in our food is low, making New Zealand one of the countries with the lowest selenium status in the world," Associate Professor Welma Stonehouse said.
As well as being associated with a reduced risk of cancer, selenium is also believed to reduce the risk of heart disease.