Eat fish or avoid it? Scientists weigh in

[jpak]

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=122742&ac=PHnws

t may be the biggest irony in food nutrition: Fish is one of the best sources of Omega-3 fatty acids, a heart-healthy answer to cardiovascular disease, the No. 1 killer of Americans.

But fish also contain traces of mercury and other pollutants that are particularly damaging to the neurological development of fetuses and young children.

That is enough to make some parents and pregnant women cut back on fish, or avoid it altogether. Health experts, however, are saying you can have your fish and eat it, too -- simply by being smart about what kind you buy.

"All fish are not created equal," said Kathryn Mahaffey, a senior scientist at the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection, during the agency's conference on contaminants in fish taking place in Portland this week.

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[unpossibles]

1. Flax, hemp, soy, and canola are all great sources

and are not overfished or laden with mercury.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha-linolenic_acid#Dietary_Sources

[LaurenG]

2. I think flax seed oil is probably safer than fish

Good sources of Omega 3's

Flax Seed Oil

Walnuts

Pumpkin Seeds

Pecans


Tofu

Spinach, fresh, cooked

[Gloria]

3. Ground flaxseed also has lignans that are anti-cancer perhaps...

which makes it probably a better choice than the oil.

Then there is the purified fish oil, like Nordic Natural

[razzleberry]

4. eat fish that contains Omega-3

tuna, sardines, anchovies ...

other fish is only 'less bad'

noteworthy bad mention...
the endangered Patagonian Tooth Fish

[GliderGuider]

5. As well, eat only fish frm MSC-certified fisheries

http://www.msc.org/html/content_484.htm

[Dogmudgeon]

6. Take the capsules

They're purified. Several boutique brands like Udo's, and commercial Meg-3, are purified and inspected. They are kept under close scrutiny by their manufacturers and independent organizations.

Fish oil is food in a gelatin capsule. I take about a dozen capsules a day, mainly with small low-fat snacks. It works even better for me than gemfibrozil and statin drugs, but "your mileage may vary", so work with a doctor who knows about this stuff. And make sure to cut a little extra fat out of your diet if you're sensitive -- 12 capsules contain about 15 grams of oil, which is 135 calories.

Flax seed oil actually isn't quite as good as fish oil, and for a number of reasons. Its essential oils have to be converted in the body to DHA and EPA, and the process is not efficient. But it is an overall Good Thing, and it's worth taking, too, because it contains some beneficial phytochemicals not present in fish.

Snake oil NO, fish oil YES.

--p!