As many of my readers and viewers know, I am probably the single greatest advocate for adding wild salmon and other omega-3 cold water fish (think sardines, anchovies, halibut, sablefish, trout, etc.) to your daily diet. While it is now widely accepted, with guru’s and experts all over the world writing books and visiting talk shows, the concept of inflammation and the anti-inflammatory diet was initially met with skepticism and ridicule. It all started with the publication of my first book and public television special, The Wrinkle Cure, almost a decade ago, where I introduced salmon as a superb source of anti-inflammatory, anti-aging nutrients, a recurring theme in all of my work.

Wild Salmon contains essential fatty acids and powerful antioxidants such as the carotenoid, astaxanthin, that have important anti-inflammatory properties. My decades of research show that chronic, sub-clinical inflammation is the single greatest precipitator of aging and age-related diseases. These include heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, certain forms of cancer, and wrinkled skin.

Salmon is also probably the world’s most heart healthy source of protein. It is rich in long-chain omega-3 essential fatty acids—the most beneficial kind—which protect heart health, inhibit inflammation, act as natural anti-depressants, increases feelings of well-being, and help keep skin young, supple and radiant.

With the average age of menopause at 51 here in the US, at the age of 50, Madonna, a fan of the anti-inflammatory diet, needs to be sure that her food choices are especially cardio-protective. This is because after menopause, the risk of heart disease in women becomes comparable to the incidence in men. As a physician, I was quite astonished to learn that heart disease kills 10 times as many women as breast cancer.

So eat salmon, be healthy, look great.