Catch All the Benefits of Fish

Seafood is the "reel" deal. You may be avoiding it after all of the recent news about mercury concerns, but experts say that the benefits of fish far outweigh the risks.

Surf’s Up: The Upside of Fish
Here’s why fish is good for you: Eating one or two servings a week can lower the risk of death from heart disease — the leading cause of death in men and women — by 36 percent, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association. One or two weekly fish meals also can cut your overall risk of death by 17 percent.

Fish is loaded with healthy fatty acids called omega-3s. Other research has shown that these fatty acids can help reduce the risk of death from heart disease. Specifically, they can help lower your blood pressure and heart rate. In fact, population studies suggest that eating even just one serving of fish per month can help protect your heart. The richest sources of omega-3s are oily fish such as salmon, herring, and sardines.

Besides protecting your heart, fish also may lower your risk of stroke and depression. Some research also suggests that seafood can help keep our minds sharp as we age.

Caution For Some Women and Children
Mercury is found in small traces in almost all seafood. In higher doses, mercury may harm a developing baby or young child. That’s why experts advise women who are pregnant, or who may become pregnant, and young children to avoid certain fish. These include shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish or golden bass.

However, children and women who are pregnant or may become pregnant can safely eat, on average, two meals containing other types of seafood each week. Seafood that is low in mercury includes catfish, shrimp, wild and farmed salmon, and canned light tuna, which lower in mercury than albacore tuna.