You may well be aware of the benefits of Omega 3 in your diet, high levels of which are found in oily fish such as mackerel, sardines or tuna. Omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. This important health benefit has long been suspected but have only recently been proven through research.

Perhaps the earliest suggestion that oily fish protect the heart comes from the Bible. In Exodus chapter 7, after God turns the Nile to Blood it says ‘The fish in the Nile died ……. and Pharaoh’s heart became hard’

(I have to give credit for that one to Prof Young, RVH)

It was also well recognized that Eskimos (who pretty much only eat fish) very rarely developed heart disease. But then someone realised that the reason for this was more likely because few of them lived beyond 50! (The nice lady above is only 26!)

Anyway having been made aware of recent research and current guidelines from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), which recommends at least 2-3 portions of oily fish per week for the primary prevention of coronary heart disease, I asked my wife purchase me some oily fish – in oil (the stuff in brine doesn’t have nearly the same quantity of omega 3 apparently). She kindly obliged and bought me some tinned sardines and mackerel etc.

Now, what’s the first thing you think of when you think of sardines? I reckon most of us think of a tightly packed tin, full of tiny fish. I mean the word sardine is totally synonymous (had to get my wife to help with the spelling of that one) with being tightly packed.

So I was deeply disappointed to open my tin of sardines tonight to find them swimming freely in a large pool of olive oil, I mean it was like free range sardines. What is the world coming to when sardines of all things are no longer tightly packed? What metaphor are we going to use when in a situation when we are squashed together?

This is an important issue. Write to your MP. Less room for sardines!