I’m So Confused!Is Fish Good for Me or Not?

Laura Tiu

Aquaculture Specialist

Ohio Center for Aquaculture Development

OSU South Centers

Fish Facts• Consumption is rising

– Americans eat 16.6 pounds fish/shellfish/yr– More fresh & frozen– Less canned (3.3 lbs/person)– Shrimp is favorite (4.2 lbs/person)– Fillets & steaks (4.6 lbs/person)

• Nutritious– protein, poly-unsaturated fatty acids, iodine– selenium, fluoride, iron, zinc, magnesium– high protein, low fat

• Role in Disease prevention

What is an omega-3?• An essential fatty acid found in seafood

• Deficiency associated with– cardiovascular disease, diabetes,certain

cancers,osteoporosis,depression,dementia

• Humans cannot manufacture this!– Must be obtained from the diet– Fish is the best source!

Test Time!

• True! A recent meta-analysis of eight independent studies showed that the risk

of stroke was 13% lower among those who ate fish once weekly compared to those who did so less than once per month (Stroke 35:1538)

Q. Eating fish protects against stroke?

Test Time!

• True! Women who consumed fish showed

a 30% lower risk of heart disease. (The Harvard School of Public Health)

• Inhibits formation of blood clots.

• Reduces triglycerides

• Reduces blood pressure

Q. Eating fish lowers risk of heart disease?

Test Time!

• True! People who ate one fish meal a

week had 10% slower annual decline in thinking and those who ate two fish

meals a week had 13% slower annual decline. (Rush University Medical Center, Chicago)

Q. Eating fish helps slow age-related mental decline?

Test Time!

• True! Increased finfish intake may protect against obesity and glucose intolerance.

• diet high in fish reduced both body weight and blood levels of leptin: a hormone that promotes storage of calories as body fat. J Hypertens. 2004

Oct;22(10):1983-90.

Q. Eating fish aids in weight loss?

Test Time!

• True! Eating fish provides the protein vitamins and minerals to maintain healthy eyes, clear skin and strong hair as well as aiding sleep and reproductions. Fish is an excellent source of vitamin D and calcium ensuring a healthy posture and sexy smile! (www.seafooddirect.co.uk)

Q. Eating fish helps you become more attractive to the opposite sex?

Why not eat fish?A. It has high cholesterol, especially shellfish.

• New measuring techniques show that cholesterol levels of shellfish are much lower than previously thought.

• Cholesterol levels not significant in most seafood products.

• Cholesterol levels in crab and lobster are similar to the dark meat of chicken.

Why not eat fish?A. I take a fish oil supplement.

• Fish oil can be a useful option for people who are unable to eat seafood.

• Some health effects of finfish are not seen with fish oil.– Reduction of high blood pressure

Why not eat fish?A. I like my fish fried.

• Frying with high temperatures could destroy some omega-3 fats.

• If you must fry, use oil that is high in mono-unsaturated fats (olive, canola).

• Grilling, steaming, broiling or baking should be encouraged.

Why not eat fish?A. I’m pregnant.

• Seafood is important for mother & child.• Provides protein, omega-3 fats, iodine and calcium.• Seafood contains mercury which can be harmful at

high levels.• Follow USDA guidelines

– do not eat Shark, Swordfish, King Mackerel, or Tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury.

– Eat up to 12 ounces (2 average meals) a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury.

– Five of the most commonly eaten fish that are low in mercury are shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish.

Why not eat fish?A. I’m allergic to seafood.

• No effective prevention other than complete avoidance.

• Read food labels carefully!

Why not eat fish?A. Fish are contaminated with heavy metals.

• All seafood contains mercury.

• Mercury occurs naturally in the environment and can also be released into the air through industrial pollution. Fish absorb the methylmercury as they feed in these waters and so it builds up in them. It builds up more in some types of fish and shellfish than others, depending on what the fish eat, which is why the levels vary

• At regulated limits, the benefits of eating seafood far outweigh the risk posed by the small amounts of mercury.

Why not eat fish?A. Farmed fish has more PCB’s than wild fish.

• widely published studies of contaminants in wild salmon show levels comparable or greater than those in farmed salmon.

• PCB levels in farmed salmon raised in the Americas contain, on average, 1/80 of the tolerance set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

• Farmed seafood provides the same health benefits as wild caught fish.

Why not eat fish?A. It’s not nice to eat fish.

PETA• fish have feelings and deserve to live

just like anyone else

• Fish belong in open waters, and they are frustrated and unhappy

when kept in tanks

University of Wyoming

•Fish do not have the brain development necessary for the psychological experience of pain. Dr. James D. Rose,

• Fish is an integral part of every consumer’s balanced diet. As with any food or health product, there are risks to consumption, but thanks to better scientific information and various public health and safety initiatives by the federal government, Americans can and should feel comfortable consuming fish, and they should know that the U.S. food supply remains one of the safest in the world.