Eating kippers instead of a Full English could save up to 750,000 lives every year

SWAPPING out bacon and sausages for kippers at breakfast could slash your risk of an early death, a study suggests.

Some 750,000 fewer deaths would occur worldwide by 2050 if people ate more forage fish — like herring and anchovies — instead of red meat, Japanese researchers found.

Red and processed meats can increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and bowel cancer, whereas the fish can help reduce it, they said.

Dr Shujuan Xia, of the National Institute for Environmental Studies, suggested switching to the particular seafood has more benefits than just avoiding full Englishes.

He said: “Forage fish as an alternative to red meat could double or more the number of deaths that could be avoided by simply reducing red meat consumption.

“Our analysis suggests that forage fish is a promising alternative to red meat. 

“Policies targeting the allocation of forage fish to regions where they are needed could be more effective in maximising the potential of forage fish to reduce the burden of disease.”

Heart disease killed 39,000 people in England in 2022, while bowel cancer claims around 16,000 lives every year.

Previous studies have shown eating red or processed meat regularly can increase the chances of developing both.

Forage fish include anchovies, sardines and herring — which are known as kippers when they are smoked.

The oily fish are packed with healthy omega-3s, which have been shown to reduce the risk factors for heart disease and boost survival rates for bowel cancer.

The latest study, published in BMJ Global Health, looked at how people eating the fish instead of red and processed meats could impact deaths on a global scale.

They analysed data for projected red meat consumption in 2050 for 137 countries and historical data on forage fish catch.

Modelling showed if more fish is eaten instead of red meat, it would “potentially offer substantial public health benefits”.

Dr Xia said: “Although forage fish are not sufficient to replace all red meat, forage fish alone may increase daily consumption of fish to close to the recommended level.”