Fish-derived functional foods and cardiovascular health: An overview of current developments and advancements

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death worldwide. An unhealthy diet and lifestyle are well-known risk factors for the development of CVD, however, these factors are modifiable. Epidemiological evidence has shown that the regular consumption of fish is associated with the prevention of CVD and related diseases. However, particularly in Western societies, fish consumption is generally low. Moreover, significant waste is produced due to byproducts and bycatch associated with the fishing and aquaculture industries. Therefore, there has been a concerted effort to reduce waste while developing useful products from the leftover materials of fisheries. This includes the development of value-added fish-derived functional foods contributing to cardiovascular health maintenance and the prevention of disease. In this chapter, the development of such products from functional marine lipids and proteins is discussed. Novel green extraction technologies of bioactive compounds from fish and fishery byproducts are assessed and the factors affecting consumer acceptance of fish-derived functional foods are also discussed.