Ron’s Wanderings

If you’ve been a reader of this blog for any length of time, you’ve probably noticed that I’ve talked about the nutrition and weight loss benefits of eating fish — particularly oily fish, like salmon and lake trout.

Both of these fish are rich in the heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. At the same time, you should use caution when eating fish that may be high in mercury (including tilefish and tuna). I know, that does seem like conflicting advice to some extent. In an effort not to add to your confusion, let’s discuss some of the “fish facts” that I’ve learned in my own research and see if we can sort through some of this for you.

First, fatty fish helps to fight heart disease.

Numerous studies have determined that the two omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), (yes, I copied and pasted those — I’d never have been able to spell them otherwise!!) help make the blood less sticky and, thus, less likely to clot and cause heart attacks and strokes. There is also compelling evidence that omega-3s fight the inflammation process, which is important since inflammation is thought to be involved in many diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis. I’m one who highly recommends adding fish to your weekly menu (along with taking a fish oil supplement in capsule form if you want). Just two servings a week will provide the benefits. Omega-3s are most concentrated in sardines, salmon, and mackerel.

Second, wild fish is the way to go. (There is a ton of controversy about this — therefore, the following is only my opinion based on the research I’ve done. Use your own best judgement and do your homework, also.)

Farm-raised salmon contains the environmental toxins PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), which are thought to promote cancer. Farmed-raised salmon are contaminated because their food contains PCBs. Salmon store the PCBs in their fat, where it can accumulate, just as it does in humans who eat contaminated fish. The best way to avoid encountering PCBs is to choose wild salmon whenever possible. Canned and pouched salmon are a convenient and unexpected source of wild salmon. There are also ways to reduce the PCBs in farmed salmon: Remove the skin (and the fat beneath the skin) before you cook it, and broil, bake, or grill the fish to allow the fat (again, where PCBs accumulate) to drain off. Of course, this will lower the omega-3 content as well, but you’ll still get some of its benefits.

And, finally, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and women considering pregnancy should limit exposure to fish containing methylmercury.

This industrial pollutant is most concentrated in long-lived, deep-sea species, like shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tuna. While adults need to be concerned only about high levels of mercury (which can cause neurological damage and vision problems), even low levels can impede the development of the nervous system in fetuses, babies, and young children. The best way to avoid mercury exposure is to eat fish lower down on the food chain (the smaller fish that larger fish eat, like cod, sole, halibut, and shellfish). Try to vary your seafood selection and stay away from those high-mercury species.

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Here are the page links — take a couple of minutes and check them out!:

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Have a great and healthy day. I’ll be back soon with some more nutrition and weight loss thoughts for you.

Shanti,

Ron
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This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 24th, 2006 at 10:18 am and is filed under Nutrition and Weight Loss. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.