The Health Benefits of Fresh Seafood

Useful Information… Just for the Health of It!

Around the world, fresh seafood has always been highly regarded for its remarkable health benefits. Consider places like Norway, Iceland and Japan; whose people consume fish daily; their populations lead healthier lifestyles and live longer than most Americans. Why has it taken so long for the rest of us to realize the importance of balancing our diets with fresh fish and shellfish? Part of our reluctance to incorporate fish into our daily menus is due to our upbringing – who can forget the family’s dreaded tuna noodle casserole we were forced to eat as children? Or the dried out frozen fish sticks?

Thankfully, those days of eating poorly are well behind us and Americans are eating more fresh seafood than ever before, not just because it tastes good, but because it’s good for us, as well.

It’s All About Omega-3s… The Key To A Healthier Heart

Recent studies show that fresh seafood has a multitude of health benefits for people of all ages and lifestyles, particularly the studies of fish oils that contain omega-3 fats, vital in maintaining proper cardiovascular health. It’s been proven that healthy men and women who had more omega-3 fats in their blood were less likely to die of sudden death from heart attack than those with lower levels of omega-3s. Omega-3 fatty acids help to keep the arteries more elastic. One study author, Dr. Paul Nestel, head of cardiovascular nutrition at the Baker Heart Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia, says that’s important because “the arteries need to expand with each heartbeat to accommodate the output from the heart. With age and diseases such as diabetes, arteries become stiff and this process leads to hypertension and coronary heart disease.” Patients with high cholesterol counts who consume the omega-3s are found in all fish; the highest concentrations are found in salmon, mackerel, tuna, trout and herring.

Arthritis Relief

Arthritis is a debilitating condition that knows no age boundaries. More than 20 clinical trials have shown that one serving of fish two or three times per week can lessen arthritis symptoms by fighting inflammation, decreasing fatigue and reducing morning stiffness.

New Cancer Research

Evidence is now available from several parts of the world that cancer patients have lower levels of omega-3s in their bodies than control subjects without cancer. Patients who consume more omega-3s while undergoing chemotherapy treatments are less likely to experience the dramatic weight loss associated with the disease, and the drugs used to fight cancer cells are far more effective when omega-3s are present in the system.

Smart, Healthy Kids

The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and shellfish are critical to the developing unborn child and play a key role in cognitive abilities in children, according to several researchers. Dr. Martha Nurenger, Associate Professor at Oregon Health Sciences University state that “in pre-term infants, the results have shown improvements in visual acuity development with omega-3 infant formula supplementation.” Omega-3s appear to assist in neural development, including eye development. Expectant mothers and nursing mothers who consume fish may help their infants benefit from omega-3s. These essential fatty acids have also been shown to have a positive effect on Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in children. A healthy diet for children that includes two to three servings of fresh seafood per week may increase their learning ability and improve their adult health and well being in the future.

Shake Off The Blues

The October 2002 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry reports new research that suggests that EPA, one of the omega-3 fatty acids found in fresh seafood, may help alleviate the symptoms of depression in patients who do not respond to standard anti-depressant medication. Depressed patients who increased their consumption of omega-3s for 12 weeks experienced a decrease in their symptoms, such as sadness, anxiety and sleeping problems. In addition, a study has looked at the incidence of postnatal depression in 22 countries around the world and compared this to the national seafood intake. A very striking relationship was revealed, which in essence showed that lower seafood intake was associated with higher incidence of postnatal depression. In a study of patients with Schizophrenia, increasing the patients’ intake of omega-3s improved their clinical picture significantly.

Don’t Forget…

A new study in France discovered that elderly people who ate seafood high in omega-3 fatty acids at least once a week showed a lower risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, than those who ate seafood less often. Although the study could not prove that a higher consumption of fresh seafood slows the progression of the disease once it’s established, it focuses on seafood as a preventative factor. Dr. Neil Kowall, director of geriatric research education and the clinical center at the Bedford, MA, Veterans Administration Medical Center says the study “supports the connection that what is good for the heart is good for the brain.”

What’s The Best Seafood?

When it comes to choosing the right seafood for you and your family’s health concerns, it’s important to remember that all fish and shellfish contain omega-3 fatty acids and all seafood is beneficial for a healthier lifestyle. If you’re on a low-fat diet, cod and crabmeat are ideal replacements for protein foods higher in saturated fat and lower in calories. Oilier fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel and trout are higher in omega-3s. With fish and shellfish, the possibilities are endless for healthful eating, and at the same time ass variety and great taste to your everyday meals. Try substituting fish or shellfish for meat and poultry in your favorite casseroles; stir fries, Mexican dishes, salads, soups and pasta recipes. Win you meat-loving family and friends over by serving them “meatier” types like tuna, marlin, swordfish and shark. Start gradually by substituting one fish-meal a week and then work your way up to several seafood meals each week for optimum health. Ask you local fish market for advice on how to prepare your fish for the best flavor. Always remember that when we help ourselves to fish, we are helping ourselves to better all-around health.

Mercury And Fish: Here Are The Facts…

Mercury finds its way into the food chain when naturally occurring mercury from underwater volcanoes and normal air pollutants is deposited into rivers, lakes and the oceans. Larger, migratory species such as swordfish absorb mercury from the water and ingest it when they eat algae and smaller fish. Nearly all fish contain mercury, but the larger fish contain the most. In general, the larger and older a fish is, the more mercury it will contain. The FDA has set a conservative limit of mercury consumption to 1 ppm (1 part-per-million), which is 10 times lower than the lowest level associated with health problems. This conservative level allows for the greater protection of everyone – adults, children and even unborn babies. The FDA recommends that pregnant women should not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel or tilefish. The FDA, however, suggests that pregnant women choose a variety of different species, like shellfish, small ocean fish or farm-raised fish, like salmon or tilapia. The best way that people can guarantee that their diets are safe is to eat a variety of fresh seafood rather than concentrating on one species. It is not recommended that people eliminate fish from their diet because this is unwise form a nutritional standpoint. The American Dietetic Association (ADA) suggests eating 2-3 fish-meals per week, and points to fish as a low-fat source of protein that may lower cholesterol. The benefits of eating fresh fish and shellfish well outweigh the risk of mercury concerns.

Information Sources for this flyer:

National Fisheries Institute, Inc.
Arthritis Today
Seafood International
Nutrition Action Health Letter
Seafood Business
Global Aquaculture Advocate