Recent News About the Health Benefits of Eating Seafood
FROM HOME PAGE: Eating Fish Enhances Baby's Intelligence
FROM HOME PAGE: Favorite Seafood Species Change
FROM HOME PAGE:The Seafood Story Keeps Getting Better
FROM HOME PAGE:Oily Fish Helps Healthy Hearts, Too
Selenium (in fish) May Help Prevent Prostate Cancer
Seafood Provides Calcium, Zinc, Iron, B Vitamins, Iodine and Selenium
Eating Fish Lowers Risk of Stroke
World Health Organization Suggests Pregnant Mothers Should Eat More Fish
Fish Consumption - The Difference Between Monkeys and Man?
Omega-3 in Fish Good For Your Eyes
Harvard Study Finds Fish Oils Protect Against Strokes
Fish Consumption Called Key to Human Brain Development
Infrequent Fish Consumption Tied to Depression
Modern Maladies Benefits From Seafood
Eating Fish Reduces Digestive Tract Cancers
Fatty Fish Reduces Risk of Heart Attacks
Industry News and Perspectives
FROM HOME PAGE:Letter to the Editor of Newsday
FROM HOME PAGE:Fishing Ranks Among Worst US Professions
Eating Fish Enhances Baby’s Intelligence
On November 1, WorldCatch News Network reported that eating fish could enhance your baby’s intelligence, particularly before and just after he or she is born. A study from the University of Connecticut found that some fish are high in a certain chemical that is vital to brain and nerve cell growth in fetuses and newborns. The research reports that babies can’t make enough docahexanoic, or DHA, a fatty acid that helps the brain develop. So they must take whatever their mothers give them, either through the umbilical cord or by breast-feeding after they’re born. Women who eat cold-water species, like salmon, trout, sardines and tuna, give their babies a better chance of maximizing brain-tissue development. Other fish high in the chemical are herring, swordfish and mackerel. Baby formula is not fortified with DHA.WorldCatch News Network, November 1, 2001
Favorite Seafood Species Change
The National Fisheries Institute has calculated the “top ten” most-frequently eaten seafoods in America for 2001. NFI’s Top Ten represent about 89% of the seafood consumed in the U.S.Figures released recently by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) showed that shrimp surpassed tuna as the number one seafood for the first time, at 3.4 lbs. per person. Tuna dropped from 3.5 lbs. per person in 2000 to 2.9 lbs., followed by salmon at 2.0 lbs. This is the first time that salmon has edged out pollock since statistics have been tracked. Also for the first time, tilapia, a little-known freshwater fish, surpassed scallops as number ten on the list. These statistics confirm that farming is increasingly important in meeting the seafood demands of American consumers.
SPECIES 2001: LBS. PER CAPITA
National Fisheries Institute
- Shrimp: 3.4
- Salmon: 2.02
- Catfish: 1.15
- Clams: 0.46
- Flatfish: 0.39
- Tuna: 2.9
- Alaska Pollock: 1.2
- Cod: 0.56
- Crabs: 0.44
- Tilapia: 0.35
Recent News About the Health Benefits of Eating Seafood
The Seafood Story Keeps Getting Better
The health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids found in seafood present a golden marketing opportunity for the seafood industry that is about to get even better. Two national health institutes are about to take their omega-3 recommendations to American consumers one step further.
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is expected to soon release a recommended intake figure for omega-3 fatty acids, based on a recently completed five-year study. Its work will open the door for Congress to change nutrition-labeling regulations for packaged foods.
This fall, the American Heart Association (AHA) is expected to announce a stronger seafood message, possibly recommending Americans eat more than two fatty fish meals per week, as the health benefits of eating fatty fish keep piling up.
Dr. Penny Etherington, a participant on the AHA & NAS review boards says: "The message of eating seafood is receiving endorsements from some of our country's most credible and respected associations. Now it's up to the seafood industry to turn Americans into fish-eaters."
Reported in Seafood Business August 2002
Recent News About the Health Benefits of Eating Seafood
Fatty Fish Reduces Risk of Heart Attacks
In a study of older Americans, average age 72, those who consumed fatty fish even just once a week lowered their risk of a fatal heart attack by 44 percent compared to the risk among those who did not opt for the fish, researchers from the University of Washington's Cardiovascular Health Research Unit say.
