What is the key takeaway emphasized for safety when eating sardines regularly over the long term?
Answer
Variety, cycling between different protein and fat sources
The overarching principle for long-term, safe, and beneficial consumption of nutrient-dense foods like sardines is variety. Relying on any single food source, even a healthy one, creates an unbalanced nutritional intake and concentrates exposure risks, whether from trace environmental factors or excessive amounts of specific vitamins like Vitamin A. By rotating protein and fat sources—cycling between fresh sardines, mackerel, and herring, for example—the body benefits from diverse nutrient profiles, and exposure to any single potential contaminant across species is diversified, making it a superior long-term strategy over strictly relying on canned products.

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