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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Eating fish regularly can reduce your risk for heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, stroke, diabetes, depression and inflammatory conditions. That’s a pretty impressive list. There is even some recent evidence out of China, that children who regularly eat fish sleep better and have higher IQs. But, there is always some bad news to go with the good news. When you eat fish regularly you may be increasing your exposure to mercury, PFCs (perfluorinated chemicals), PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), dioxins, and DDT (an insecticide).
Health experts encourage us to eat 2 to 3 servings of fish weekly for maximum health benefits. Few Americans eat this much and many avoid fish because of concerns about contaminants and lack of knowledge about how to select safe choices. To encourage people to eat more fish, in 2017, the FDA and EPA issued joint advice on how much fish to eat and what are the best choices.
The advice they suggest is simple, straightforward and easy to implement. Fish is categorized into 3 groups – best choices, good choices and fish to avoid. The groupings were created through science-based decisions derived from data from the US, Canada and university programs. Recommended servings per week and serving sizes were based on mathematical calculations of body weight to minimize exposure to harmful substances. The results are reliable information that you can trust.
Best fish choices include: anchovy, Atlantic croaker and mackerel, black sea bass, butterfish, catfish, clams, cod, crab, crawfish, flounder, haddock, hake, herring, lobster, mullet, oysters, perch, plaice, pollack, salmon, sardines, scallops, shad, shrimp, skate, smelt, sole, squid, tilapia, freshwater trout, canned light tuna including skipjack, whitefish, and whiting.
Good fish choices include: bluefish, carp, Chilean sea bass, grouper, halibut, mahi mahi, monkfish, rockfish, sablefish, seatrout, snapper, striped ocean bass, ocean tilefish, albacore and yellowfin tuna.
Fish choices to avoid include: king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, shark, swordfish, and bigeye tuna. Contaminants and mercury are found in older, larger fish, higher up on the food chain.
The good news is that over 90% of the fish that Americans typically eat already come from the best and good fish choices. By sticking with these varieties the risk of exposure to any harmful substance is minimized to the point of being a non-risk. Even pregnant women and small children can eat these choices without concern.
Fish is protein-rich and supplies heart-healthy omega-3 fats along with a good supply of vitamins and minerals, while being a reasonably low calorie food. Most finfish has about 130 calories in a 4 ounce servings and even fatty fish, like salmon, has only about 270 calories in 4 ounces. More importantly, the omega-3 fats, found in fish, are needed for normal brain function, including fetal brain development, and brain health in older adults.
Children, adults, pregnant and breastfeeding women should all eat fish regularly. The EPA/FDA advice is:
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2 to 3 servings a week from the Best Choice group or 1 serving from the Good Choice list
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Eat a variety of fish choices
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Starting at age 2 offer children 1 to 2 servings of fish weekly
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If you eat fish caught by family or friends, check for local fish advisories. If there is no advisory, it is still wise to eat only 1 serving a week of fish caught by recreational fisherman. For local fish advisories check https://fishadvisoryonline.epa.gov.
To get the optimum health benefits of eating fish, you don’t have to eat a ton. For adults, a 4 ounce serving, approximately the size of the palm of your hand is adequate. For children, ages 4 to 7, half that amount, or 2 ounces is a perfect serving size. For tweens a slightly larger serving size is appropriate. For toddles a 1 ounce serving is more than enough. Many pediatricians and dietitians recommend introducing fish to children as young as one. It is an excellent protein source and most fish has a mild acceptable flavor.
Bottom line: Study after study shows fish can protect your health and increase your chances of living longer. Eat seafood regularly.
For more information on eating fish go to: www.fda.gov/fishadvice or www.epa.gov/fishadvice.
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of 30 books. Available as eBooks from iTunes and Kindle/Amazon:
Diabetes Counter – the most up-to-date information on managing diabetes
Calorie Counter – a weight loss guide that won’t let you down
Protein Counter – put the latest protein recommendations to work for you
Healthy Wholefoods Counter – planet-friendly eating made easy
Complete Food Counter – food counts and nutrition information at your fingertips
Fat and Cholesterol Counter – newest approach to heart-healthy eating
Available in print from Gallery Books:
Most Complete Food Counter, 3rd Ed.
Your Complete Food Counter App: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/your-complete-food-counter/id444558777?mt=8
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to: www.TheNutritionExperts.com.
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