Reuters, 3/5/01
Eating Fish Reduces Digestive Tract Cancers
Eating fish two or more times per week resulted in fewer digestive tract cancers according to research reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
A research team in Spain reviewed a large mass of data comparing 10,000 different types of cancers depending on how many fish-containing meals were eaten per week.
Fish eaters had fewer cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx esophagus, stomach, colon, rectum, and pancreas. The researchers also found reduced risk of cancer of the larynx, endometrium, ovaries, and multiple myeloma (bone marrow) among the fish eaters.
NEFDA, April 2001
Modern Maladies Benefits From Seafood
While most people at this point are familiar with the cardio-vascular benefits of a diet rich in seafood, Jim Robbins in Research Suggests Positive Effects From Eating Fish in the 4/24/01 New York Times discusses other proven or suspected health benefits of a type of fat called omega-3 that is found in fish, particularly fatty species. He writes "Research in a number of disciplines shows that lack of omega-3 may play a role in a number of modern maladies, including depression, hear arrhythmia, irritable bowel syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis….
Research also indicates that omega-3 may prevent the clots that cause heart attacks; reduce the body's inflammatory response, helping prevent atherosclerosis; and in higher amounts reduce blood triglyceride levels. But those applications need further research, Dr. Krauss said…. Women who ate fish once a week were 22 percent less likely to have stokes than women who ate fish once a month, eating fish five times a week cut the risk of stroke in half." He also reported that clinical studies have indicated that fish oil might be effective in treating mania and depression. While much of the research is in the early stages, it's becoming increasingly apparent that for keeping the doctor away it should be a fish rather than - or perhaps along with - an apple a day.
GSSA, April 2001
Infrequent Fish Consumption Tied to Depression
WorldCatch News Network reported that researchers in Finland have found that the likelihood of experiencing mild to severe depression was higher among infrequent fish consumers. The study finds that people who eat more fish are less likely to suffer from symptoms of depression.
Supporting finds from previous studies that link low levels of Omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), important for optimal brain function, with depression, the researchers found "that the likelihood of having mild to severe depression was 31 percent higher among infrequent fish consumers, those who ate fish twice a month or less, than in people who ate fish once a week or more."
Psychiatric Services, May 2001
Fish Consumption Called Key to Human Brain Development
The May 3 issue of Science, reporting on a 10-14 April meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropology in Buffalo, New York, says that early man relied on fish and shellfish consumption for "the kind of diet that must have supported human's dramatic brain expansion." The article, "human's Head Start: New Views of Brain Evolution" went on to say, "That's because humans, intelligent though we may be, are literally fatheads: About 60% of the brain's structural material is lipids, almost all of it in the form of two long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (AA), respectively known as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. So when a fetus's brain is developing, a lack of DHA and AA is 'catastrophic'… These acids are vital to brain growth and function after birth, too. Infant humans and other mammals that lack these fatty acids show reduced cognitive ability and vision problems…. In adults, new data suggest that depletion of these acids may be linked to attention deficit disorders, dyslexia, senile dementia, schizophrenia, and other problems…"
Science, May 3, 2001
Harvard Study Finds Fish Oils Protect Against Strokes
Eating five portions of oily fish per week can cut the risk of having a stroke in half, according to a Harvard University study. Researchers at Harvard University's Brigham and Women's Hospital tracked the eating habits and medical records of 79,839 women for 14 years. After taking age and smoking into account, they found that women who ate five portions of oily fish each week cut their risk of having a stroke by 52 percent.
The study also found that eating only one portion of oily fish a week cuts the risk by 22 percent. According to National Marine Fisheries Service data, Americans eat only about 1.3 servings of any type of seafood each week, based on an average 3.5 oz. Per serving. The study reports that oily fish like mackerel, salmon and sardines contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to have a number of health benefits. Among the health benefits are slowing the growth of tumors, easing arthritis and asthma, promoting fetal brain development, and boosting the immune system. The study found that eating oily fish was particularly helpful in reducing thrombotic infarction, a type of stroke in which a blood clot blocks an artery in the brain, resulting in death of brain tissue.
The Harvard study is one of the first to provide definitive proof of oily fish like salmon in a protective role in cardiovascular disease. The results were published in the Journal of the
American Medical Association. JAMA, May 2001
Omega-3 in Fish Good For Your Eyes
Omega-3 fatty acids, found naturally in high quantities in different types of fish, are useful in lowering the risk of age-related macular retinal degeneration.
Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health have found a link between canned tuna consumption and reduced macular degeneration. They found that of more than 70,000 men and women studied, those who ate canned tuna more than once a week had a 40 percent lower risk of macular degeneration than those who ate it less than once a month.
"It's too early to say that fish protects vision, but given the growing evidence that it helps prevent heart attacks and strokes, it makes sense to shoot for several servings a week", recommends the Center for Science in the Public Interest in their Nutrition Action Healthletter, May 2001, that highlights the study.
Fish Information and Services News Network North America, May 16, 2001
Fish Consumption - The Difference Between Monkeys and Man?
A report was published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on findings that indicated that 20,000 years ago humans were eating significant amounts of aquatic foods in some of their diets. By contrast, European Neanderthal remains do not indicate significant use of inland aquatic foods but instead show that they obtained the majority of their protein from red meat. Other researchers suggest that this finding supports the idea that a concentration of fish food helped to boost the brainpower of early humans. Such food is known to contain higher levels of DHA, a fatty acid proven to enhance brain and eye development.
Stephen Cunnane, a professor of nutrition at the University of Toronto, called the study "an important finding" that supports a theory that the brainpower of early humans was boosted by a diet rich in seafood containing DHA. "I am delighted that other researchers are now finding supporting evidence," said Cunnane. "We know that DHA was important in the development of the larger brain."
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, 5/22/01
World Health Organization Suggests Pregnant Mothers Should Eat More Fish
At a time when mothers are being confused by conflicting advice about Methylmercury in a few species of fish, the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a recommendation that pregnant and nursing mothers should increase their intake of DHA. DHA is abundant in cold water fatty fish. Mothers are encouraged to have at least two meals of such fish per week, or take fish oil supplements high in DHA. The WHO recommends a daily dosage of at least 250mg Omega-3 fatty acid, which is essential for proper brain and retina development.
NEFDA, 6/5/01
Eating Fish Lowers Risk of Stroke
An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association "suggests that a diet high in fatty fish can significantly decrease a woman's risk of ischemic stroke…. Women who ate four ounces of fish two to four times a week cut their risk of ischemic stroke by 48 percent…. The JAMA article suggests that Omega-3 fatty acids work to alleviate blood clots, which are largely responsible for ischemic strokes…. This type of stroke constitutes more than 80 percent of all strokes. The fish most often cited as the highest in Omega-3 fatty acid concentrations include king oscar sardines, salmon and mackerel." Note that fish oil produced by the menhaden reduction fishery is another source of Omega-3.
Health News Digest.com, 7/16/01
Seafood Provides Calcium, Zinc, Iron, B Vitamins, Iodine and Selenium
The delicate, edible bones in a traditional pack of canned salmon or sardines are readily digested and rich in calcium and magnesium. Canned sardines, in fact, are one of the most calcium-rich, non-dairy foods available. One 3-1/2 ounce serving, with bones, contains more calcium than a cup of milk.
No other natural food contains as much zinc as oysters. Zinc is necessary for sexual development (though there is no evidence that the bivalve will increase your sexual desire!). Other good sources of zinc are crab and lobster.
Pacific and Eastern oysters provide 5 to 7 milligrams per serving of iron. Other good sources of iron are crawfish, shrimp, canned sardines and light, water-packed tuna; all are in the 2- to 3-miligram range for a 3.5-ounce serving.
Fish is also a respectable source of B vitamins. Dark-fleshed fish like mackerel and salmon tend to be higher in B vitamins than lighter-fleshed fish. Oilier fish like herring and mackerel are among the few natural food sources of vitamin D. And canned sardines provide fair amounts of vitamin A.
Fish are the richest natural source of iodine, a mineral needed for proper thyroid function. They also provide goodly amounts of fluoride, important for protection against cavities and osteoporosis.
Fish are a reliable source of selenium, which is believed to play a role in preventing heart disease and possibly cancer.
Obviously, even with seafood, the best way to get all the nutrients you need is to eat a varied diet. Eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day and at least two servings of seafood a week is the right combination to protect against chronic diseases.
Seafood Business, December, 2001
Selenium (in fish) May Help Prevent Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is the No. 1 form of cancer affecting men, and a leading cause of cancer deaths among men, according to the American Cancer Society. A Stanford University researcher has found evidence that men with low blood levels of selenium are four to five times more likely to contract prostate cancer.
