{"id":471646,"date":"2026-03-12T14:56:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T14:56:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/471646\/"},"modified":"2026-03-12T14:56:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T14:56:11","slug":"the-60p-tinned-food-that-boosts-bone-and-heart-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/471646\/","title":{"rendered":"The 60p tinned food that boosts bone and heart health"},"content":{"rendered":"

More than 8 million people in the UK<\/a> are estimated to be living with cardiovascular disease \u2013 the scientific term for a group of diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels.<\/p>\n

Left unchecked, heart disease can cause symptoms including shortness of breath, chest pain and dizziness, and it can lead to more serious complications, such as heart attacks and strokes.<\/p>\n

While smoking, stress and drinking too much alcohol are three of the biggest risk factors, your diet can also play a major role, with salts, saturated fats and sugars all putting extra strain on your ticker.<\/p>\n

However, just like there are foods we should limit to protect our cardiovascular health, there are also foods that can be heart-healthy<\/a>, providing our bodies with the specific nutrients and antioxidants needed to keep arteries clear and blood pressure stable.<\/p>\n

One such food you might have overlooked on your weekly shop is tinned sardines. Studies have found that eating this oily fish regularly can protect against heart disease<\/a>, while another suggests that women can reduce their risk by more than 30%<\/a> if they eat two to four portions per week.<\/p>\n

Here, we ask nutritionist Rob Hobson to explain sardines\u2019 heart health benefits and why we may want to add more of them to our diet.<\/p>\n

Why are sardines good for heart health?\"Woman<\/p>\n

Sardines provide protein and healthy fats, which we need to stay healthy.<\/p>\n

(Antonio Hugo Photo via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Sardines, also known as pilchards, are a species of oily fish found in the Atlantic and Mediterranean Oceans.<\/p>\n

While they may be small, Hobson says they make a great addition to a heart-healthy diet.<\/p>\n

“Sardines are rich in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA), which are the forms most strongly associated with cardiovascular benefits,” he explains.<\/p>\n

“These fats help lower triglycerides (blood fat), support healthy blood pressure and have anti-inflammatory effects that are relevant to conditions like atherosclerosis \u2013 a disease in which plaque builds up inside your arteries.<\/p>\n

“They are also one of the few dietary sources of vitamin D, as well as selenium and B12,” the Unprocess Your Life<\/a> author adds.<\/p>\n

What are the other health benefits of sardines?<\/p>\n

“Sardines provide around 20 to 25 grams of high-quality protein per tin, which supports muscle growth and maintenance,” says Hobson.<\/p>\n

He adds that this is particularly important in midlife<\/a> and beyond, as muscle mass naturally decreases with age (by as much as 3-5% per decade), so pairing a high-protein diet with resistance exercises like lifting weights can help replenish what\u2019s lost.<\/p>\n

The omega-3 content in sardines is also closely linked to brain health. “DHA in particular plays a structural role in brain cell membranes and, while no single food is a ‘magic bullet’, regular intake of oily fish is associated with better long-term cognitive health,” Hobson notes.<\/p>\n

“Also, because you eat sardines with the edible bones, they are a practical calcium source which is useful for bone health \u2013 especially for older adults<\/a> and people who don\u2019t consume much dairy,” he adds.<\/p>\n

How often should you eat them to reap the health benefits?<\/p>\n

Current UK guidance<\/a> recommends at least two portions of fish per week, one of which should be oily fish.<\/p>\n

“A portion of oily fish is around 140g, which is roughly one standard tin of sardines \u2013 so including sardines once a week would meaningfully contribute towards meeting your omega-3 recommendations,” says Hobson.<\/p>\n

“Some people may choose to eat oily fish twice weekly, rotating options like sardines, mackerel, salmon or herring.”<\/p>\n

Don’t like sardines? 6 ways to make them taste better\"Sardines<\/p>\n

Sardines are divisive, but cooking and preparing them in different ways can make them easier to stomach for those who aren’t fans.<\/p>\n

(Image Professionals GmbH via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Tinned sardines are a bit of a Marmite food item, with some people finding the fishy flavour and briny taste overpowering. But you don’t need to write them off altogether, even if the idea of tucking into a can turns your stomach.<\/p>\n

“Strong flavours, acidity and texture changes can completely shift how sardines taste,” assures Hobson.<\/p>\n

If you want to give sardines a second try, he shares a few smart ways to incorporate them into your diet:<\/p>\n

Mash them with lemon juice, black pepper and a little Dijon mustard; the acidity softens and brightens the flavour.<\/p>\n

Mix them into mashed potatoes with capers and grated lemon rind, then shape them into simple fish cakes and pan-fry. The potato dilutes the intensity while the capers and citrus lift everything.<\/p>\n

Serve on sourdough toast with tomato and fresh herbs.<\/p>\n

Stir into a puttanesca-style pasta sauce where olives, capers and garlic balance the richness.<\/p>\n

Blend into a p\u00e2t\u00e9 with Greek yoghurt and parsley.<\/p>\n

Add chilli flakes as the heat helps distract from stronger flavours.<\/p>\n

Alternatives to sardines<\/p>\n

Finally, if sardines still pack too powerful a punch, Hobson says you could opt for other oily fish in tinned form instead.<\/p>\n

“Kedgeree (a traditional rice dish) made with tinned mackerel works well, as the curry spices help mask the fishiness and make it more approachable,” he notes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"More than 8 million people in the UK are estimated to be living with cardiovascular disease \u2013 the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":471647,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[6612,12365,15967,59,1666,102,9874,144372,126355,75663,50850,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-471646","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-blood-pressure","9":"tag-bone-health","10":"tag-cardiovascular-disease","11":"tag-gb","12":"tag-getty-images","13":"tag-health","14":"tag-heart-attacks","15":"tag-heart-healthy-diet","16":"tag-hobson","17":"tag-oily-fish","18":"tag-rob-hobson","19":"tag-uk","20":"tag-united-kingdom","21":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/471646","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=471646"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/471646\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/471647"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=471646"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=471646"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=471646"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}