Association between seafood consumption and chronic diseases: a review of cohort-based evidence

Seafood is widely recognized as a health-promoting food due to its richness in high-quality protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and marine-derived bioactive compounds that may help prevent chronic diseases and support overall health. Over the past few decades, numerous cohort studies have provided epidemiological evidence linking seafood consumption to beneficial health outcomes, including reduced risks of cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders, cancer, and cognitive decline. This review comprehensively examines major cohort-based studies by comparing key characteristics such as study design, dietary assessment methods, follow-up duration, and demographic variables. A keyword-based search was conducted in the Web of Science Core Collection (2010–2024) using “cohort” with food category terms (agricultural, livestock, seafood) and country names to identify relevant publications. We performed a bibliometric analysis to compare seafood-related cohort trends across major countries (Japan, United States, China, and Europe) and to highlight the research gaps in Korea by evaluating study characteristics such as design, dietary assessment, follow-up duration, and demographics. Our findings reveal a significant disparity between Korea’s high seafood consumption levels and its relatively limited cohort-based research output. This review emphasizes the need for more precise and well-structured long-term cohort studies to bridge this gap, thereby providing foundational evidence to inform future public health strategies and the development of dietary guideline.