James D. Brooks, MD, the lead author of a paper in the Dec. 1 issue of the Journal of Urology, said the research confirmed that higher blood levels of selenium were associated with lower risks of prostate cancer. His group also discovered that blood selenium levels decline with age.
A large study is now under way at Stanford and other major medical centers to test whether supplements will reduce prostate cancer rates.
According to Joyce Nettleton, author of Seafood Nutrition, shellfish is a good source of selenium along with a number of fish species. In addition to protecting against some cancers selenium also is believed to be protective against Methylmercury and inorganic mercury.
As has been the case with Omega-3s, much of the clinical work on selenium will be done with supplements for convenience and dosage control; however the findings may provide yet another reason why seafood is a healthy choice.
NEFDA, 12/4/01
Oily Fish Helps Healthy Hearts, Too
People with no hint of heart trouble can safeguard their hearts - and reduce their risk of sudden death - by eating salmon or other oily fish twice a week or more, doctors reported on 4/10/02.
Several studies have shown that fish oils reduce the risk of sudden death among men who have had heart attacks, but the two new landmark studies mark the first time the long-term effects of a diet rich in fish have been examined in healthy men and women.
"This supports what the American Heart Association has already recommended. People should eat two meals of fish a week as part of a heart-healthy diet," says Christine Albert of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
The research involved two long-term studies of doctors and nurses:
One study in The New England Journal of Medicine shows that the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish can reduce a man's risk of sudden death by about 80%.
In that study, Albert and her team studied men involved in the Physicians Health Study, a cohort of 22,071 doctors who began the study 17 years ago with no history of heart disease, stroke or cancer. The researchers analyzed the blood of 94 doctors who died suddenly of heart disease and compared the findings with those from 184 controls, matched for age and smoking status.
A second study in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that omega-3 fatty acids in fish cut a woman's risk of heart disease by 33%.
Frank Hu and his colleagues at the Harvard School of Public Health combed through records of 84,688 women taking part in the Nurses Health Study. Over 16 years, 1,029 women had heart attacks, and 484 died of heart disease. Women who ate the most fish reaped a moderate reduction in their risk of non-fatal heart attacks and a major drop in their risk of sudden death.
Tufts University physician Irwin Rosenberg says omega-3 fatty acids found in certain fish stabilize heart cells electrically, so that a heart attack won't cause fatal rhythm disturbances. "Even if we couldn't prevent heart attacks, if we could diminish sudden death, (the number of lives saved) could be huge."
Industry News and Perspectives
Fishing Ranks Among Worst US Professions
On May 14, World News Fishery Information and Services reported on a new book that ranks the best and worst jobs in the United States. On a scale from 1 to 250 (with 250 being the worst), fisherman is listed overall at 249. In individual categories, fishermen do not fare much better. Fishing ranks 229 for stress and 230 for pay (estimated average income ranges from $11,000 to 43,000 annually). The book predicts a downfall in employment opportunities for fishermen due to "fish substitutes." Authors also list other factors that make fishing a challenge: increased regulation, competition for catching fish, seasonal time limits, hard physical work and pay that is tied to the luck of the catch.
Fishermen are not alone, however. The book lists lumberjack as even worse than fishing. Other low-rated jobs include ironworker, cowboy and taxidriver.
Interestingly enough, the authors' number one choice for employment is being a biologist. Their work is deemed less stressful, well-paid and highly respected. This creates an interesting disjunct, as the decisions made by biologists can be part of the scenario that lead to additional hardships for fishermen.
Letter to the Editor of Newsday
A June 6th article concerning the discovery of high levels of mercury found at Ground Zero related how a "handful of Port Authority police officers were removed from Trade Center duty after blood tests showed elevated mercury levels." The article quoted Dr. Jacqueline Moline of Mount Sinai School of Medicine stating that she was skeptical that the elevated levels were related to Ground Zero and added that "it was more likely that the officers were exposed elsewhere, perhaps from eating shellfish contaminated with methylmercury."
Dr. Moline, if properly quoted, is wrong to broadly implicate shellfish with methylmercury contamination and create consumer concern about eating shellfish. No scientific studies have shown that shellfish in the market place are likely to be a source of significant amounts of methylmercury. Her speculation is off base, has hurt our industry and her quote should not have been printed without a review of existing data. A correction by your newspaper would be appropriate.Roger C. Tollefsen, President New York Seafood Council.