Women should eat small fish if they want to live longer.
Whitebait should be eaten by females looking to live for a long time
A team of researchers at Nagoya University in Japan analysed the intake of small fish - such as whitebait - of 80,000 people aged between 35 and 69 and found that the females who included it in their diet on a handful of occasions each month were 32 per cent less likely to die over the nine-year study period.
Similar trends were seen for men but the difference was not enough to be statistically important.
Study author Dr. Chinatsu Kasahara said: "Previous studies have revealed the protective effect of fish intake on health outcomes, including mortality risks.
"However, few studies have focused on the effect of the intake of small fish specifically on health outcomes.
"Small fish are easy for everyone to eat, and they can be consumed whole, including the head, bones, and organs.
"Nutrients and psychologically active substances unique to small fish could contribute to maintaining good health."