Better Health & Living

Issue: April 2006
Avoid the Catch-22 of the Day
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Avoid the Catch-22 of the Day

Fish is full of fat that's good for you--and pollutants that are not. Here are 13 tips to get the best without the worst.

by Sarí Harrar

Shopping the seafood counter or canned fish shelf at the supermarket can be challenging these days, thanks to a fishy Catch-22: The same varieties that are packed with super-healthy omega-3 fatty acids may also be laced with pollutants such as mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

You’ve heard about the benefits of the good fats in fish: Medical researchers are discovering they can do everything from building babies’ brains and boosting teenagers’ mental health to protecting adults against heart attack, stroke, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and even overweight. Yet environmental scientists are sounding alarms about two of the richest and tastiest sources of these superfats: tuna, which has been found to contain low levels of mercury, and salmon, which may contain PCBs and even flame retardants.

It’s a go-fish conundrum: Eat the fish, and you could ingest toxins associated with neurological problems (at least in babies and young children) and potential cancers. Skip it, and you miss all those good fats. Here’s what the experts suggest.

  1. Have just two fish meals per week. “It doesn’t seem we need to eat large amounts of fish every day,” says Walter Willett, M.D., chairman of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. Two servings per week—of “safer” varieties (see The New Fish Rules, next page)—are enough, research suggests. Why? Fish is rich in two types of omega-3s—eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)—that your body uses to make cell wall membranes, especially in the brain, nervous system, and heart. A study of 43,000 men found that eating fish just one to three times per month cut their risk of stroke by 40 percent, but eating more didn’t reduce it any further. And getting 7 ounces—about what you’d eat in two meals—per week cut heart attack risk by a whopping 59 percent in a Chinese study of 18,000 people.
  2. Eat plant-based omega-3s every day. Walnuts, canola oil, flaxseed, and flaxseed oil are packed with alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)—a less potent omega-3 that your body converts into EPA and DHA. “Even a teaspoon of flaxseed oil a day would give you a lot,” Dr. Willett says. “You could add it to a salad. I add a little flaxseed to my multigrain cereal. It’s better absorbed if you run it through a coffee grinder first.” Why every day? The body needs up to 10 grams of ALA to make just 1 gram of DHA and EPA. And eating these foods has proven health benefits: Having 1.5 ounces of walnuts per day, for example, can protect your heart.

The New Fish Rules

Ready to say yes to tuna and salmon again? Choose wisely.

  1. Go for light tuna. Canned light tuna has 66 percent less mercury than fresh tuna steaks or canned white albacore, the Department of Health and Human Services reports.
  2. Find the secret salmon. Wild salmon seems to have lower levels of potentially carcinogenic PCBs than farmed salmon, but is it worth paying $25 or more per pound for wild fish (if you can find it) rather than buying the always available, $5-per-pound farmed stuff? The experts don’t agree—some say the risk is negligible, while others say there’s no reason to knowingly eat even a smidgeon of toxins. We suggest a surprising alternative: canned salmon. The truth is, it’s usually wild fish. Toss with canola oil mayo for a good-fat-rich sandwich spread or use it in quiche, salmon burgers, or salmon croquettes.
  3. Consider the big picture. “The risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) is high; it is the leading cause of death and disability in the United States, and half of women in the United States will die of CVD,” says Alice Lichtenstein, Ph.D., of Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. “Other than the special issue of pregnant women and children, the risk of adverse effects from contaminants in fish is extremely low…theoretical at this point.”
  4. Cast a wider net. Herring, oysters, and rainbow trout all contain respectable levels of EPA and DHA, according to researchers at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University.

No-Fish Omega-3s

Experts recommend getting between 1 and 1.6 grams of plant-based ALA. Here’s how to do it.

  1. Sprinkle ground flaxseed on hot cereal. Hard, whole, little flaxseeds are fairly indigestible and must be ground to make their fats absorbable. Keep a supply ready in a flax grinder, such as the OXO Grind-It Flaxseed Grinder ($11.95), for convenience (store extra seed in the freezer to preserve fatty acids). Good-fat benefit: 2.2 grams of ALA in 1 tablespoon of flaxseed, ground.
  2. Dress leafy greens with flaxseed oil. Shake up a smart vinaigrette with flaxseed oil, balsamic vinegar, and your favorite herbs and spices. Store any extra in the fridge: Heat destroys the essential fatty acids in this fragile, light-tasting oil. Good-fat benefit: 8.5 grams of ALA in 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil.
  3. Munch some walnuts. Yummy walnuts have the distinction of being the only nuts with a respectable omega-3 content (they also pack hunger-satisfying, heart-healthy fiber, plus protein). Take one moderate handful out of the bag, put the bag away, and enjoy: An ounce (about the amount that fits into your cupped palm) packs 185 calories, on a par with potato or corn chips. Good-fat benefit: 2.6 grams of ALA per ounce.
  4. Cook with canola. Switching from corn or sunflower oil when making muffins, cakes, and sauteed dishes is one of the most powerful “good fat” strategies you can employ. Here’s why: Corn- and sunflower-based oils are packed with omega-6 fatty acids, a type of fat that’s overabundant in the modern American diet, while canola has the good stuff most of our diets lack. Good-fat benefit: 1.2 grams of ALA per tablespoon.
  5. Serve grass-fed beef. Meat from grass-fed cattle has about 60 percent more omega-3s than you’d get in conventional, grain-fed beef, say agriculture researchers at California State University in Chico. Good fat benefit: About 88.5 mg per serving—but even more important, a better balance between omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids, a type of fat that may be harmful in large quantities.

Omega-3s in a Bottle

Three fish-oil capsules per day provide about 1 gram of good fats, the amount recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA) to cut risk of heart disease. But should you take them? Here’s what the AHA recommends.

  • Yes…if you have a history of heart disease—after talking with your doctor.
  • No…if you have a healthy heart, take blood thinners, or use an implanted defibrillator. Fish oil may thin the blood, potentially leading to bleeding problems if you also take a blood thinner such as warfarin (Coumadin). And new research suggests fish-oil supplements may interfere with the heart rhythms of people who use pacemakers.

Sari Harrar eats a varied diet at her home in southeastern Pennsylvania.

 

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