To Eat Fish Or Not: A Healthy Benefit Or A Contaminated Risk?

It is sad but true, the typical American diet is tragically void of life giving nutrients

. From vitamins and minerals to digestive enzymes and adequate water intake, healthy human functioning depends on a healthy diet to avoid illness and disease.

For over a decade now, many studies have shown the nutritional benefits of eating fish. Fish is high in protein and omega-3 essential fatty acid. Omega-3 has been shown to be a most critical essential fatty acid necessary for healthy hearts, strong immune systems, lubricated joints, and proper neural brain functioning.

Sadly, due to the public's concerns about chemicals found in fish from environmental pollutants such as mercury, PCBs, and dioxins most of us have become confused and concerned and have shied away from eating a very beneficial food source. So the question is this, do the risks pose more of a threat than the benefits?

Since the benefits are quite obvious, two new studies have explored the contaminated fish scare. One of these studies done by the Harvard School of Public Health found that eating the smaller fish about twice per week (about 6 oz.) lowered the risk of heart attacks, improves child brain development and adult brain functioning. It also demonstrated that fish oil intake reduces deaths from any other causes by 17 percent.

Dariash Mozaffarian, lead author of the Harvard study said, "somehow this evidence has been lost on the public". Overall, for major health outcomes among adults, the benefits of eating fish outweigh the risks. The Harvard study concluded that these health benefits are greater for oily fish such as salmon and bluefish. These varieties are higher in omega-3 content than leaner fish such as haddock or cod.

A fetus or infant can obtain the healthy benefits from pregnant or nursing mothers who consumed fish. An advisory is warranted for this sector of the population however, as young children or women of childbearing age should avoid the larger seafood species such as golden bass (also known as tile fish), king mackerel, shark, and swordfish. The reasoning is because they are the larger predatory fish and have been found to have higher levels of mercury. Consumption of smaller fish is encouraged instead such as salmon, light tuna, shrimp, mackerel or albacore tuna.

The general population need not heed this advisory, and the Harvard study concluded the benefits of eating fish one to two times per week for everyone was a major advantage as opposed to the risks. As Mazaffarian commented, "it is striking how much greater both the amount of evidence and the size of the health effect are for health benefits, compared with the risks. Seafood is likely the single most important food one can consume for good health".

by: Dane Fletcher

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