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Nothing Fishy About Eating Seafood 
Despite what you’ve heard about mercury, toxins and other dangers of eating seafood, the benefits outweigh the risks, according to a panel of scientists presenting to the American Association for the Advancement of Science. “The best science coming out over the last two years has overwhelmingly been in favor of the benefits of seafood consumption,” says Michael Morrisey, director of Oregon State University’s Seafood Laboratory. A 10-year study of 700 kids in the Seychelles Islands also examined their mothers. The moms ate more than 12 meals of fish weekly, which is 10 times the average consumed in the United States. Cognitive tests on the kids showed no defects or other illnesses related to absorbing mercury, which naturally occurs in the environment and binds with the proteins in fish, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (Cooking does little to reduce the methyl mercury content in fish, the FDA says.) But some folks should avoid certain types of seafood: kids and pregnant women. “If you’re in that group, avoid eating shark, swordfish and Spanish mackerel,” Morrisey says. “But young children and pregnant women should still eat 12 ounces a week of a variety of fish to be sure to get the important nutrients, especially omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s have been shown to boost heart health, especially in people at high risk of getting heart disease, according to the American Heart Association. |
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