Herring intake and blood fats in overweight men
What it found
Eating baked herring for six weeks raised HDL cholesterol compared with eating chicken or pork, in 35 overweight men.
It did not change inflammation markers or signs of oxidation.
What they found
Studies in people
Higher HDL cholesterol
HDL cholesterol rose to 1.04 mmol/l after the herring period, compared with 0.99 mmol/l after the meat period. A larger type of HDL particle also increased.
Triglycerides fell equally
Blood triglyceride levels dropped during both diet periods. There was no difference between the herring meals and the meat meals.
No change in inflammation
Markers of inflammation, including C-reactive protein, IL-6 and IL-18, stayed about the same on both diets.
No extra oxidation
Oxidised LDL did not rise after eating herring compared with the meat meals. Antioxidant capacity in the blood also stayed the same.
Blood pressure unchanged
Systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings were similar after the herring period and the meat period.
What the authors conclude
- They say that eating herring for six weeks raised HDL cholesterol compared with eating matched chicken and pork dishes.
- They found no unwanted effects on oxidation or antioxidant levels in the blood after eating herring.
- The authors suggest that overweight people, who often have low HDL, could benefit from eating more herring.
How it was done
Fish is linked to lower heart disease risk, but most research looks at fish oil rather than whole fish. The authors wanted to see how eating actual herring affects heart risk factors, while keeping cooking methods the same.
Thirty-five healthy but overweight men ate 150 g of baked herring five days a week for six weeks. They then switched to baked chicken or lean pork for another six weeks, with a 12-week break between diets. Blood tests were taken before and after each period.
What it can’t tell you
- This trial only included men, so the results might not apply to women.
- The study lasted six weeks per diet, so it cannot show what happens over many years.
- Because the men were already healthy, the findings may differ in people with existing heart disease.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden
The paper
- Title
- Herring ( Clupea harengus) intake influences lipoproteins but not inflammatory and oxidation markers in overweight men
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Lindqvist HM, Langkilde AM, Undeland I, Sandberg AS (2009). Herring ( Clupea harengus) intake influences lipoproteins but not inflammatory and oxidation markers in overweight men. The British journal of nutrition. doi:10.1017/S0007114508003073Free full textPubMed 18634706DOI
Summary written 1 Oct 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error