THE GOOD
Fish, especially oily fish like mackerel, salmon, herring and sardine, contain omega-3 fatty acids. These are a type of essential fats necessary for health that the body cannot make and must be obtained from the diet. Oil from fish is considered the best source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Medical studies have shown that omega-3 oils can help reduce blood cholesterol. Omega-3 in the diet protects the heart and circulation and may reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and certain cancers. Research has demonstrated that omega-3 oils play an important part in aiding the development of our nervous system, and fish oils are now used to treat a variety of nervous system disorders.
Seafood contains an abundance of essential minerals such as iron, zinc, iodine, calcium and selenium. Fish is also a good source of vitamins, helping to maintain healthy nerve tissues, strong bones and teeth, and a glowing complexion. Fish is an excellent source of protein, essential for the healthy growth and maintenance of muscles and body tissues.
Even your love life could benefit from eating seafood as the protein, minerals and omega-3 fats in fish help in maintaining good hormonal balance. Shellfish such as oysters have earned a reputation for aphrodisiac properties!
THE BAD
Cholesterol: Fish is not a low-cholesterol food. A muscle is a muscle, whether it belongs to a cow, a pig or a bird. Like all animal products, fish is a high-cholesterol food. Based upon a weight of 100 grams of fish, mackerel contains 95mg of cholesterol; haddock, 65mg; tuna, 63mg; and halibut, 50mg. Warm-water fish like snapper will have less cholesterol, This compares to beef at 70mg, chicken, 60mg, and pork at 70 mg.
Eating fish just to lower the cholesterol in your food is not logical. Of course, there are lots of other good reasons for eating fish. But as I have often stated, the cholesterol in your diet is not the main cause of high blood cholesterol.
THE UGLY
Environmental toxins: Fish eat other fish that eat plankton and algae, which in today's oceans are contaminated with environmental pollutants. Because these chemicals are concentrated in the fat of the fish, the fish most heavily laden with chemicals are those such as the tuna, mackerel, swordfish and shark, which are predators of smaller sea life. Mercury, particularly methyl mercury and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), is the most common and dangerous toxin found in fish.
A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine warned that many fish contain such high levels of mercury that they may actually increase your risk of a heart attack. Because of their high content of mercury, the Food and Drug Administration in the United States has advised women who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant not to eat swordfish, king mackerel, tile fish, shark, or fish from mercury-contaminated areas.
SEAFOOD POISONING
In the U.S., seafood ranked third on the list of products which caused food-borne disease between 1983 and 1992. Shellfish like shrimp are bottom feeders and the scavengers of the sea. They may carry heavy bacterial contami-nation and lead to infections, especially when not cooked properly.
Serious illnesses can result from eating fish that have fed on certain toxic algae. The most commonly reported marine toxin disease in the world is ciguatera - a strange illness associated with consumption of contaminated reef fish such as barracuda, grouper and snapper. There are about 20,000 cases worldwide. Ciguatera presents with symptoms like diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, numbness and strange sensations, pain in the teeth, pain on urination, blurred vision, irregular heartbeat and even coma.
So, yes, fish has many benefits, but as with everything else, you should know all the different sides of fish!
Email Dr. Tony Vendryes at vendryes@mac.com, visit him at www.anounceofprevention.org, or listen to 'An Ounce of Prevention' on Power 106FM on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m.
